5 comments about The Cat Who Moved a Mountain (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. The Cat Who is the best serries ever full of humor wit and complexity,
   James Macentosh Qwilerin is a off beat repoter/Billion air with his 2 cats Koko and Yumyum who are no shorter than extra ordinary.
   This is the best book serries I have ever read and would recomend it to any one over 10.
   [...]



2. In an earlier book in this series Jim Qwilleran inherited a pot full of money but there was a stipulation. He had to live in Moose County for five years or he forfeited his windfall. As this book begins, Qwilleran has just completed his five years and is contemplating his future. He has come to love Moose County and it's quirky residents but he was born and raised a city boy and sometimes he longs for more action. The former reporter decides that he needs some time in a quiet atmosphere to think through his options and one of his friends suggests that he spend some time in the Potato Mountains.
   
   In order to find a summer retreat that will accept pets, Qwilleran has to rent a huge former mountain inn that sets on the peak of Big Potato Mountain. It turns out that the last owner of the home was murdered and as normal, Koko immediately begins to exhibit strange behavior. Yum Yum on the other hand starts to tear out bits of her own fur, a behavior that has Qwilleran very upset until the veterinarian tells him that this is not unusual in a spayed female. It is a trait that I have witnessed in my own spayed female cat and this little sidebar makes it very clear that Mrs. Braun most assuredly knows her cats.
   
   Qwilleran for his part has all kinds of trouble in the unfamiliar mountain setting. He has learned some things about rural life during his sojourn in Moose County but the mountains provide an entirely different set of challenges. He gets lost on the mountain roads, almost falls over a waterfall, gets lost while hiking in the woods and gets trapped on the mountain after a dam break. What's a poor city slicker to do?
   
   Despite all of his trials, Qwilleran still manages to get involved in local politics. More specifically he gets involved in a fight between the Spuds (people who live in town and support development) and the Taters (mountain people who oppose development) and he finds that a serious injustice has been done to one of the Tater families. With the help of Koko, Qwilleran wades through the evidence (and a mudslide) and discovers the truth, which once again puts his life in danger and requires a cat to save the day.
   
   The mystery itself, as is often the case in this series, plays a decidedly secondary role in a plot that is laced with humor and oddball characters, including an old mountain man who builds Qwilleran a gazebo that has no door. This book is also a warm fuzzy mystery with a conscience as Mrs. Braun goes to great lengths to point out what happens when humans try to bend mother nature to their own ends. As usual, the writing style is engaging, fun and entertaining. This author's characters are always unpredictable and unforgettable and the cats are fascinating. Mrs. Braun even throws a few witches into this book, just to keep things interesting. This is one of the best books in the series so far and it was a real pleasure to read.



3. This is a great book about a man and his to crime finding clue cat Koko and YumYum. There is a mystery on potatoe mountain on a death of a local well known man. Was the wrong person framed. This book is fantastic except kind of has a dissapointing end. But i loved it anyway. I hope you enjoy this book and look for my other reviews



4. In "'The Cat Who Moved a Mountain', Jim Qwilleran took a vacation to the Potato Mountains to have a much-needed rest away from it all. It was here he found he had rented a hotel that had been the site of a year old murder. The locals tell him that the man is now in jail. But Qwill finds out that they have the wrong guy! Then, with the help of Koko, he finds the real murderer and lures him into addmitting it was him. Then Qwill has a near-fatal run-in with the murderer. What will happen? I'll let you see for yourself! Enjoy the book!



5. 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.

5 comments about The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. Mrs. Braun's books have often contained a pro-environmentalist message but this is the greenest book so far. For in this episode the developers have defaced Breakfast Island with a resort, worse yet, they have changed the name of the island to Pear Island and Qwilleran is fit to be tied. He is even more upset than normal since money from his K foundation has helped fund the Pear Island Resort. Even the thought of visiting the remodeled island makes him furious until two events conspire to change his mind.
   
