Customer Reviews (138)

Don't read this!
This was the worst book. I thought I would gag after reading the first chapter. Burn it!

A real stinker!
"The Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun" enjoys the dubious distinction of being the worst book it has ever been my misfortune to read.I only finished the wretched thing because of the rave review it received in Publishers Weekly -- I kept hoping against hope something funny or clever -- or both -- would happpen.It didn't.The only place I even cracked a smile was at an exchange on page 142:

"I mean the name for some totally amoral, skank-ass, saliva-dripping poon-rat."

"I think the term is:Member of Congress."

The above exchange will, I believe, have a wider resonance in this election year (2010) than previously, when it would have been pertinent primarily for those of us living in the DC Metro Area.

To call "the Cat Who Killed Lilian Jackson Braun" puerile or sophomoric would be high praise indeed!The best use for this book would be to use it to line a litter box -- it could be called "The Cat Who Expressed a LITTER-ary Opinion."

I award this stinker of a book five --five SKUNKS!

Perfect for use in the outhouse, better than toilet paper!
Vile, disgusting piece of manure! Filled with gratuitous sex. Portrays a degrading picture of Lilian Jackson Braun. Save your money and buy a book worth reading!
Mine will go in the fire next time we use the fireplace.

Thank Goodness For Reader Reviews of Bad Books
I have read all LJB's books with a few I'm waiting on at my used book store and was just searching to see if I missed anything.She happens to be a 92 year old author who entertained me rather well and currently has no further books to entertain me withwhen I spied this at the top of her book listings. If I had not taken the time to read the reviews I too would have been sadly disappointed. I despise sexually explicit books when the explicitness is totally unnecessary, parody or not. I'd much rather be reading about lovely dinner menus and fantastic antiques, rich characters and fantastic references to literature. The food and the literature references were the best making me wish to get more used books to add to my large used book collection already, wether they are classic or simply enjoyable light mysteries.Light enjoyable reading is necessary to clear the mind at times in my world and I do not need to fill it with atrocious murders and details when the world is already filled with that everyday in the newspaper. I do not believe this belongs in her book listings, it is not written by her and I entered her name in the search specifically. I am grateful for the many reviews from regular readers of LJB. Its no different than the speculative trash of if she is alive or dead and using a ghost writer. Thank you for taking the time for those of you who wrote reviews as I know I will not waste my time on this one. Why no zero stars? I know I have had a few books I could not finish that deserved that category. Perhaps you should add a new category.

Don't bother!
Thinking that this would be a true parody of the Cat Who books, I eagerly began reading.However, in the first 5 pages I quickly realized this wasn't a parody, it was more of a character assassination of Lilian Jackson Braun.For whatever reason (her success, perhaps?) this writer creates an agenda of violence and sex, with vague references every now and then to some part of the Cat Who series.Pure garbage, my copy of this book will go to the landfill. If possible, I would not give this book ANY stars...even one star is misleading. ... Read more

Product Description
UFOs in Mooseville? Rumors abound that a backpacker's been abducted, and Jim Qwilleran's sedate summer may be interrupted by an investigation--with the help of his own little aliens, Koko and Yum Yum...

"Her fans will adore it."-- Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (92)

Lilian Jackson Braun Book
A great listen to CD in a car.I love the Cat Who Series, listened to them all.Great entertainment

Mooseville?
I LOVE these books but this is not my favorite in the series. I've read them all and am now re-"reading" them on cd. I much prefer the earlier books especially the ones "Down Below" and Brahams. It really bothers me that a lot of inconsistancies pop up in these later books. For instance, in this book Mooseville is completely altered, or is it just me? I don't remember a giant dune ever being mentioned before or the three streets off Main. and the umpteen shops Qwill visits. Also the sea captain's boat shaped cottage is gone from The Dunes and not even mentioned.
It seems these changes are brought in to introduce more Moose County characters. I'd prefer to see Qwill travel to diff. locations again, such as in The Cat Who Moved a Mountain, as a way to introduce new charaters rather than to see a re-populating of Mooseville and Pickax with unknowns that are written in as if they've been in the stories forever. I'm sorry to say that Moose County has become a bit of a bore. I'm tired of Derek Cuttlebrink and his acting roles and don't even get me started on Polly. (I give every book that Polly is off on a vacation in one extra star.) One of the best things about the earlier books was Qwill was always moving to diff. neighborhoods, covering diff. beats, and meeting diff. characters.
As I said, I've read all the Cat Who's and know it doesn't get any better (except in the Polly dept. but even in that instance it's not much help as there probably won't be any more books written now). I find it interesting that most of the reviewers that love this book also say it's the first one they've read in the series or that they've only read the later ones. I hope they will give the earlier books a try. They'll really love those.

A Month at the Lake
When Polly vacations in Canada for a month, Qwill picks up and moves to the cabin on the lake. He and the cats have a grand time getting to know people and looking for interesting stories.

A couple from Florida open a new restrauant. The man mysteriously falls overboard one day while on a picnic with his wife on the lake. Qwill and Koko know something is amiss.

I liked this instalment of, "The Cat Who," series. It wasn't as exciting as some of the others but it was cozy and entertaining.

What happened to the backpacker?
This is a pleasant read, but not up to the Lilian Jackson Braun standards of earlier books. She seems to have left some loose ends, like what happened to the backpacker? Is it just me or did Ms. Braun forget to tie the backpacker's death in with the storyline and forget to explain who or what killed him?

The Cat Who Saw Stars
I find all these books, fun and relaxing. Look forward to each one of them ... Read more

Product Description
Qwilleran and his feline sleuths investigate three baffling mysteries, in an omnibus edition containing The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare, The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, and The Cat Who Went Underground. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

great read anyday
All of Lillian Jackson Braun's books are great reads and these are no exception.The adventures of Koko and Yumyum are wildly funny and great mysteries too.I highly recommend this author.

My Favorite Cozy Mystery Series!
In The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is becoming acclimated to his new life as a millionaire in Pickaxe City (400 miles north of everywhere). He has moved his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into the old Klingenschoen mansion and has settled in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will.

As this book begins, Qwill is awaiting the arrival of "the big one", a huge snow fall, as predicted every day on the weather report on WPKX. He is starting to adapt to life as the richest man in Moose County, and has started dating the local librarian, Polly Duncan. He begins to get acquainted with the various families in town, and develops an easy friendship with Junior Goodwinter, the young, energetic editor of the Pickax Picayune. When Junior's father dies suddenly in an accident, Qwill sympathizes with his friend, and looks for ways to save the centuries' old newspaper run for years without profit. Qwill begins to become suspicious of Junior's mother, and her reaction to her husband's death. It seems the widow is ready to sell all of her possessions and has been seen around town with a new man. Could the death of Senior Goodwinter have been anything more than a bad car accident? Distracting Qwill from the suspicious death is the upcoming marriage of his beloved housekeeper, Mrs. Iris Cobb. Qwill brought Mrs. Cobb up from "Down Below" to manage his household and the new museum that is being created in the Klingenschoen mansion. But the man she is marrying is highly disliked in town, and Qwill works hard to insure that Mrs. Cobb is marrying the right man for her.

In the Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Moose County is dealing with a rash of vandalism that has been escalating to increasingly violent acts. One of the suspects in the vandalism ring is Chad Lanspeak, son of the owners of the Lanspeak's Department Store. As Chad's parents are good friends of Qwill, he tries to befriend the young man, and begins to believe that Chad was not involved in the violence. A murder of two prominent citizens occurs, and the prime suspects in the murder are Chad and his friends. When a car crash kills Chad and two other suspects in the vandalism ring, the police are quick to close the case. Qwill suspects that the police have closed the case prematurely, and continues to quietly investigate. With KoKo developing a fascination with glue, and Polly becoming more and more distant to his affections, Qwill is kept busy while trying to solve the murders and to clear the name of his good friend's son.

In the Cat Who Went Underground Qwill, is feeling despondent over the recent absence of Polly Duncan, and decides he needs a change. He moves his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into his lakefront cottage in Mooseville for the summer, and quickly learns that country living is not for him. He has to call for plumbing repairs almost daily, and with the small size of the cottage, he quickly decides to build an addition to create more room for himself and the cats. Finding a reputable builder during the summer season is a daunting task, however, as all of the builders are booked for months in advance. Qwill finds himself a builder with a stellar reputation and feels smug for his ingenuity. This all comes to a screeching halt when the man goes missing, and Qwill must find himself an "underground" builder to finish the job. This latest carpenter is sluggish and lazy, and Qwill finds himself having to supervise all of the work being slowly performed. When the carpenter is discovered dead on Qwill's property, he becomes a suspect. He quickly learns that summer at the lake is not what he intended and works overtime to discover who has a grudge against carpenters in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall.

