5 comments about Cat Who Went Up the Creek, The Abridged Cass.

1. This Cat Who is the usual story, but oh what fun to read! This whole series is terrific for a "lay out in the sun read"! Ms. Braun writes a story that is an easy, fun, quick read. If you are interested in just having a good time read the "Cat Who" series!



2. One of the Best Cat Who Books Written. I am a real fan of Lillian Jackson Braun. The Cat Who Went Up the Creek will entertain all mystery lovers. An Extra Treat for Cat Lovers that love Mysteries. As usual Quill and Koko are delightful. It is like curling up with an old friend, when you open the book.



3. Jim Qwilleran is an unintentional sleuth. He credits all of the detective action to his Siamese cat, KoKo. I find this series of books to be light entertainment and quite enjoyable....



4. Definitely not one of Lilian Jackson Braun's best efforts. Ms. Braun's writing seems more formulaic than inspirational. Qwill offers several conclusions to the "case", that leaves the reader to accept what seems correct to her or him. I wouldn't recommend this book...



5. I love the Cat Who books, great light reading. But, the
   story line is getting repeative and less interesting to
   read. Seems to spend way too much time repeating the
   the same descriptions of people and event that are in
   all books.

5 comments about The Cat Who Brought Down the House.

1. OK, OK you killjoys, this may not be LJB's (or her ghostwriter's) best effort, but it's a lot of fun. We, loyal readers who have read the whole series in order, settle down with these books to visit with old friends. This book delivers on that level. If some of you out there have never read a TCW book before, start with the first book in the series and then knock 'em out, in order. You won't be disappointed until you get to around book twenty-one or twenty-two. This book is a vast improvement over the last three or four. It is an enjoyable read for those of us who sometimes think about turning everything we own into cash and moving up to this town that is four hundred miles north of everywhere.



2. I really enjoyed THE CAT WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE, and I consider it one of her best, especially one of the best of her recent ones. Most of the book is a pleasant visit with the inhabitants of Moose County. The mystery is really only a side note, but it's still fun. The early books in this series were SO good, and later the plots seemed to be phoned in, but she's back in form here.



3. Even though I'm only 11, people, CHILL. I am curently feasting on it, but I love it. This is practically the only good cat fiction out there. All you cat lovers, BUY IT NOW. And one last thing: MEOW!!!



4. I purchased this as a gift for my aunt, who has been collecting this whole set of books. Although I have not personally read them, she is an avid and loyal fan, along with many of her friends. They all seem to have a "close relationship" with this author; and, reading her books makes them feel "at home again". All of her books are "connected", and my aunt feels they should be read in succession without missing any one of them. Once she starts reading one, she JUST CAN'T PUT IT DOWN!



5. If you are a Koko and Yum Yum fan, this book is for you. Lillian Jackson Braun writes these stories in a way that pulls you into the story. You are with Qwill and Koko every step of the way. The twists are well done. A story worth reading over and over...

5 comments about The Cat Who Turned on and Off (Cat Who...).

1. In this, the third offering in this series we find that our hero Jim Qwilleran has a new assignment with the Daily Fluxion. In the second book we saw him change assignments but for some reason there is no explanation for this change. Whatever the reason, Qwilleran is now a feature writer and has decided to do all that he can to win a writing contest sponsored by the Fluxion because he could really use the prize money to move out of the third-rate hotel he and his cats are occupying. A taxi driver mentions an area called Junktown to the writer who assumes that it is a high traffic narcotics area. That is just the kind of story that an old crime reporter can sink his teeth in to but alas, Qwilleran finds out that Junktown is really an antiquing area filled with junk stores.
   
   Reluctantly Qwilleran heads out for Junktown and quickly finds himself intrigued with the area and it's colorful collection of characters. The development of quirky and fun characters is an area in which this author excels and she may have outdone herself with this group. He also finds that a prominent Junker recently died in what the police have called an accident but the veteran reporter's mustache tells him that it was no accident. Soon, Qwilleran is not only involved with the people of Junktown but he rents an apartment from one of the junk dealers and he and the cats move right in. The stories that he is generating from Junktown please his editor and he thinks that there is a good chance he will win the paper's prize money. But all the while he is still working to solve the mystery of the junk dealer's death.
   
   Shortly after his arrival in Junktown, Qwilleran's landlord is killed in an apparent fall while scrounging for goodies in an abandoned house that is about to be torn down. Again the police call it an accident and again Qwilleran is not so sure that it was accidental. Finally the cats do their thing and the whole case is cleared up but not before the cats once again save Qwilleran's life.
   
   This book, unlike it's predecessors is a little light on the mystery angle until the end of the book but as before, the clues are there all through the story. The reporter and the readers just seem to let them slip right by. Finally however, the reporter and the reader will began to put two and two together and figure out that there is definitely something fishy in Junktown.
   
   Once again Lilian Jackson Braun has produced a delightfully lighthearted mystery that I suspect any mystery lover will fall in love with. If you don't fall in love with the story you will assuredly fall in love with Koko and Yum Yum, super cats par excellence.



2. In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set 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. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!
   
   The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!



3. Always great listening to a Braun mystery narrated by the talented George Guidall.



4. With the third installement in The Cat Who...series this is by far the funniest.
   
   With his new assignment in junktown, learning all about antiques and the dealers that come with it Qwill stumbbles onto what looks like another odd murder mystery. Once his mustache starts twiching and his partners, KoKo and Yum, start their usual shenanigans Qwill knows for sure he is right. The only thing left for him to do is to figure out which of the colorful characters of junktown could be the culprit.
   With even more colorful, fun and way out there characters this book will definitely leave you wanting more and more of Qwill and his furry gang of friends. Next on the list is The Cat Who Saw Red.