   The first event is an announcement from his lady friend Polly Duncan that she is going to Oregon for two weeks to visit a friend. Knowing that he is going to be alone for two whole weeks puts Qwilleran in just the proper mood for event number two. He gets a call from his old friend Nick Bamba who asks if he can come by for a chat. It turns out that Nick and his wife have opened a B&B on the island and have themselves become the victims of some weird occurrences at the resort. Knowing about Qwilleran's mystery solving ability Nick invites the former reporter and his two cats to spend the time that Polly is gone at the Bamba B&B. Not being able to resist a good mystery, Qwilleran agrees to come to the island and the fun begins.
   
   Qwilleran suspects all along that the accidents aren't really accidents and he sets out to prove his theory. Koko takes up dominoes to try and point Qwilleran in the right direction but it takes forever for Koko's human to figure out what the cat is trying to tell him. Of course, Qwilleran finally figures it all out but he never would have found the answer if Koko hadn't arranged for him to meet and save the life of a local heiress. Along the way Qwilleran and the cats put up with the constant smell of fudge, an annoying neighbor, a hurricane and meat loaf with rabbit in it. Qwilleran also gets invited to high tea with the Queen Mother of island society but is disappointed to find no peacocks at the Queen's estate.
   
   This is another fine mystery by Mrs. Braun. The mystery itself isn't all that deep and really just plays a supporting role to the ongoing saga of Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum. This is after all a warm fuzzy mystery and this author proves once again with this book that she is one of the best authors in this genre. The characters are delightful and although there are several new characters introduced in this book it is not set so far away from Pickax City that the regulars are shut out. This series is extremely readable and fun, and this entry is no exception. I do wish however that Qwilleran would avoid the trap of becoming an anti-smoking fanatic like so many other former smokers. This type of judgmental behavior just doesn't suit him at all.



2. Lilian Jackson Braun is a favorite writer, and it is supremely easy to become addicted to the Cat Who...series. The only thing wrong with this whole scenario is that the books do not come fast enough! Qwilleran is adorable, the cats are just too much, and the names of people and places are hysterical. Can't wait for the next episode. These are keepers to re-read again and again.



3. There's a little something extra in TCWCB for my taste, and I've read over twenty of her whimsical tales. Mixed in with the fluidly vivid descriptions of her main characters, Ms. Braun makes some pithy comments about ecology and responsible community development - a theme she has been building toward in previous volumes of this best-selling series and feels strongly about... Here she expresses her concern about the future of this planet, and goes into all the things that can possibly go wrong when feasibility studies on ecology are non-existent or ignored, or when corporate greed and over-commercialization create underground community resistance on `Pear Island'... Bravo! I have a feeling she's wanted to write on this topic for a long time.
   
   Now, on the authorship of her later books which some readers have conjectured about, I'd like to make a point I've never seen brought up, because I'd love to see this controversy over the possibility of dubious authorship relegated to the litter box.
   
   I feel strongly that she has written every word in this amusing series and there have been no ghostwriters whatsoever. She's having too much of a good time for there to be any reason to turn over the authorship to someone of lesser ability or inferior talent, whether it's because of pressure from her publisher, or whomever, or because she's "too old" to have written them... and supposedly for what... greed?? After having had so many of these books on the New York Times' bestseller list, she's probably a millionaire two or three times over and still counting.
   
   I may be wrong, but my sense of her character is that she'd rather end the series cold turkey than farm out KoKo and Yum Yum to a lesser talent. So for her or her publisher to artificially keep the series going for financial reasons only, just does not compute, at least for me... I'm not convinced that her writing could be duplicated by anyone else for the sake of financial gain or to please fans, since she's the consummate word master "who could write 1000 words on anything," and particularly when her main character Qwill is so indifferent to his inherited millions... Ms. Braun strikes me as a writer's writer - she's in love with words - and I can't imagine her putting up with less vivid or striking prose and lowering her standards.
   
