The Pinchers and the Curse of the Egyptian Cat by Anders Sparring illustrated by Per Gustavsson translated by Julia Marshall

Blurb: Theo and Ellen accidentally break an ancient cat statue in the antique store. When they tell their mother Nic, she turns pale. It must have been the statue that ruined the life of their ancestor Pick Pincher! The curse of the Egyptian cat turns thieves into honest people and honest people into thieves. Pick met a terrible fate for a Pincher—he became a police officer. Now suddenly Ellen can’t lie and Theo is becoming a criminal. Theo and Ellen follow the clues to break the curse—after sneaking into the zoo through secret tunnels, breaking into the antique store and digging his way into more trouble, Theo must decide whether he is or isn’t a criminal.

Laced with dry humor, this wildly fantastical, gripping narrative zips along to a satisfying conclusion. Gustavsson’s atmospheric, action-packed, full-page images and vignettes bring to life both thrills and hilariously wacky antics. ... Another lively, funny jaunt with this unforgettable family. Kirkus

This is fun easy to read book perfect for readers aged 8+ because it is short, has colour illustrations and this it is part of a series. So far Gecko have published three books about The Pinchers.  The curse of the Egyptian Cat is titled Familjen Knyckertz och Gipskattens förbannelse in Swedish. The literal title is The Knyckertz family and the curse of the plaster treasure. You can see inside this book here - YouTube Trailer. 

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Anders Sparring writes children's books and is a screenwriter for many popular television shows. He is also a stand-up comedian. He lives in Sweden.

Per Gustavsson is an illustrator and author living in Stockholm, Sweden. His bestselling books are translated to several languages.

My Gecko Press book (purchased from The Sun Bookshop in Yarraville Melbourne) and the Curse of the Egyptian Cat is the third book in the series. Here are the eight Swedish covers:

I want to list another book about a child who is the opposite of his parents - he is tidy they are disgustingly messy and there is a tidy town competition but I cannot think of the title and that plot fragment is all I remember except to say it was a short junior novel and it was probably published between 1990 and 2010. (post update I remembered this book - No Place for Grubbs by Max Dann Aussie Bites series). Your library might also have an old book by Pat Hutchins called The Curse of the Egyptian Mummy. 

Companion books:

Huxley and Flapjack race to the rescue

The Real Thief

The Man who Wore all his Clothes

Dandy the highway lion

Violet and the Pearl of the Orient

Dixie O'Day and the great Diamon Robbery

The Great Smile Robbery (out of print)