'The cat who could read backwards.'

'The Cat Who Could Read Backwards'
by Lilian Jackson Braun.

This is a 'tongue in cheek' murder, mystery which is set in the Art world. Jim Qwillern has been appointed as an art critic for the Daily Fluxion.As a cultural area he knows little about, he begins his reporting by visiting various galleries and interviewing celebrity artists.

' Qwilleran left the Lambreth Gallery with several questions banging about in his head:How could he tell good art from bad art?Why did triangles get thumbs up while sailboats got thumbs down? '

He was quite a novice in this world but not a novice reporter. Consequently when a painting is vandalised and an artist falls from scaffolding, his nose begins to twitch. His, is not the only nose to twitch either, as his travels have introduced him to Koko a siamese cat with apparently extraordinary talents.
When Koko's owner , Mountclemens is found murdered Qwilleran is helped in finding the murderer by the faithful feline.

'Qwilleran was plunged in the depths of his big armchair, pulling on his pipe that had burned out some minutes before. His silence weighted the atmosphere, and a shrill protest eventually came from Koko.'

I read about this book on a blog a few weeks ago and thought it might be fun.
However, I found it disappointing. I felt the story was slow and although I wasn't expecting the cat to actually read, I found it's actions pretty average for a feline.
I read this book as part of the Art History Reading Challenge.