   There's no break that I can see in the continuity line of Qwill's personal development even though there was a twenty year gap in the publishing history of these books. So far, he has remained 50ish throughout the entire series, and the continuity of one book to the next, in terms of a time-line and recurring characters, has been consistent. This means that while there may have been a twenty year gap in publishing these works, there has been no twenty year gap in her story line - and I think that means something in the way these books were created.
   
   As far as my own tastes are concerned, the later volumes show no diminution in her amazing descriptive powers, wit and charm, but these books may seem different or `lesser' because they are driven more by character development than plot, and some people prefer the plot driven stories. There may have been a change of focus but not of ability, and her books have changed because she has changed in an evolutionary way. Nevertheless, even her later books have kept me guessing and I feel that TCWCB is one of the best in her series because she takes on a hot topic with amusing and biting satire.
   
   I see "Q" as her. Through him she gets to express all the facets of her own views on love, art, money and wealth... you name it... and she breathes sparkling life into these books and makes them wonderful literary companions for anyone who is lonely or seeks something uplifting to the mind and spirit. She's very healthy of mind and so is George Guidall, who's done such a wonderful job on the unabridged audio books. It's a great combination of talent that makes one fall in love with the power of the spoken word and perhaps wish to become a writer oneself.
   
   As of today's date, I believe she's still very much alive and wishes to stay mentally active with much more to say about the human condition. She's a deceptively simple writer with a virtuoso command of language, and for my liking, she has something to say about life above and beyond the mystery genre itself and is never heavy-handed about it. That's why I value her witty and unassuming books though the later ones may vary in the tightness of their plots and in the tidiness of their conclusions. In any event, for anyone who has enjoyed this wonderful series for years to turn on her viciously because of their "disappointment" makes me wonder if they were ever genuine fans to begin with. I like to remember with gratitude the many hours of enjoyment she's brought into the lives of her readers.



4. 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!!



5. 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.

5 comments about Cat Who Dropped A Bombshell (Braun, Lilian Jackson (Spoken Word)).

1. Ms. Braun (according to Wikipedia) is still alive. Her birthdate is listed as 1913. I agree her books seem to be getting worse rather than better. But I love the characters...all of them. They are like warm friends to some of us fans. So I read them and have them in my two middle school libraries for students and their parents. The kids like them and seem less critical of them than adults.
   If you do not like the new Cat Who books, I would suggest you go on to another series..or re-read the beginning ones.



2. I did not enjoy this book - maybe you need to be a cat lover.



3. The books arrived sooner than I expected them to arrive, and are in excellent condition. I am very pleased with the promptness and care shown by "Please-Buy-Mine" and will keep them in mind when the next occasion arises for buying books.



4. "The sad fact is that if Ms. Braun were still alive, she'd be over 100 years old now."
   
   um, she was born in 1913? do the math???
   
   I agree this book was not nearly anything compared to the rest of the series... it had several disappointments... however, as a collector, I am always thrilled to hear when a new TCH is coming out... Hopefully the next one will have been straightened out... or maybe if there is a ghostwriter someone could just nix this book & rewrite another in it's place, as if that whole book had been nothing but a freaking nightmare... I know the writing was!



5. I've read the majority of The Cat Who... books over the years. This one was by far the worst. The dialog was corny. If I had a dollar for every exclamation point in the book, I would be a millionaire!!!!!

5 comments about The Cat Who Wasn't There (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. It was a charming story but hardly great literature. Enjoyable. I read it because of the Scotland info as I am leaving in a few weeks for my first trip to Scotland and thought it would be a fun story to read beforehand. I was not disappointed. I'm also a cat lover so always enjoy the cats in these stories.



2. All of "the cat who..." novels are great! For some reason, I find reading them comforting and calming... They're a good read and I find the characters interesting. I so look forward to reading them after a long, stressful day.



3. 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!!



4. I'm a fan of the CAT WHO series. This is another fun story. I've read the books published up to 1999, and love listening to them in the car. Sorry to say that the books published after that have a different tone, as if written by someone else. I firmly believe they were, but I am enjoying the earlier immensely.