This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

Unplug the phone, pull the quilt to your chin and enjoy!
Lilian Jackson Braun always delivers, even if it's the latest edition of the "Moose County Something" in Moose County, which is 400 miles north of everywhere.Qwilleran is at his sleuthing best with KoKo, a Siamese cat with keen intelligence, as his mystery-solving partner.As always, the mysteries are well plotted with quirky characters that capture and carry the reader from the first clue to each satisfying conclusion.If you enjoy the "Cat Who . . ." books as much as I do, you'll want to read "The Cat Who Sang for the Birds", the latest in the series.And it's not necessary to read the books in order.Each stands on its own as a complete story.Cuddle with your favorite feline, and as Qwilleran would no doubt recommend, read aloud to stimulate your feline's intelligence.

A fun pair of sleuths for the price of one.
I have read all of "The Cat Who..." books except the very latest one (and it is on a UPS truck at this moment from Amazon.com).Jim Qwilleran is a semi-retired journalist in a small town.His column in the local paper is titled "The Qwill Pen".He is owned by 2 siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum.It pays to pay attention to Koko if there has been a foul deed commited and to Qwilleran's own mustache which throbs with unease when lies are being told.When you need a break from more serious reading my suggested antidote is one or more of "The Cat Who..." books.

Engrossing mystery that keeps you on guessing who done it
Koko and Qwill are at it again in this combination of mysteries.The antics of Koko will keep you guessing who done it in this series. Braun is her consumate self in depicting the life of Qwill and his mystery solving companion centered in this quaint northern city.Once you start the story, you can't put it down until you have finished, even if it is three in the morning. ... Read more

Product Description
Jim Qwilleran and his feline sleuths, Koko and Yum Yum, investigate the disappearance of a wealthy railroad buff--and alleged multimillion-dollar embezzler--a case that becomes complicated by red herrings, a tragic train wreck, and murder at a railroad tavern. Reprint. AB. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Witty and Wholesome
A wonderful installment in Braun's The Cat Who series. A model train ecentric buys a real steam engine and takes it on a charity excursion. Embezzlement and murder cause Newspaperman Quillerin to summon an elderly Florida lady friend to Moose County to go undercover for him. A really fun read, great for traveling.

Would have been five stars if Polly weren't in it...
Another enjoyable Cat Who book that is spoiled by the Polly character. If Koko were really psychic he would have warned Qwill off of her at the first. I really don't understand why this character is popular or sympathetic to anyone who likes these books. She constantly manipulates Qwilleran for his money and gifts. If I were him I would have revoked the sale of the land for her house the first second she started needling him about the new Dean of the college that she thought was so handsome and charming. It just isn't feasable that an intelligent independent character like Qwill would put up with her carp. She is so dispicable that many fans of these books actually wished her heart attack had been fatal. The only reason I didn't is that I would have felt bad for Qwill. She is also two-faced. Now that Mildred is married to Arch she's best of friends with her but before she was hatefully jealous of her making catty remarks about her behind her back. Why would a character like Qwill not see through her nastiness. These books definately went downhill with the introduction of this character.

Lilian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Blew the Whistle
Good easy listening to on a car trip, two cassettes and about 3 hours in length.There is always a twist in the end.Can you figure it out before the end.

Here's to You Mrs. Robinson
Celia Robinson moves to Pickax and become Qwill's secret agent. Qwill rides the train. It is a steam engine restored and very elegant set up as a fundraiser for the college. The man who restored the stram engine disappears with all the money from his bank.

Qwill, Koko, and Celia Robinson solve this one. Polly stays in the background and we find out why at the end of the book.

I enjoyed this enstallment of, "The Cat Who..." series. You will too!

Mr. Q and Ko Ko do it again!
We have read all of the Cat Who series several times and never tire of the antics of Ko Ko and Yum Yum. Being disabled and also with limited "reading" vision, my husband reads to me and the troubles of my world are lifted ten times over! Thank you Ms. Braun!!

Through the years we have loved many many cats.Ms. Braun's excellent description of the antics of the cats is so right on target!If you didn't understand cats before, you will after reading her books. ... Read more

Product Description
James Qwilleran and his famous felines, Koko and Yum Yum, are back for another mystery-solving stint in the beloved bestselling Cat Who... series.

Unabridged CDs - 4 CDs, 5 hours ... Read more

Customer Reviews (113)

Superb
Lilian Jackson Braun never disappoints in The Cat Who series. In the Bombshell, she once again captures the lively spirit and intrigue we so crave from her writing.

George Guidall Reads Another Cat Who....
Whether one spells it Guidall or Guidell, one finds both listings for him, he is one of the super-stars of audio-book performing and he is heard once again reading this Bomb....shell from Lillian Jackson Braun. Don't get me wrong. I am under no illusion that each book in this extended series stands on its own. For regular listeners (or readers) like myself, it is another mandatory visit with familiar voices (characters) in a familiar setting doing familiar things. No different from dropping in daily on Vic and Sade, that is, Victor and Sadie Gooch, one of the long running programs on radio, back many years ago, or one of the soap operas which lasted forever, even in those bitterly competitive days. I don't know what to say to new readers for whom this would be their first experience with The Cats Who.... My responses cannot be theirs; theirs cannot be mine. I suppose the best advice is that they start with almost any other book in the series. This one is pretty tired and almost entirely plot-less. Oh, yes, if one waits patiently, there are murders, but very little mystery. For the rest of us folk, however, it is just a matter of checking in to see the neighbors for a bit, talk over old times, and, gossip about a few of the things happening around town.

A nice visit, but with a definite genra no-no
I went on vacation recently and took a bunch of the "Cat Who..." books along with me on the trip.This was among the better of them, but in general they do not have the same appeal they used to.I can't decide if it's me, and I've just gotten tired of the particular species of the murder mystery genera, or if the author herself has tired of the series.

"The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell" still provides the reader with a pleasant visit to Pickax and Moose County with their delightful characters. Koko and Yum Yum are still an integral part of the tale, but they've become less central to it than they were at the beginning of the series or even at the beginning of the Pickax sagas.Unfortunately for those of us who enjoy classic murder mysteries, the murderous aspect of the series has definitely been sidelined.

Here again a suspicion of murder is created by events, but while the author and his friends speculate on the hows, whys, and ifs of the situation, none of them actually takes any steps to actually clarify it.In fact the solution is provided by an incidental character near the end of the story by way of a letter to Qwill.While I admit that murders may actually be solved in this fashion sometimes, I am also literate enough in the underlying principles of the classic murder mystery to know that this is an "illegal" manipulation of the plot.This is disappointing in an author whose earlier works, even those to mid-Pickax times, have demonstrated that she knows the rules and can produce good plots on their basis.

A nice visit to a nice place, but not a real murder mystery.

The worst
I had read the other reviews before I read this book and they were so correct.This was the most rambly, choppy, no depth book I have every read.I have all the Cat Who books and this one made me sad and mad.No interaction with the cats, no loving banter with Polly.No sadness over important people in Quills life.I have the next one and hope it will be better.I have read all the others no less than 3 times and have them set aside for my cat loving granddaughter someday, but this book won't get a second read. SAD SAD

Plusses and minuses
The biggest plus, as in all the "Cat Who" books is the people and places of Moose County. After all this time, they still offer the feel of relaxation, despite that murders abound 400 miles north of nowhere. Maybe its because the murders are really not a large part of the story. In the "Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell," however, the murders really take a backseat and are really superfluous. The cats, KoKo and Yum Yum, also are so little a part of things they almost seem an afterthought. The writing also seems to be losing a bit of its direction. Characters play major parts and then drop of the map. Others get barely a mention and then are killed off with the reader knowing so little about them, nobody cares. While Moose County seems like a nice place to live, the books are losing a bit of their bearings. ... Read more

Product Description
Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, journey to a peaceful island paradise that is rapidly being developed into a luxurious resort, where a series of mysterious ""accidents"" has been occurring. Reprint. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

LISTENING TO GEORGE GUIDALL READ THE CAT WHO...
Another audio book listener has pointed out how distasteful the reading by Dick Van Patten was. I agree. However, he read only the abridged edition; for the unabridged edition, George Guidall was once again called upon to give one of his patented performances of our Hero, Qwill. He fits the part like those treasured Old Shoes with which no expensive new model can compete.
For regular readers of the long-running series, one need only say that this is neither the best nor the worst of the lot. With George doing the talking you will enjoy it. For others, it can be characterized as ultra-light entertainment, interesting only to those who can accommodate to a middle-aged man who lives alone with two cats with whom he carries on conversations and plays games. He also is pretty well convinced that one of the cats has some sort of sixth sense which allows him to divine events before they occur and understand what has occurred with only that sixth sense to help him. As in the other books, there is a mystery here, although not a great deal of effort goes into solving it, though solved it is. As usual it is the characters and situations which are the reason for listening to it, when it is read with as much characterization as Guidall brings to the text. I can commend it to someone not looking for the depth of P.D. James or the surprise ending of Agatha Christie.

Lilian Jackson Braun Book
Thank you for the audio book.Good story and helped past the time traveling long distances.

