Lilian Jackson Braun (1913–2011) was an American journalist and novelist who created The Cat Who... series, one of the most beloved and enduring cat mystery series in publishing history. The series spanned from 1966 to 2007, making Braun one of the earliest and most influential authors in what would become the cozy mystery genre.
Braun worked as a reporter and editor for the Detroit Free Press before turning to fiction. Her journalistic background is reflected in her protagonist, Jim Qwilleran, who is also a journalist. The series' early books, set in a city, drew on Braun's urban newspaper experience. The later books, set in the fictional rural Moose County, reflected her later life in North Carolina.
The 18-year gap in the series (1968 to 1986) came after her publisher dropped the series following disappointing sales of the third book. When the series was revived in 1986, the cozy mystery market had changed dramatically, and The Cat Who... became a massive bestseller. The revival books, set in Moose County, defined the series' identity and introduced the small-town setting that would become a hallmark of the genre.
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