5. Entertaining suspense series-- strong, friendly, main character and cats are the bonus. Readers must start with book one "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" for introduction to characters. Each book just gets better!

5 comments about Cat Who Went Bananas (Cat Who...).

1. This book was ungodly boring. Nothing happened. Certianly nothing that warrented 223 pages to discuss. I found the tone of the novel to be similar to reading an Emily Post or Heloise column in the newspaper. Stuffy, old-fashioned, pompus, self-important and rediculous. However, I do believe that this book could be turned into an episode of a not so funny sitcom, as it seemed to have all the plot of an episode of Seinfeld without the humor. If you could imagine Northern Exposure without such an intresting plot, this would fit "The cat who..." sitcom exactly. Unfortunatly, this will be my first and last of "The Cat who" series as I cannot bear to suffer through another page of her useless, plotless, pointless drivel.



2. Very disappointing actually. I've read lots of 'The Cat Who ...' books and this one was quite unlike any of the others. The plot elements did not tie together and people, who seemed mysterious and interesting, disappeared or died. And the banana peel, which could clearly have been used to great comic effect, made a single very brief appearance and was barely mentioned again.
   
   Very poor. I gave it 3 out of 5 because it reads well *but* and this is a big butt ;-) there is no closure to any of the mysteries introduced.



3. The Cat Who Went Bananas, by Lilian Jackson Braun, is a rather slight novel that sadly seems to have been written for the sole purpose of producing a book, rather than telling a story. The paperthin plot does not inpsire much interest. I had a difficult time determining what the book was about and whether or not there was any mystery involved. I remembered somebody mentioning a person had died, and then there was a missing book, but I could not for the life of me remember why. This was my fourth book in the series, after starting with the first three. I think I had better continue with the series in order as the quality comparison between the first three and this one decreased drastically.
   
   Two stars.



4. Hardcore mystery fans may find it a bit of a stretch, but if your taste runs to expertly written and very light fiction, you can't do better than Lillian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." series. Her detective, reporter James Qwilleran, investigates crimes with the aid of his Siamese cats--and the solutions to the crime inevitably rest more upon intution than actual deduction. The premise sounds farfetched, but Braun's work is usually less fanciful than you might expect, and she presents her eccentric characters and stories with great charm.
   
   Unfortunately, the series has been in marked decline for some time now, and THE CAT WHO WENT BANANAS is a case in point. On the surface, the plot has possibilities: Qwilleran's interest in a local theatre group's production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST opens a path to death that may or may not be accidental. Unfortunately, the plot goes nowhere and, although the conclusion certainly points to a specific person as a killer, there is no actual resolution per se. To make matters worse, the prose lacks Braun's light, bemused touch. While I think it possible that the book has been written from Braun's basic ideas, I think it very unlikely that Braun herself wrote it. It reeks of "ghosts."
   
   This is a tremendous pity, a disservice to both Braun and the reader. Newcomers to the series should look to earlier works, such as THE CAT WHO CAME TO BREAKFAST or THE CAT WHO MOVED A MOUNTAIN--but the later titles in the series should be avoided like the plauge.
   
   GFT, Amazon Reviewer



5. It is autumn again in Pickax. Polly is staying busy getting the new bookstore opened. She and Qwill hardly have time for each other.
   
   Qwill decides to write a book about the Hibbard House for Violet Hibbard. Her house is very historical and was built many years ago by her great grandfather. Violet is a professor of English and Qwill invites her to dinner.
   
   Mystery follows mystery as Qwill and the cats move to town to prepare for winter.
   
   I liked this edition of "The Cat Who.." series. It made you think at the end. You don't want to miss this one.

5 comments about The Cat Who Went Into the Closet (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. Not one of the better ones. Really shallowly written. Sounds like a ghost writer (the ghost writer's first book in the series) to me.



2. I think that the book was really bad. It seemed to me like someone else had written the book. I have enjoyed all the other books tremendously, but this one just left me hanging with a lot of unanswered questions.