Qwill Meets a Mermaid
After Polly announces she is visiting Oregon for two weeks, Qwill and the Siamese go to Breakfast Island a.k.a. Pear Island, to investigate several murders and other strange occurances. Qwill learns to play dominoes so he teaches Koko who send him messages in code using the tiles.

One day while hiking the nature trail, Qwill rescues a "mermaid" from a snake bite.

Many twists and turns later Qwill gets to the bottom of everything.

I enjoyed this installment of. "The Cat Who..." series. You need to read it too!

Island mystery
This is another in the light and amusing series of stories of "The Cat Who"... Columnist and amateur crime solver, Jim Qwilleran and his two feline companions,Siamese beauties, Koko and Yum Yum, spend two weeks as guests of friends and B and B owners, Nick and Lori, at their holiday Inn and cabins, on Pear Island, also known as Breakfast Island. A series of "accidents" and two deaths has occured, driving away customers and driving a wedge even further between the developers and the native islanders. Koko, the cat, has supposedly physic powers and directs Jim in several directions with the use of dominoes and word games. It's a light, amusing read and a pleasant "in between" book.

Yeah Ko Ko!
We have read all of the Cat Who series several times and never tire of the antics of Ko Ko and Yum Yum. Being disabled and also with limited "reading" vision, my husband reads to me and the troubles of my world are lifted ten times over! Thank you Ms. Braun!! ... Read more

Product Description
On vacation in the Big Potato Mountains, Qwilleran stumbles into a mystery involving the murder of J. J. Hawkinfield, the developer who was pushed off a mountain years before after announcing his plans to develop the region. Reprint. AB. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

THE CAT WHO MOVED A MOUNTAIN
I LOVE ALL THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN CAT SERIES. THIS IS NOT THE BEST ONE BUT I DID ENJOY IT.

Lilian Jackson Braun Book
A great listen to CD in a car.I love the Cat Who Series.Great entertainment

One of the best "Qwill & Cats" adventures
In this "Cat who" installment, LJB does a terrific job of introducing and maintaining tension. It starts out with a sunny premise -- Qwill decides he and the cats need some quiet time to reflect, so that's how he ends up in the bucolic Potato Mountains. The trip begins with Qwill getting lost on the mountain's long and winding roads. The house is bigger and more foreboding than he expected or wanted, and it turns out to be the site of a murder. It rains all the time, often accompanied by power outages. You get the idea. The mystery is intriguing and the story is filled with new, eccentric characters. Best of all, I thought I knew early on "whodunnit," and I was wrong.

Qwill's Mountain Adventure
If you love cats and the mountains, you will love this episode in, "The Cat Who..." books.

Qwill has lived in Pickax County the required five years to make his inheritance official. He doesn't know what to do next. Does he want to move? Does he want to take a job or start a business? He knows he has a lot of thinking to do so he decides to take a journey. He decides he wants to spend the summer on top of a mountain. So he and the cats rent a mountain house for three months.

While on the mountain he learns of a murder exactly one year before. He and Koko solve the murder and make new friends along the way.

I loved this book! You will too!

I like Qwill
James Qwilleran stayed the compulsory five years in Pickax to complete the requirements placed on his inheritance.He is now officially a billionaire.Now it is time to decide what to do with the rest of his life.He intends to go somewhere--a quiet island with a beach or a mountain hideaway--someplace where he can have seclusion and quiet to sort out his options and make plans.

Qwill (as his friends call him) decides on a whim to spend three months in Spudsboro, a small town in the Potato Mountains.It was recommended highly by some friends who camped there recently.Finding a house to rent is always difficult with two Siamese cats as roommates.The only thing he can find is a huge house on the very top of Big Potato Mountain.It was originally built as an exclusive lodge for well-to-do tourists.More recently it was the home of the area's most influential businessman--owner of the local newspaper.It didn't take long for Qwill to discover the house he rented had been the scene of a ghastly murder a year earlier.

I do admire Jim Qwilleran's ability to converse with everyone he meets.He is well practiced, of course, since he made his living for years as an investigative reporter for various newspapers.He knows just how to steer the conversation and just the right questions to ask.He makes people so comfortable that they usually tell him anything he wants to know.Of course, he has an uncanny ability to read people and know when he is being lied to.Within two days of arriving in town, he is sure that the wrong man is in prison for the murder.

The author does an amazing job of making us empathize with Qwill's frustration with the situation he has gotten himself into.He came to the mountains for solitude and a time of reflection.He had no desire to get mixed up in the politics of the region--environmentalists vs. developers.He really had no desire to get mixed up in the mystery surrounding the murder.But...being a reporter for so many years (and truly caring about the innocent man in prison), he just could not resist finding the truth.It doesn't take long.Qwill has learned to trust his instincts--and the instincts of his cat Koko.Together they follow the clues and confront the real murder.

I highly recommend that you get acquainted with Jim Qwilleran through the "Cat Who..." mystery series.You will like him.
... Read more

Product Description
It's almost time for the gala groundbreaking for the Pickax bookstore--and the town of Brrr is preparing for its bicentennial celebration. All the festivities, however, are spoiled by the discovery of a man's body on James Qwilleran's property. Could it be the work of the killer who used the same methods in northern Michigan? To solve the case, Qwill and his feline pals, Koko and Yum Yum, will have to prick up their ears and determine who committed this foul deed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (94)

A nice visit to a pleasant little town, but not a murder mystery
I went on vacation recently and took a bunch of the "Cat Who..." books along with me on the trip.This one drove me nuts with an almost constant focus on food and dining.It seemed as though the characters have nothing better to do but go out to eat; either that or the author is providing advertising for the various restaurateurs mentioned in the book!

These noticeably growing forays into gastronomics coupled with the author's recent introduction of frequent journal entries from Qwill's diary and of sometimes lengthy quotes from poetry and plays in other recent books in the series are also questionable.It's not that such introduced materials have no use.Certainly they provide character development possibilities and in the case of the journal entries immediate information about what the central character is actually thinking about events.However their apparently escalating use begins to smack of "filler" and author fatigue.

Though "The Cat Who Talked Turkey" is heavily burdened with food settings, it has, however, much to offer the reader by way of setting and incidental local activity.Brrr is celebrating its 200th birthday, and Qwill provides a theatrical presentation, ala the Hindenburg, of the devastating historical snow storm of 1913 and its effects on the inhabitants of Brrr and other local villages, many of whose current residents had family who had lived through--or died during--the described events.

Murder is again part of the plot, but as in most of the latest books it is actually a sideline to the story of the local people.While Qwill and company have interactions with the murderers, none of them actually do nothing to further the plot line of the murder mystery and are more simply spectators to its transactions and resolution.Here again, they might as well have read about it in the papers.As a mystery, the book is a flop.Murder may give the book a rationale for being, but it does not provide much by way of mystery.Like Thorkaldson's series about Barsetshire and its inhabitants, Wild Strawberries (Angela Thirkell Barsetshire Series), the Pickax series of the Cat Who mysteries is more about life in an small town; this book is itself a wonderful entry in that particular form.It's a nice place to visit.

I almost wish the author would give up on mystery altogether and concentrate on the lives and histories of her characters. I certainly think that there is a lot to be enjoyed there. Unfortunately of late she seems to be eliminating many of the more interesting of them and destroying many of the quirkiest buildings.It's sad to see things go.

Great read!!
This is a good read for a lazy day.I enjoyed this so much.

The Cat Who Talked Turkey
I received this book a couple of years ago as a gift from an acquaintance, purely for the reasons that I own both a Siamese cat and books.Given that, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Cat Who Talked Turkey, except that it was a mystery novel in a series featuring the same character, Qwill, and his two Siamese Cats, Koko and Yum Yum.

I was completely surprised by its content, as it was not really much of a mystery at all, more just a day to day of Qwill's life.Qwill, mostly a journalist, owns a psychic Siamese cat who can tell when foul play has happened.While the town of Brrr is getting ready for it's 200th birthday celebration, a man turns up dead on Qwill's property.Qwill will have his hands full trying to solve the crime, prepare a one man show for the birthday celebrations, and spend quality time with his friends and cats.

While I found the plot somewhat lacking (the book was too short to really explore any plot lines in depth), the characters and writing were charming.I loved the descriptions of the quaint town of Brrr and its various eating establishments as well as the dialogue between the characters.While I won't be rushing out to purchase more of Ms. Jackson's work, I would not hesitate to pick it up off a friend's bookshelf and read more of The Cat Who series.

Gz20090502
This was more in line with the author's earlier works. More of a mystery. I would recommend it as I would all the other books by Lilian Jackson Braun.

