Autumn has arrived, and the citizens of Pickax find themselves amid a clamor of activity. In addition to the opening of its latest theatrical production, the town is celebrating the dedication of a new bookstore and park built in memory of Pickax's beloved bookshop owner Edd Smith. Columnist Jim Owilleran, while participating in the festivities, is also busy with his latest book project: an account of a uniquely historic guest residence, the Hibbard House.
The merry atmosphere, however, is dampened by the suspicious death of an out-of-town actor and the mysterious theft of a rare book. Qwill's research into the Hibbard House provides unexpected insight into these strange proceedings. Qwill must also rely on his perceptive Siamese Koko, who has been acting particularly odd in regard to the newest resident of the Hibbard House. Has Koko gone bananas, or will his unusual behavior help Qwill unravel this mystery? With her twenty-seventh Cat Who book, Lilian Jackson Braun proves yet again that Qwill, Yum Yum, and Koko are the purrfect team to solve any mystery.