3. Liked the book, took me a while to get into, but enjoyed it once I made all the connections; arrived in timely fashion and good condition.



4. I'm a great fan of Koko and YumYum, so I enjoy having them along with me while I'm on the road. Somehow the narrator's voice sounds like Jim Qwilleran's would if he was a real person. The only problem is that it's not always easy to tell when we've reached the end of a disc, but then that's true of virtually all audio discs.



5. I think this was my favorite "The Cat Who.." so far. It is late autumn in Pickax. Qwill and the cats rent a downtown mansion from Mrs. Gage to be closer to civilization in case of blizzards. Qwill has just written a play about a fire long ago in Pickax and begins giving performances.
   
   The town receives word that Mrs. Gage who had sold out and moved to Florida, had committed suicide. Qwill and Koko do not feel all is right with that scenario.
   
   Along the way, Qwill meets a young, beautiful, dog sled racer who had a big part in this mystery. The story takes place over my three favorite holidays; Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. You will love this edition of "The Cat Who..." series.

1 comments about The Cat Who Blew the Whistle (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. In the 17th book in the Cat Who Mystery series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is thrilled to be able to enjoy the latest economic development to hit Moose County (400 miles north of everywhere). It seems that a prominent local businessman, Floyd Trevelyan, has purchased and restored an old steam locomotive, and has plans to use it as a new attraction in town. Floyd has made money in both the building and banking industries, and when Floyd goes missing with the bank's funds right before a large audit, everyone assumes he has fled to avoid prosecution for fraud. Floyd has been seen around town with his beautiful secretary, leaving his ailing wife at home alone, and absconding with the money could give him a way to start a new life. But Qwill's suspicious mind does not immediately believe that this case is as simple as it sounds, and he is determined to poke around in the lives of the Trevelyan family. Hiring a friend from Down Below, Celia Robinson, to work with the sickly Mrs. Trevelyan, Qwill and his feisty felines put the pieces of this family puzzle back into place and solves yet another mystery 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. Many fans enjoy the homey, familiar feel of the town and the characters themselves. I just love the character of Celia, and was glad to see a kindly elderly "replacement" for the dear Mrs. Cobb. I was shocked with the health issues of Qwill's love-interest, Polly Duncan, and touched to see his reactions to her health scare.
   
   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!

5 comments about The Cat Who Said Cheese (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. We've read three or four of Lilian Braun's ever so popular series about the fictional small town of Pickax, located 400 miles north of everywhere in Moose County. There, writer Jim Qwilleran is a featured columnist twice a week in the local rag. "Qwill" is a wealthy man about town who is a good hearted friend to most everyone, including his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, who are supporting characters in all these stories. Usually there is little action other than Qwill seeking out whimsical events or people for his columns, amusing us along the way with the antics and culinary demands of his cats. Sometimes a light mystery or other mild farce is thrown in to suggest some semblance of plot, but most of these novels are really just a couple of hours of cozy and humorous reflections on life meant to pass the reader's time of day in a pleasant way while escaping into cat heaven. Usually one cat or the other does something to trigger a solution to whatever is perplexing Qwill lately, thus their leading roles in the titles and the stories -- and anyway, they demand it!
   
   To our surprise, in "Cheese", a bomb goes off in the town's only hotel, killing a young woman who works there. Was it an attack on a mystery lady visiting there, who had local tongues wagging for days? And did a subsequent shocking event, as well as the curious reactions of a simple country boy beekeeper relate or not? In other words, this novel almost has a real plot and a modicum of suspense! Having more or less decided against further indulging in Braun's fiction, we were rewarded by grabbing this copy just for fun, by just that -- an unexpected couple hours of fun! Not bad!