Still fun, and more of a mystery than some other recent books
Qwill and the cats are still very enjoyable, and this one actually has a bit of the old magic of mystery.Yum-Yum is taking less than her old role, but Koko is still as eventful (?) as every. ... Read more

Product Description
Prize-winning reporter Jim Qwilleran's latest assignment is to cover the art beat for the Daily Fluxion. Sounds easy enough--unless your art beat includes a stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, and a fatal fall from a scaffolding! Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (82)

A fun origin story
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards is the first book in the series, which I didn't know when I picked it up. (I was very, very confused as to why the Very Smart Cat kept not appearing.) In it, Jim Qwilleran is still working Down Below, and he has just landed a job with the Daily Fluxion, covering their art beat--a pretty boring job for one who's used to being a crime reporter. The art beat proves to be full of more intrigue and excitement than anyone could foresee, though, with a much-despised columnist, accusations of favoritism, backstabbing, and, of course, murder. And midway through, Koko, the Very Smart Siamese makes his first appearance.

[Break to warn for minor spoilers of the reactionary nature]

I did enjoy this book--it was a fun, fast read--however I did have a few quibbles. Namely, with the big reveal. I am not a person who needs to figure the mystery out before the detective, but when the big reveal happens, I like to be able to say: yes! it is all clear now! And I did feel that way with regards to part of the denouement. But part of me was just confused, and going, wait, what? Possibly because I had not anticipated that I'd need to keep track of quite so many characters.

Overall, however, this was a fun book--a good origin story for the partnership of Mr. Q and Koko--and perhaps the best recommendation of all was that I immediately grabbed my only other Cat Who... book off of my bookshelf, so I could read more.

Well worth the price of admission..I LIKE IT
I've read quite a few of the "CAT WHO COULD..." series books and enjoyed them. I'll have to admit that I was a "little" skeptical about the title of the book. Now I don't want to give away too much of the plot but just let me say this: it seemed a lot easier to understand once I read the chapter where the cat made the fishing trip and fell in love with the other cat. Mr Braun has added just enough twists and turns to this story so that you really don't know who committed the crime until the very end...(spolier alert!!)and you really want to stick around till the very last page (spolier alert!!).

I would recommend this book to others and I look forward to reading more of them. Even though I read this book out of order with the others it did not seem to matter. These cats are ageless.

The Cat Who Could Read backwards
Lilian Jackson Braun's first book (written 1966) of 29 books in the Cat Who series.I have read (listened) them all.It is great to get the first in the series and see how these books began.It is great to see how Koko the Cat met the main character Jim Quilleran.The book tells the story of how Quilleran started as a reporter in down below and his meagre beginnings but also how a crime reporter became a multifaceted reporter as an art reporter.

Great story and a must read for all Braun fans.

Love the Cat Who
If you've never read Lillian Jackson Braun, you've missed a lot. The Cat Who series is easy reading and especially fun reading. Qwill, then Qwill and Koko, then Qwill, Koko and Yum yum are quite a trio. Fun to read over and over again.

When Qwill met Koko
I have already read several of the later books in the series, but it was a pleasure to go back to where it all began. As Qwill is introduced to us, he's a tall newspaperman with a bushy white mustache and a darker recent past. An accomplished journalist, he's taking a few steps back in his career by writing features for The Daily Fluxion. Reference is made to a wife who is out of the picture. At bars, he orders tomato juice, and doesn't seem too happy about it.

Koko is the spoiled roommate of The Fluxion's complicated and controversial art critic. Qwill ends up living in the downstairs flat of their building, and he finds Koko to be a most companionable upstairs neighbor. One of my favorite passages had Qwill wishing that, instead of dealing with work and humans, he was home playing with Koko. It's corny, but not inaccurate, to describe theirs as a love story.

Oh yeah, and there are three deaths. As "Cat Who ..." crimes go, these are pretty good. Plenty of red herrings to confuse Qwill, and just enough intervention from Koko to keep him on track. ... Read more

Product Description
Jim Qwilleran is not exactly thrilled by his new assignment for the Daily Fluxion--a weekly magazine on interior design. But Qwilleran finds himself on familiar territory when a murder is committed, and he and Koko, the brilliant Siamese, take the case. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

warm & furry reading
I enjoyed The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern, and others by Braun, so much that I ordered it through Amazon as a birthday gift for my God Daughter, who happens to have 2 Siamese cats.

Koko!Get off that chair!
The second in the "Cat Who" series is another likeable, cozy mystery. Qwilleran is promoted at the Daily Fluxion from covering the arts to overseeing a new feature - a weekly magazine insert focusing on decorating.Of course, he knows nothing about decorating, but he takes on the duty with gusto nevertheless.He's thrown once again into a foreign world of wealth - this time replete with eccentric decorators who give colors descriptive names and obsess over finding the perfect rug.Not long after the magazine starts, a series of robberies and a murder intrude on Qwilleran's world, and Koko is nearby to aid him.

As with the first book in the series, "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern" is a slightly kooky late 1960s mystery.We have the first appearance of Yum Yum, who apparently will become a fixture in the novels.The best part is the deepening friendship between Qwillaran and Koko; they invent weird games to play together and start to seem like an old married couple.The book was enjoyable and comfortable but ultimately rather unmemorable, which is ok for me with this kind of brief cozy mystery novel.I liked it enough to immediately download via Kindle the next entry in the series, "The Cat Who Could Turn On and Off," which is the last in the series set in the 1960s.I'm looking forwarding to starting the book and seeing what those crazy cats will do next!

If you like cats...
I'd not heard of these books before.A friend suggested I try them and see what I think. I love the stories so far.I've read three books.The library didn't have the older books but I found used ones through Amazon.The books are in good shape for reading - no missing pages nor stains on the paper.The books arrived exactly when Amazon said they would.I am sure shipping times will depend on location.

Lilian Braun wrote several books, telling mystery stories about Koko, YumYum, and their caretaker Qwilleran.Koko and YumYum are Siamese cats.Qwilleran is a prizewinning reporter.I would suggest you start by reading her first book, "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards."This book will explain how Qwilleran came to be with Koko.The next book, "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern" will introduce YumYum.

I bought 3 books for 1 penny each!The cost was in the shipping, but that is still a great deal.

This is an Incredibly Charming Book
THE CAT WHO ATE DANISH MODERN is the second novel in the "Cat Who..." series by Lilian Jackson Braun.This book, which was originally written in 1968, features a middle-aged, bachelor reporter named James Qwillerian and his cat Koko, who work together to solve crimes.

If you're looking for a well-plotted murder mystery, you will no doubt be disappointed by this book.In many ways, the murder plot is almost an afterhtought (it's not very hard to guess who the killer is).The major reason to read THE CAT WHO ATE DANISH MODERN is to enjoy the sheer charm of Braun's writing style.Braun writes her prose in a light, gentle, and humorous manner that is difficult to resist.Qwillerian is a lovable character, and it's fun to watch him react to the people and events around him.

THE CAT WHO ATE DANISH MODERN is as light as a feather, but it's an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.If you like your mysteries cozy and traditional, without sex or violence or mean-spiritedness, this series is definitely worth a try.The first book in this series, THE CAT WHO COULD READ BACKWARDS, is equally enjoyable in my opinion.

My understanding is that the more recent books in the CAT WHO series are pretty awful, so you may want to avoid those and limit yourself to the earlier entires.

Qwill meets Yum Yum
Jim Qwilleran is a reporter for the Daily Fluxion.He's been working the art beat for the paper despite knowing nothing about art.His editor reassigns him to work on a magazine about interior design, of which he is equally ignorant.After he and his photographer do their first main feature on a private residence, the house is robbed.This starts Jim down a road that gets more and more complex and leaves him grasping for an explanation as to why every place they feature in the magazine has some sort of calamity immediately afterward.Thankfully, his Siamese cat, Koko, is there to give him the solution.

This is the second book in the "Cat Who..." series and it continues most of the pattern from the first.Jim gets a new home, takes on an unfamiliar assignment at the paper, a murder occurs related to his story, and he investigates with Koko's help.The supporting cast is pretty strong with some interesting personalities.Jim gets a girlfriend who is especially appealing, but she doesn't become a permanent cast member.The whol book is less than 250 pages, so you might well imagine that pacing is not much of a problem.Things move along smartly and is wrapped up satisfactorily at the end.This book also introduces Yum Yum, the female Siamese that becomes Koko's crime-solving companion.

Many people fall in love with the "Cat Who..." books and devour dozens of them.The writing is light and easy to digest.After reading the first two books in this series, I haven't gotten hooked but they were enjoyable reads.Fans of the series, would certainly do well to read this book, since it introduces Yum Yum.New readers don't need to read either this novel, or The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who...) in order to enjoy the later entries in the series, but they're a good place to start just the same. ... Read more

Product Description
While attempting to solve a perplexing mystery in Scotland, prize-winning reporter Qwilleran relies on help from his two Siamese cats, back home in the U.S. Reprint. PW. AB. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A Cat WHO book
Lilian Jackson Braun is an outstanding author and this is one of my most favorite book series.The book was shipped almost immediately and is like new.Although, I normally check out her books from the library in hardback when they are published, I purchase paperback copies later for my library so I can read them again later.

