If you're a cat lover or mystery reader -- or both -- you're likely mourning Lilian Jackson Braun, the best-selling author who died at age 97.

Braun, whose feline protagonists Koko and Yum Yum were off-beat detectives, was a former editor at the Detroit Free Press. She wrote three novels in the 1960s, took a hiatus for 18 years, and then hit the gas pedal. Her series now totals 29 books.

According to publisher Penguin, she said she developed her writing style because “people are simply tired of all the blood. I write what is called the classic mystery.” She added that while “not all mystery fans like cats, all cat-fanciers seem to like mysteries. That makes for a large audience, since 26% of all American households own 53.9 million cats between them.” Pretty solid logic.

R.I.P. Lilian.

Photo courtesy of G.P. Putnam