2. From beginning to end this book, as the title suggests, revolves around cheese. There is a new cheese and wine shop in Pickax, there is a cheese tasting at Qwilleran's home and the erstwhile journalist buys a nice old book about cheese that emits such a strong smell of Limburger that he has to bury it in the back yard. As if the cheese weren't enough liver & onions, mushrooms, honey and soup also play a part in this story and this is definitely not a book that you will want to read if you are on a diet.
   
   There are several mysteries floating around in this book, none of which ever rise to the top and take on the role of being the major plot line. First, there is a mystery woman all dressed in black, then there is an explosion at the New Pickax Hotel which is followed by the murder of one of the town's merchants and then a fisherman is found stung to death by friendly bees. Despite all of this murder and mayhem however the most important mystery seems to involve Iris Cobb's missing cookbook. For those new to the series Iris Cobb was at various times Qwilleran's landlady, housekeeper and curator of the museum that he lived in until it burned to the ground. Iris was known far and wide for her excellent cooking and the handwritten cookbook where she kept her secret recipes. Shortly after Iris' death the cookbook went missing and now Qwilleran is hot on the trail. As normal, Koko and Yum Yum play major roles in this story and without their help Qwilleran would never have solved all of the mysteries. The interwoven mysteries in this book are built up sort of like a jigsaw puzzle and nothing makes sense until it all starts to fall into place.
   
   This is not a book that I would recommend for someone who has not read any of the other books in the series because despite the several mysteries this book is mostly an update on the lives of the residents of Moose County. The mysteries themselves never really drew me into the story like some of the previous books in the series but the chronicles of Moose County always keep my attention. In short, this is not one of the stronger mysteries in this series but the antics of the cats and of the people of Moose County more than make up for the shallow mysteries. For that matter, the trials of Qwilleran as he attempts to cook a turkey are well worth the price of the book.



3. Somewhere about here in in the Cat Who... series I realized these mysteries had become a pleasant formula, familiar "friends" that might put me to sleep but not keep me awake. On the one hand, Qwilleran is now too self-consicious of the preternatural clues hinted by his Siamese cat, Koko. Qwill now doubts the psychic ability of Koko and disparages him, and so then do we because, on the other hand, Koko is giving less useful clues. Now too often his indications are recognized only in leisurely hindsight rather than helping to drive the plot forward. They are less mysteries that the reader can hope to solve from the cat's clues than they are comfortable explorations of how the authorities might come to recognize the prime suspect as we have done done fairly early on. There is also less romance in these later books in the big series, for Qwill has settled on one woman, who remains independent and, in fact, nearly absent from every other recent title. She goes off on separate vacations that often serve to raise Qwill's jealousy slightly, although nothing really comes from that because both people, and their friends, are so terribly nice.
   
   Still, these are wonderfully comfortable, often amusing books, just with less mystery and hardly any suspense any more. However, this particular story, with its mysterious hotel bombing (if the Editorial Review hasn't already given away too much), is one of the few later ones with a touch of fear. As always, it is easy to overlook how extremely well writtten these bonbons are, slipping easily onto your reading list.



4. !This is one of the best of the "Cat Who" mysteries. George Guidall does his usual excellent job with his reading, and there are threads from previous and future Cat Who stories that the Lilian Jackson Braun fan will find especially memorable and tantalizing.



5. 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.

5 comments about The Cat Who Tailed a Thief (Cat Who... (Audio)).

1. It's winter in Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere, and there's a petty pilferer around! But when a charity jar with almost $2,000 is discovered missing, the investigation really gets going. Soon some of the pilfered items show up in the work locker of one of the community's best-loved young men, leading Qwill to suspect a frame-up. But there are plenty of other twists and turns in this book, including a mugging that turns into murder, a suspicious wedding between a young gentleman and a middle-aged widow (with plenty of money), and finally another murder. Of course, Kao K'o Kung knows what is really going on long before Qwill figures it out, but then, if you've read this far in this series, you should be used to that by now.