GEORGE GUIDALL READS THE CAT WHO WASN'T THERE
Guidall is at his best in reading one of the better 'Cat Who' books by Lillian Jackson Braun. This is one of the more dramatic works in the long series providing as it does action in Scotland and in Pick-Axe, and multiple crimes for our heroes, man and cat, to figure out. As usual, Guidall gives us fine voice production for all characters, while avoiding any tendency to bore the listener with the extended passages of internal monologue by the human hero.
All in all, a treat for regular listeners as well as first time visitors.

Lilian Jackson Braun Book
A great listen to CD in a car.I love the Cat Who Series.Great entertainment

Fun to Read
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1YBTAJNAALAH8

Classic Cat!
I have listened to many of the Cat Who series and I believe that The Cat Who Wasn't There may very well be my absolute favorite.I cannot believe that I have become such a dedicated fan of these books; it is somewhat embarrassing.However, I have a very beautiful Siamese and I think I am in love with George Guidal's voice.I am in my car a lot (alone, this is a secret vice) and I feel oddly comforted by the antics of KoKo and YumYum and Qwillerin.I live in a small town seemingly 400 miles SOUTH of everywhere, so I can somewhat relate to the venue of PickAx.I just wish my town was as much fun, that I had someone ridiculously wealthy like Qwill to take me out to dinner, buy me odd gifts and not care that I wore a size 16!Obviously, a major fantasy!Oh, and even though my cat is extremely intelligent, she has not yet solved a mystery. The Cat Who Wasn't There is good because it has all the essential elements of a quintessential Cat Who... book plus a neat trip to Scotland! I have it on CD and sometimes replay parts of it for the nostalgia.Sometimes I replay it to torture my husband. I wonder whether any of these books could be turned into a movie? ... Read more

Product Description
The merry atmosphere in Pickax is dampened by the death of an out-of-town actor and the theft of a rare book. Qwill finds himself distracted from the events by his finicky pal Koko, who's been acting more fishy than feline. Has Koko gone bananas, or is he trying to let the cat out of the bag to solve the dual mysteries? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (93)

The Cat Who ... Did Nothing
In the old days, LJB did an excellent job of setting up the scene, developing the suspense, and having Qwill & cats solve the crime. Qwill was often wrong, and it was up to Koko to (sometimes literally) nudge Qwill onto the right track.

But these days, Qwill just wanders around Moose County with his money, his mustache, and his money. People just happen to die all around him for no reason whatsoever. Qwill accepts these unexplained deaths with nary a quiver from his mustache. Then he feels kinda sad as he writes yet another mellifluous eulogy.

Koko makes no attempt to solve the case. All he does is toss some banana peels around and knock down books because they're thin. He doesn't howl, he doesn't yowl - he actually turns tail and hides! And where's Yum Yum? I didn't even see her at all.

And then there's Mrs Duncan. Polly is again the cause of tension in their insipid relationship. Qwill again considers dumping her in favor of someone he can actually have a relationship with. And Qwill gets Polly back so that he can have still more dreary evenings with his favorite fussbudget.

This book stands out slightly from all the other drivel produced under the "Cat Who" banner because it features bananas. It seems that Qwill must stop stuffing himself with junk food at every opportunity and finally start eating healthy. Qwill reluctantly does so, griping and complaining every step of the way.

Other than that, there's little to distinguish "Went Bananas" from any other "Cat Who" book. Lilian Jackson Braun created a wonderful world with charming characters. Each one was there for a reason. The books were well-written and fun to read.

But I'm forced to admit that the quality of this series has been in steady decline since the early 90's. People and cats disappear, Qwill has almost no personality left, and the crimes remain unsolved.

If this is the best the author(s) can produce, then I think it's time to lay James Mackintosh Qwilleran to rest.

Who's now writing the Cat Who books?
I didn't read the reviews for this book until I was already half way through the book . . . would I have still checked it out of the Library?Perhaps not.Do I regret reading it?Hmmm, the jury is still out.It is time I will never get back, but since I was on vacation and read in bed before falling asleep, it's not time I would have used except to read another book.

I'm just wondering who is now writing the Cat Who books --- The inside cover of this book says "Lillian Jackson Braun is the author of twenty-seven Cat Who novels and three short story collections."Okay.Then I go to the Fantastic Fiction page for LJB and see that there were TWENTY-NINE Cat Who books published . . . doing the math (29-27) and also knowing that LJB was born in 1913 . . . well, let's just say that could explain alot for THIS reviewer.

LJB has never been great literature.Sitting down with one of her books has been like visiting a crotchety old uncle who repeats his stories and talks about a place far, far away (except for those of us who grew up in the U.P. ;-) But this Banana book was like visiting an uncle with dementia (or perhaps, since LJB is 97 at the time of this writing, perhaps an old aunt)

Spoiler Alert - As other reviewers have said, where are the chapters to wind up the "mystery" and why, if his mustache tingles has Qwilleran not followed up on what happened to Kenneth or the sniping murder of Kenneth's mother, or the suicide of Kenneth's father, and there's no investigation of Violet's death and is Alden Wade really gone or did he make an escape under the guise of saving Tasso . . . but then I get to the real bottom line --- given the quality of the writing in this book, do I really care?

And there's the rub.I read the whole book and I don't care what happened . . . I will miss some of these old friends, but cannot slog through whatever may or may not follow in this series.In a way that's sad, but on the other hand, it frees me up to visit with the characters that are in the books by other authors . . . the good news is that when I return this book to the library this afternoon, another book that I've requested is on the hold shelf for pick up . . .

Some funny bits
Lately every one of the Cat Who... mysteries I've read has been less about a mysterious murder than a dissertation on small communities of people trying to accommodate life together.Pickax and neighbors are a sort of microcosm of humanity; they're a sepia tinted snapshot of everyone's life at a slower pace and with downs at least partially balanced by the occasional ups that also occur.It's become just a "nice place to visit."

While a murder---or sometimes murders---still occur, the actual point of reading these books has become the opportunity to visit with old friends.In this book, the murder is again something discussed but not actively investigated.It's left almost entirely in doubt whether there even was murder or not.

My greatest sense of loss is over the gradual softening of the personality of the cats.Koko and Yum Yum play less of a part in the story than they did in the earlier ones.Their activities seem less significant and less unique than they did before, although their new trick of dropping like "a flying squirrel" is cute as were their tricks with bananas.

Okay, but just not what it used to be.

Really rated a MINUS one star....
Thank goodness for small mercies...I didn't PAY for this book, it is only 4 discs long and I do enjoy listening to the narrator, George Guidall.I am on the last disc now, but not soon enough.I still can't bring myself to care about this boring tale.

Glad to have read the other reviews; obviously I am not alone in my boredom.The real mystery is how this series ever got to be so extensive.Obviously I missed all the good reads that went before.

You know you're listening to a real snoozer when the drivers behind you are laying on their horns at every light...

Very A-Peeling Koko Caper!!!
The Cat Who Went Bananas #27 by Lilian Jackson Braun

In this latest from Lilian, we find Pickax in the midst of their opening of the theatrical production, the town is celebrating the opening of the new bookstore that is replacing the old one.Polly is the new owner and this causes a rift in Qwill's and Polly's relationship.There is much ado about the new marmalade cat, Dundee, that is the bookstore's new mascot.Koko keeps flipping banana peels to the floor, Qwill is frustrated about this monstrosity of an old wooden mansion on top of a hill, but is bewitched by the owner of the mansion and has help with getting stories to write on about this mansion.With the weather turning colder and the high cost of heating his 4 story (40 ft. ceilings) apple barn, Qwill makes plans to move to his condo next to Polly and other friends for the winter.He is suscpicious of the mysterious death of an actor in the play and some other unexplained deaths in Lockmaster.I thoroughly enjoyed this offering and highly recommend this one.It's much better than the two previous I just read.And, if you're wondering how many Cat Who books there are, there are two more with a new one on its way next month.


... Read more

Product Description
Koko is a remarkable male Siamese who happens to have sixty whiskers instead of the usual forty-eight. Yum Yum is an adorable female who will steal anything-including hearts. James Qwilleran is a columnist for The Moose County Something who had recorded his cats' exploits in his personal journal since the day each arrived in his life. And Lilian Jackson Braun is the beloved creator of them all!This delightful collection of feline antics will warm the hearts of cat lovers everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A Complete Waste of Time and Space
Who wrote this book and why? I have read and loved all the Cat Who books, but this one didn't seem to make any sense. It rambled on and on about 100 different subjects - disjointed and with no rhyme nor reason. (in spite of all the little rhymes Braun included) Some reviewers find it a delightful compilation of snips from previous books, but I find it boring and meaningless. It read like the notes for a REAL book. Don't bother.

Koko and Yum Yum Ho Ho!
Snippets of feline life from a favorite author provide light reading and an evening's worth of amusement.Find tales from thepast and little insights to the duo's delightful designs on Qwilleran's definition of normal as well as bits recalling characters from the past. This is a good "popcorn" book for a long and blustery winter's night.

If you have read the books you have already read THIS!
If you are looking for something new from Moose County read The Cat Who talked Turkey,if you have read all the others. If you are new to the series start at the beginning. But this book is nothing but excerpts and if you are a die hard fan you have already read all this. Avoid it!

Too short
An avid fan of the Cat Who series, I was dissappointed in "The Private Life of the Cat Who..." book.I had expected (and hoped) for detailed insight & feelings from Qwill's observations and day to day interaction with his feline companions.Instead, I got just a few brief notes on events I had already read about.If you're looking to get into the Cat Who series, pick up any of Lilian Jackson Brauns' books, just dont start with this one.

An Adorable Little Gift Book!
I agree that in order to really enjoy this book the reader must be an avid cat fancier and/or a fan of Ms. Braun's Cat Who series.Someone without one of these traits would just look at this book in astonishment and wonder why it was written, and they probably wouldn't take the time to read it.But for those of us who love Koko and Yum Yum, this book is a real treasure.It's heartwarming and wonderful!Ms. Braun is the piece de resistance in the cozy genre and she proves it with this little anthology of rhymes, stories and anecdotes about those fabulous felines of Qwill's.The book is very short and only takes a little time to read, so I recommend that you do so. ... Read more

Product Description
The delightful New York Times bestselling mystery series continues with "another winner!" (Austin American-Statesman)In this latest installment, prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran--along with his lovable Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum--solve a mystery that arises when a local banker dies under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a flashy young widow, an unfinished house-restoration project, and a trail of clues as elusive as a cat burglar in the night...

* A New York Times bestseller
* Braun's newest hardcover, The Cat Who Sang for the Birds, will be on sale from G.P. Putnam's Sons Jan. 12thAmazon.com Review
Lillian Jackson Braun never seems to run out of ideas for herpopular series of mysteries featuring journalist Jim Qwilleran and hisfeline cohort, Koko. In this latest, The Cat Who Tailed AThief, Koko again exhibits his preternatural intelligence bytrying to tip off Qwilleran to important clues to a murder.ThatQwilleran is not possessed of the same mental acuity as his cat iswhat makes this series work. Braun may not be noted for refined prose, perceptive characterizations, or stunninglyoriginal plots, but what she does do well is cats. Fans of felines ingeneral and Koko in particular will find this book, the 19th in theQwilleran series, almost as irresistible as, well, catnip.Some wouldeven say it's purr-fect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A Cat WHO book
Lilian Jackson Braun is an outstanding author and this is one of my most favorite book series.The book was shipped almost immediately and is like new.Although, I normally check out her books from the library in hardback when they are published, I purchase paperback copies later for my library so I can read them again later.My library now has a copy of all of Ms Braun's books thanks to Amazon.com.

what a mistake
Yes, it was definitely used, VERY used. Came on time, however. I was looking for an audio book and chose that category, so this must have snuck in there. Order says "book" so my mistake. You'll want to be more careful than I was when shopping for audio books (which I do all the time). Rats. Total waste of $5 (book plus shipping).

Beware the Sharp Dressed Man
Strange things are happening in Pickax. Items are disappearing at an alarming rate. Then the bridge club has $2000 stolen from the charity jar.

More mysteries abound including "what do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?"

Koko tries to tell Qwill many times what is going on. He knocks books off the shelf and resorts to acting out what is happening with YumYum.

This episode of "The Cat Who Series" is very enjoyable. I loved reading all the tall tales and how the writer incorporated that into the climax of the book.

You will love this edition.

Haggis Anyone?
There's something very odd going on in rural Moose County and that something is thievery. The people of this area just aren't used to this kind of behavior and normally don't bother locking up anything but the times they are a changing. At first it isn't anything big that goes missing and most people including Jim Qwilleran can't understand why anyone would steal a pair of cheap sunglasses or a bag of old clothes. Then things get serious when the local banker who is a newcomer to Pickax City is killed in a mugging. Since the murder occurred while that banker was on a business trip to a big city down below however most people just write it up to how terrible things are in big cities. The ever-alert Koko however smells a rat.

As the plot thickens there is as always lots of other action in progress. Qwilleran and Polly have an argument over her cat's name, which prompts him to write a column in the local paper about the subject, which brings in a deluge of postcards with appropriate names for cats. The area is planning a huge ice festival, which is threatened by the possibility of an early thaw. Qwill and the cats are ensconced in the Indian Village apartments for the winter because their barn is so hard to heat and they end up living next to the radio weatherman whom Qwill does not care for. The weatherman, Wetherby Goode by name has been a background player in this series since the action moved to Moose County but in this installment he plays a major role and he and Qwill become fast friends.

When one of the leading citizens of Pickax dies the action becomes fast and furious and Qwilleran doesn't believe it was natural causes for a minute. Koko has been trying to tell him all along but as usual he just didn't get the point. Koko ends up being so frustrated that he starts walking over to Yum Yum and bopping her on the head like it was her fault that Qwill is a little dense at times.

All in all this entry into this lovable series will keep you guessing while at the same time tickling your funny bone as you read of the antics of the local residents. People of Scottish decent will particularly like this book as the normal Scottish flavor of the stories is kicked up a notch and Qwill finally makes his public debut in a kilt.

In the end of course the guilty are thwarted and justice prevails but this road to justice is one of the most enjoyable journeys that you will ever take.

Fantastic Story to Read When It's Cold Out
When new banker, Willard Carmichael, and his young wife Danielle move to Pickax, they are the talk of the town. Literally. Especially with the rash of petty thievery that began the minute the two of them moved in. However, now Willard has been murdered in a suspicious mugging Down Below (in the city), and Qwill begins to investigate, seeing as how Willard's house-restoration project has now conveniently fallen into the hands of Danielle's flashy cousin, whose rich wife suddenly kicks the bucket on their honeymoon. Now, with Koko and Yum Yum's help, Qwill intends to catch the murderer, and the thief, before anyone else loses their life.

I will admit that I bought this book mainly due to the fact that it's takes place around Christmastime (my favorite time of year), and that it featured a deaf cat (I have a deaf cat), even if only for one sentence. However, I received quite a surprise, as I absolutely adored the book, and have now become a Lilian Jackson Braun fan for life. Qwill is an interesting, and exciting character, who's constant work on his articles for the MOOSE COUNTY SOMETHING, keep the reader quite entertained, as well as his work on collecting stories for his newest book. Koko and Yum Yum are also fun characters, who spend their days playing, and being quite vocal. Cat lovers will adore this book, as will all fans of cozy mysteries.

Erika Sorocco ... Read more

Product Description
The events at the Great Food Explo in Moose County are overshadowed by the arrival of a distracting and mysterious woman, and Qwill and his Siamese sidekicks investigate a fatal explosion at the New Pickax Hotel. Reprint. PW. K. Amazon.com Review
It's autumn in the little town of Pickax, Moose County, andthe citizens are preparing for a new event: the Great Food Explo. Aphilanthropic creation of the Klingenschoen Foundation (a.k.a. JackQwilleran), the Explo was arranged to bring new restaurants, inns, andfood specialty shops to the area. The great event is only a week awaywhen a bomb goes off in the only hotel in town, killing ahousekeeper. Luckily for Pickax, Qwilleran and his two sleuthingfelines, Koko and Yum Yum, are on the case. Thrown into the melee areseveral new characters, including a mysterious woman, a gentlebeekeeper, and the woman who wins a date with Qwilleran at a celebrityauction--although cheese seems to be the main character. Find outwhat's going on in Moose County and read about some delicious tidbitswhile you're at it! --Jhana Bach ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

The Cat Who Said Cheese
Another good story in a series of mysteries by Braun.Just fun easy reading.

First time reader review
I listen to audiobooks while driving, and being a cat lover I decided to try this series out.What a wonderful experience all around.The story telling is superb!Almost a slice of life, but a very interesting and enjoyable one, mixed with a whodunit at the same time.Add to that the relationship between cat and owner (or should I say human and owner) which is described in a unique way; believable, realistic.Explained in a way that opens eyes and minds to how cats and humans actually interact in certain instances.I loved this book and can't wait to listen to every one in the series.George Guidall is the perfect choice for narrator.It just doesn't get any better than this!

The Cat Who Said Cheese
The product was in excellent condition upon arrival. It arrived in a timely manner. The price was acceptable. Lillian Jackson Braun is a delightful author and her books are very enjoyable. I have purchased her audio books on cd and tape.

Do Not Read if You Are Hungry
If you read this when you are hungry, you might head straight to the refrigerator, market, or nearest deli.