2. I love it! I am a big fan of The Cat Who series and this is another in a long line of terrific books, great mysteries and cute cat antics. Koko makes me laugh and Lilian Jackson Braun has a great way of writing about him. Such as, "Even before he unlocked his front door, he knew there was a message on the answering machine. Koko was announcing the fact with yowls and body-bumps against the door panels. Given the condo's quality of construction, it was doubtful how much battering the door could take." I love these books... one of the neatest things Koko does is to boot people out of the house!



3. Come spend the winter holidays (Christmas through Valentine Day) in Moose County! Be there for Hixie Rice's First Annual Ice Festival, celebrate Scottish Night and Lynette's wedding! If you haven't got the faintest idea what I'm talking about you will probably not give this a five star rating but if you have visited Moose County before you'll enjoy this latest trip to 400 miles North of everywhere.

   The action begins with on December 23rd as Qwill is Christmas shopping. A series of petty thefts is plaguing Moose County. The crime escalates from minor nuisances to grand thefts and a respected member of a beloved County family is accused. A sudden death of a new Moose County citizen occurs during a trip 'Down Below' interrupts the more immediate concerns of the up-coming local theater production, a newspaper write-in poll of intriguing cat names, and preparations for the Ice Festival. When a popular member of an old Moose County family dies Qwill and Koko increase their efforts to get to the bottom of things. They solve all and bring the culprits to justice before the spring thaw. Of more importance to Moose County devotees is the addition of 'Wetherby Goode' the local radio weather forecaster.

   This long running (this is the 19th installment) series of cozies has a loyal core of fans who wouldn't dream of missing a trip to see Qwill, the semi-retired journalist who is also one of the richest men in the 'North central eastern United States' and his friends both human and feline. If you like your murders in series and cozy join the annual trek up north, but if you prefer your crimes to be challenging or graphic travel elsewhere.




4. 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




5. 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.

5 comments about The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers.

1. This installment of the Cat Who...books is simply a meandering mess. I have been a huge fan of the series and this one almost made me cry. I had to go back and reread some parts because alot of it did not make any sense, the mystery was thrown in almost as an after thought, the characters were odd and stilted. Written almost as if two different people wrote it but they weren't speaking to each other. If this is the future of the well loved series, it's time to pack it in.



2. I am glad to see another The Cat Who book, and enjoyed meeting the characters as old friends, even if it was not as detailed as the earlier books. I thank Mrs. Braun for continuing to bring these books to us, even though she is ill. I hope her health improves, and that she is comfortable.



3. Obviously not written by Lilian Jackson Braun. Even Qwill's "voice" was missing from most of the book. I hope the series hasn't moved to this new author. Awful. If you're a Qwill or Koko fan, don't waste your time.



4. I have for some time felt the books have been very poorly done. 60 Whiskers has been the worse. It is as if someone has taken notes for a story and published the notes and left the meat of the story in the fridge. I have been very disappointed in the last few books. I keep hoping they will get better and back to what we had before, but I fear the end has coming or at least it should be. I see there is a new book coming out sometime in the future.



5. I've read nearly all "The Cat Who" books and have liked some of them very much and have been luke warm on several. But this one is simply terrible. There is no plot. There are a couple of maybe arsons that are never explained. There is a death that could be a murder, but we never know about that. The book just wanders about with little meaningless incidents.
   
   According to some accounts, Ms Braun was ailing when she wrote this, but that is no excuse for the publisher bringing it out with fanfare. Oh, I forgot--the publisher knew it would sell because there are many fans of Qwill and his cats. It is an insult to readers.
   
   There are all sorts of problems beyond what I've mentioned. For example, it seems that Ms Braun forgot that Qwilleran is an alcoholic and cannot drink any alcohol. It is certainly implied that he drinks in this book. Ms Braun also seems to have forgotten that there are two Siamese cats. Koko gets all the mention here, and I recall seeing Yum Yum's name but once. Exclamation points abound in this book, as if the reader might be tricked into believing something was actually happening if the description was filled with exclamation points.
   
   I'll not be tricked into reading any more new Cat books. I'd rather remember the good ones nearer the beginning of the series.