This book was wonderful...a mysterious woman comes to Pickax. Qwill hears rumors everywhere about her. Koko wants to go for a drive to the cabin on the lake. Guess who is sitting by the cabin reading a cookbook? Yes! the mysterious woman. She agrees to cook stuffed wild grape leaves for Qwill. He heads to the market to shop for ingredients and hears an explosion! Upon returning to the cabin, Qwill finds the woman missing the middle of preparing the wild grape leaves.

Much excitement, danger, an mystery is to follow. Of course, Koko knows everything. It is too bad Qwill doesn't speak fluent cat. He would get to the bottom of the mysteries sooner.

I loved this installment of, "the Cat Who" series. You will love it too!

Not enough stars in the rating system for this masterpiece
This is one of my faves when it comes to the Cat Who series. The clues (cheese names....I won't spoil it for you!) and interesting characters like Mr. Limburger who is as odious in personality as his name suggests, gentle Aubrey the bee keeper with a heart bigger than his brain, Onoosh, the mysterious woman. I won't go on, I might spoil things.
Other clues (what Qwill finds in his ready-to-cook turkey)and other goings on, and the "coverage" of the Pickax Hotel bombing....nicely narrated. Though through Koko's catly fits (which is caught on tape at the cheese tasting at Qwill's apple barn and distributed by others for the laughs) we start to piece together who, and then later why. It's a thoroughly enjoyable book.
As a long time fan of Braun I say this is one of her best. But start at the beginning...to see Qwill and Koko's genesis and struggles. What they had to do to get where they are now. ... Read more

Product Description
When a series of suspicious fires is followed by a blood-chilling murder, Jim Qwilleran begins to investigate-with a little help from his feline friends.

"A puzzling mystery...a mostwelcome addition to the series." (Publishers Weekly)Amazon.com Review
Moose County journalist and philanthropist James Qwilleran, betterknown to fans of Lilian Jackson Braun's evergreen series of feline-inspired thrillers as the owner of a couple of remarkably prescient Siamese cats named Koko and Yum Yum, is comfortably ensconced in his winter residence in Pickax at the beginning of The Cat Who Smelled a Rat. But he and the othercitizens start hoping for snow when a series of arson fires threaten their safety as well as the historically significant shafthouses that sit atop thelong-closed mine sites scattered throughout the county.

Qwilleran and his pets take quite a while to connect the fires with the death of a local builder in a seemingly unrelated accident. But hisleisurely jaunt to the conclusion of this lightly plotted adventure leavesplenty of room for the author to do what she does best, which is sketching the picaresque characters who people Pickax and dwelling on the small-town charms of a place where everybody knows everything about everybody. The cats are quicker to solve a crime than the local constabulary. Only Koko could find the clues hidden in an antique pitcher and an old-fashioned glove box, and only acat lover could consider this a mystery or even a romance. There's nosuspense, very little drama, hardly any blood, and not even a hint ofsex between Qwilleran and his lady. But Braun's fans are legion, so we knowshe must be doing something right. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

One of the worst books in the series
This offering, "Smelled a Rat", seems geared more toward showing what a wonderful guy Qwill is by having him say nice things to people in a heroic attempt at being polite, then telling us what he really thinks and feels (basically, the exact opposite of what he says).

But it only gets worse. Qwill agreed to drive a limousine, something he absolutely refused to do when he actually owned one. Qwill hated Samplers of anything that he didn't write himself, but now can't wait to get one and hang it in his kitchen. Qwill gets a bowl of fake apples and places it in his living room (ironic considering he lives in an old apple barn). Qwill buys a tapestry of giant robins plucking at a giant worm, as if he's forgotten that he loves sailboats. Qwill lets Fran's assistant place a bunch of potted plants on the balcony for the cats to knock off (and that's exactly what happens).

The old Qwill would have nixed all of this on the spot as a rich man's pretense, as superfluous clutter. More and more, Qwilleran is turning into a rich snob.

As if this isn't bad enough, this book goes from bad to worse to terrible: Eddington Smith, who ran the bookstore for over 50 years, dies of a heart attack. But Edd's cat gets more mention and concern. It's like "Edd's dead? Oh. Too bad. What about the cat? Will Winston be ok? Who will feed and take care of him now? We'll have to find a home for Winston, now that Edd's dead and gone. Poor cat, I hope he's ok after such a traumatic experience!"

Then Qwill decides to slave away half the night writing yet another of his magnificent obituary articles, and then just putter around for the rest of his life as a member of the idle rich, doing absolutely nothing until practically forced into it.

This is not the Jim Qwilleran from Braun's early novels.

Late Fall in Pickax
It is late fall in Pickax and everyone is waiting for the first big snow. There are a lot of wildfires threatening the shafthouses of the former mines surrounding the town. Qwill suspects arson.

After two deaths that Qwill and Koko are convinced are murders, the truth comes to light. Koko was tring to tell Qwill all along what was really going on. Hindsight is 20/20 in Pickax as well as everywhere else.

I loved this installment of "The Cat Who Series."

Amanda for Mayor!
Whenever the stress of daily life begins to get to me I head for the bookshelf and pull down the next volume of this wonderful series because I know that I can find contentment and relative quiet in Moose County. Sure there is an occasional murder but it is seldom one of the major characters that I have become so attached to and even in this volume where one of my favorite townspeople dies I still found that a visit to Pickax did my heart good.

As with most of the books in this series the mystery itself plays a decidedly secondary role in this story from 400 miles north of everywhere. The major news in Pickax involves the weather, which is terribly dry and brush fires are flaring up on a regular basis threatening not only the countryside but also the county's treasured shaft houses left over from the area's glory days as a mining community. In other news, the XYZ Corporation, which has played a consistent role in this series since Qwilleran and the cats moved to Moose County has broken up and Amanda Goodwinter is challenging the incumbent mayor in the upcoming election. With all of this going on the ever-inquisitive Qwilleran has his hands full even before the death of a local merchant and Koko's immediate efforts to tell the former journalist something. As usual the meaning of the cat's antics escapes him but Koko keeps on trying.

Some of my favorite characters are featured in this story and that made this entry in the series all the more fun. Derek Cuttlebrink sings a brand new campaign song for Amanda's campaign, Maggie Sprenkle hosts a dinner for Qwilleran and his friend Polly, Homer Tibbitt sleeps through some dull ceremonies and Wetherby Goode finds a girlfriend. The characters are what really drives these books and they do so in grand style in this episode. Sadly, one of the Pickax City regulars leaves us in this installment but in spite of the loss this is still another winner from this series.

To be sure this is a light and fluffy book in a light and fluffy series but like most of its predecessors it is great fun. The writing is done so well that one can easily picture Pickax and all of Moose County as well as the characters that inhabit it. It is also important to note that the characters are consistent and tend to always remain in character without the sudden personality changes that sometimes plague other cozy series. Finally, after another great adventure in Moose County, Qwilleran and the reader figure out what is going on and as usual Koko gives us all that "I tried to tell you" look.

Some of the recent books in this series have fallen off a bit but not this one. The author of this book is in top form and serves up another wonderful visit with Qwilleran, the cats and their Moose County pals. I would sit down and read the series through but then I wouldn't have any more adventures to look forward to.

Long time reader wonders....
I have read all the Cat books with the exception of the newest one due out in April.The last few books must have been written by someone other than Ms Braun.The characters, including our hero Qwill, in the last book, are out of their characters. In "The Cat who Had 60 Whiskers" Polly takes a job in Europe, no farewell to anyone. When Qwilleran's beloved Applebarn home burns to the ground he doesn't even go to the house to see the damage.His persona is that of the newshound who wants to know why things happened, but he doesn't go to his own home?I was very disappointed in that book, especially. Through the years I have bought all the books.I'm not sure I want the next book.

Mystery Writer

My Favorite Cozy Mystery Series!
In the 23rd book in the Cat Who mystery series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", has settled into his winter condo in Pickaxe City (400 miles north of everywhere) and is awaiting "the big one", or first large snowfall of the season. He has moved his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into the condo, and starts the book with some redecorating to make his place more comfortable.

The county is in a drought, and everyone is counting on the first big blizzard of the season to stop the threat of forest fires in the area.The citizens form a patrol to watch for the fires that can sometimes smolder undetected in the old shaft houses for years.Everything is going well until one of the members of the volunteer patrols is shot after catching an arsonist at work trying to destroy one of the historic shaft houses.Another murder occurs, this time of a prominent local businessman, Qwill begins to suspect that the two cases are somehow strangely connected.He starts to poke around, and cracks the case with the help of his two irrepressible felines, KoKo and Yum Yum.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. This is probably one of my favorite installments in the series, even though I love them all.The characters and the setting of the small towns in Moose County are what keep drawing many readers back...so if you are looking for a hardcore thriller, this would not be the series for you.However, if you are a fan of small town cozies, give this series a try.You might just find that you have become an avid "Cat Who" fan before the book is even finished.

This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!
... Read more

Product Description
The most unlikely, most unusual, most delightful team in detective fiction join forces in one big hardcover book of Cat Who . . . favorites to discover that - whether they're at home in Moose County or on top of Potato Mountain for a little R&R - mystery always has a way of finding them. But when prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran and his fabulous felines work together, they're never far from getting to the bottom of things. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lilian Jackson Braun/the cat who moved a mountain plus two additional books
this was a book with three books starting with "The cat who moved a mountain" plus the next two books in the series. Light, fun reading. I have two cats as well and really enjoyed the books. I am trying to read the whole series of books!

These stories are out of order.
Content-wise, these stories are standard later Braun.

It is disconcerting, however, that "The Cat Who Moved a Mountain" isn't followed by "The Cat Who Wasn't There," "The Cat Who Went into the Closet," and "The Cat Who Came to Breakfast," which is the correct chronological order and also the order in which they were originally published.

The last two stories in this compilation, "The Cat Who Blew the Whistle," and "The Cat Who Said Cheese" should follow the stories above.

Because of this, plot elements suddenly appear in "Whistle" and "Cheese" that are only explained in the following compilation.

This rearrangement of the stories is peculiar and confusing.I surmise that Putnam somehow screwed up.I hope if the books are republished that they will be grouped in the correct order: (Mountain, Wasn't There, Closet) and (Breakfast, Whistle, Cheese)

A Great Introduction to the Qwilleran series
These three stories offer a terrific introduction for any first time reader of the crime solving exploits of Jim Qwilleran, philanthropic billionare, and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum."Mountain"is the more serious of the three.It contrasts the lives of the simple,genuine mountain folk with the newcomers despoiling the countryside.

Readand enjoy the charming stories this author can weave, with just that hintof social consciousness.

I'm just sorry that I've just about finishedreading the whole series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Going back to KoKo and YumYum
Our cat-ty author of KoKo and YumYum-solved mysteries deviates from her norm by introducing her readers to several other crafty feline stories, each introducing us to a new hero or heroine.Stories range from typical mysteries to eerie ghost stories, to one really odd story about a robot alien cat.Yeah.

While I appreciated the effort, and while some stories made me laugh or smile (because I love kitties), the space alien one was a bit "far out" (haha) for me, and there were several that made me downright sad.Kitty lovers, beware!A few of these stories have less than happy endings for the cats, which made them somewhat hard to get through.Something I thought would be light reading turned out to be not so by the time I was done.I'm looking forward to going back to KoKo and YumYum's silly antics.

Entertaining and Light
Good bed time reading.Short stories for cat lovers only. Since these are short stories, no real depth is created for the charactors.Fans of the Cat Who... series would enjoy this book.

I would read this book again when I want light entertainment and don't want to think too hard.

Someone call the ASPCA!
I'll begin by saying prior to this, I never met a "Cat Who..." I didn't like.Ms. Braun is a very entertaining author, and she has imagined some very entertaining cats.I suspect that I'm not the only one out there who's drawn to her work largely because of her highly entertaining cats.If you are like me in this respect, and you prefer your cats alive and well, skip this somewhat disturbing collection.

Some of the stories are a little odd, but that's not unexpected.What is unexpected is the series of cat murders (throttled cats, cats pushed to their deaths), cat suicides (kitties throwing themselves under cars, eating poisonous plants), cat abuse... I was listening to this book on cd in the car and finally had to stop it before it ended-- it was upsetting me too much!

So maybe it's ridiculous of me to care more about feline characters than human ones, but I'd prefer not to see the chalk outlines being drawn around fuzzy little body after fuzzy little body.If you're similarly ridiculous, leave this book on the shelf!

Mixed bag: some great,some mediocre
Of these 14 short stories, none are set in the Qwilleran household. The choice of narrator and style of narration vary from story to story. Two styles are prevalent: oral history and cat's-eye view. An oral history is presented in question and answer format, mostly in first-person. Cat's-eye view stories are narrated in third-person, from the viewpoint of one of the cats in the story.

I like some of the stories immensely. The others are noted as I come to them.

"Phut Phat Concentrates" - Style: Narrated from the viewpoint of the Siamese tom Phut Phat, the only witness to a robbery at his home. He's trying to institute his system of communication in the household, but it's uphill work.

"Weekend of the Big Puddle" - From the viewpoint of Percy, a comfortable middle-aged bachelor who "would have been considered somewhat stuffy, had he been a man. Being a cat, he was admired for his good behavior." Being of English extraction, Percy takes ghosts in his stride, provided they are of good breeding. Unfortunately, the dead at his summer home in the north country don't measure up to his standards, and he is unfairly blamed for their more disruptive actions.

"The Fluppie Phenomenon" - The narrator agreed to look after her sister's pedigreed Siamese kitten, a "fluppie" (an upwardly mobile feline, who is obsessed with pulling plugs, flipping levers, pushing buttons, and so on). So here we have a young cat who can open a car's power windows, inflate the water bill if locked in a bathroom, turn on a stereo at full volume if left alone... No real plot, but might entertain someone with a similarly inclined cat.

"The Hero of Drummond Street" - Style: Ordinary third-person. Various local brats have been tormenting the stray known as the Drooler, an unusually agreeable and child-loving cat. Very little plot.

"The Mad Museum Mouser" - Style: first-person narrative, of a woman writing a book on museums in the northeast central U.S. The most interesting is the Lockmaster museum - not only because of the exhibits. A crime has been committed on the premises, but the visitor must exercise immense patience to learn the details. Two elderly, gossipy characters from the Qwilleran stories are on staff: Rhoda Finney and Homer Tibbut. They provide both respectable and spicy bits of the history of the house (with an overused refrain of "of course you won't print that"). The Lockmaster family history is more interesting than the mystery.

"The Dark One" - Style: From the viewpoint of Dahk Won, an unusually dark-furred Siamese. His peaceful kittenhood ended with his sale to Hilda, a former concert pianist whose husband is away most of the week on construction jobs across the state. While weekdays are spent following the shoes with leather tassels (Hilda was left permanently handicapped after a car accident in which her husband was driving), weekends are full of tension, raised voices, and a pair of boots that are careless of his safety.

"East Side Story" - Style: Oral history. Rather than a mystery, the narrator remembers "Cat Canyon", a building site tied up in lawsuits. Intended to be a feline love story.

"Tipsy and the Board of Health" - Style: Oral history, the origin of Tipsy's Tavern. A good story, though not a mystery.

"A Cat Named Conscience" - Style: Oral history. The woman being interviewed remembers the bank cat, Conscience, who could make anyone squirm with a look, as well as the bank manager found hanging in the barn one day long ago.

"SuSu and the 8:30 Ghost" - The elderly narrator lives with her sister in a large apartment with a river view but reasonable rent, but they don't care to associate with their neighbors. However, their cat SuSu doesn't take such a standoffish view. A more sympathetic or interesting narrator might have helped this one.

"Stanley and Spook" - The narrator is visiting an old friend, Jane, whom she met years ago when they were both married to engineers on a dam-building project up north. The project members were plagued with accidents and bad luck, so that the project was eventually abandoned. Jane's son Spook (and even her cat, Stanley) were born on the site, with the assistance of an old midwife whose house was to be torn down to make way for the dam - a woman reputed to be a witch. This story would have worked better as an oral history, or in two parts (the project, then jump to the present).

"A Cat Too Small for His Whiskers" - Style: Third-person, but mainly from the viewpoint of the "just plain folks" Hopple family. (After all, their place isn't very large - just 8 bedrooms, space to land Mr. Hopple's small plane, swimming pool, tennis court...) Donald, the six-year-old, is the only person to notice a very unusual cat hanging around. While I like the continual contrasts of reality with the "just plain folks" opinions of the family, it gets in the way of the plot.

"The Sin of Madame Phloi" - Style: From the viewpoint of Madame Phloi, a Siamese aristocrat who lives with her son Thapthim (and two amiable creatures without names, who come and go a great deal) in a run-down apartment building. The Madame, as sole witness to a crime, can't hope to see justice done - can she?

"Tragedy on New Year's Eve" - Style: A series of letters from the narrator to her son, who is on active duty. (The style of presentation detracts from the story.) She witnessed a fatal car accident on New Year's Eve - but was it an accident?

Fairly boring
I was fairly bored by most of these stories, much as I usually adore LJB. ... Read more

Product Description
Boxed set of 4 paperback mysteries.The Cat Who Knew Shackspeare,Tha Cat Who Played Brahms,The Cat Who Had 14 Tales,The Cat Who Played Post Office ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

cat who. . .
I collect series in Cozy mysteries and this is just a boxed set of four I already possess - so unless you're a crazy collector buy this one -

Best of the series!
I'm presently reading "The Cat Who..." mystery series from beginning to end. The best so far is "The Cat Who Played Post Office." I just loved the way Lillian Jackson Braun started the book in chapter one. It was interest catching and projected you curiously into the next chapters. Each chapter ending in a way that kept the reader reading. This book was hard to put down. ... Read more