5. Never fails to delight. Enjoyable reading. Mayhem in an antique shop is no match for the feline with more than the usual amount of whiskers.

5 comments about The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (4 Cassettes).

1. Harley Fitch and his wife are discovered murdered in their home. The scions of Pickax society are aghast, as the Fitch's are one of their own. I agree with the formal reviewer that there is no way to figure out whodunnit until the very end when they tell you, but I thoroughly enjoy the ride. The characters in this book are interesting and a bit off the beaten path, for the most part. Enjoy!



2. In the 8th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is busy with the first issue of the redesigned newspaper to be published in Moose County (400 miles north of everywhere). He is currently living with his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) in an apartment over the old Klingenschoen garage and has settled in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will.
   
   As the book begins, 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.
   
   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. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a long-time resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". This installment discusses how the newspaper is launched, and how Qwill starts to write his famous column.
   
   This is a great series by my favorite author!
   
   The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!



3. Always enjoy her mysteries. Being a cat perwon there are a fun read.



4. Full of odd characters and wierd quirks, Quill and Koko solve another case. Typical Braun. A fun read.



5. The Cat Who books are great. And this one is no exception. Purrfect...

5 comments about The Cat Who Saw Red (Cat Who...).

1. This 4th book of the series, I understand, was nominated for an Edgar (as in Edgar Allen Poe), which is the mystery series equivalent of an Oscar. It deserves such recognition. First, it brought L.J.B. back after a long break from writing (for which fans are forever grateful). Second, it is a truly remarkable crime, probably one of the most unusual ones I've heard about apart from the C.S.I. television series. I still get chills thinking about that crime (I should stress it is not gory, unlike C.S.I., though it may be the "darkest" story in this mystery series)

   This book does a fine job of fleshing out its primary characters and their current assignment: a curious neighborhood of artists. I was particularly delighted with the descriptions of the cats, so vivid as to create a vicarious cat lover experience for me(I'm allergic to cats, so the printed word is all I can handle). Of course, Koko, the Siamese cat with unusual abilities, steals the show.

   If you are new to the "Cat Who..." series, this is an excellent starting point. The whole series is one big "can't put it down" pleasure read. Please keep in mind that the entire series is forever evolving, which in some ways is just like real life (and unlike some mystery series where everything resets between stories). So what you read in this book will have remarkable contrasts to books before and much later in the series, though the core elements remain in tact. The series of books divides into two time periods in the protagonist's life: Qwilleran as a reporter in the Big Cities, and later Qwilleran as a columnist in Moose County. The first group is urban, slightly gritty and darker in some ways, the second group is still edgy at times, but is more small-town cozy and much quirkier, in a hometown fashion, which really appeals to the fans. The dividing point for the series is the book "The Cat Who Played Brahms", which is therefore another good starting point. This one, "The Cat Who Saw Red" is in the first group.




2. The early "Cat Who" books have Jim Qwilleran as a middle-aged, impoverished, recovering alcoholic journalist barely hanging on at a newspaper in an un-named Middle West city. Later he moves north 400 miles to a little town and inherits a fortune. "The Cat Who Saw Red" is the last mystery novel that ties him to the gritty city, and it is the best of the city books--by a considerable margin.

   Other readers have outlined and commented on the plot, so I will say only about it that the plot here is much better than in the previous city novels. It moves better and the outcome is more logical, more satisfying. But the author's forte is not plotting. It is in the remarkable characters, unusual without being grotesque (a fine line to walk), not the least of whom are Qwill's Siamese cats. To those who have read none of the series, it may sound just a little too cutesy, having prescient cats solve crimes, but the writer makes it work and work quite well.

   The writer also excels in creating atmosphere, the city, the newspaper office, fancy and not so fancy restaurants and Maus Haus, a rather weird boarding house for people interested in food--and in pottery.

   Like Dickens, Ms. Braun invents no astonishing plots. Her great strength is in making characters come to life in interesting settings. As in Dickens, characters and settings are sufficient.




3. This is my favorite Cat Who... mystery so far. Qwilleran, the newspaper man and his cats Koko and Yum-Yum solve another murder mystery. The setting takes place at the Maus Haus, the vintage apartment home where Qwilleran now lives. All types of odd characters live there, including Dan and Joy Graham. They are artists who make pottery by hand.
   
   Qwilleran knew Joy from along time ago. They grew up together and were boyfriend and girlfriend. One night, after Qwilleran moved into the Maus House, Joy came to visit and told him of her miserable marriage. She wanted to leave her husband. That same night, she disappeared. Qwilleran did not believe the story about her moving to Miami. He did not trust her unsophisticated husband, Dan Graham. Qwilleran would not give up until he solved the mystery! Koko and Yum-Yum help to unravel the clues.



4. "The Cat Who Saw Red" was my introduction to the "Cat Who" series way back when I was about 10 years old. To this day, I have no idea how that book ended up on my mother's shelf - my parents are not readers. But I'm sure glad it did - I've read every book in the series since!
   
   Braun's work has been highly criticized lately for going drastically downhill, and I agree. That criticism is justified. To read "The Cat Who Saw Red" again reminds me of exactly from what great heights Braun has fallen.
   
   The mystery, as others have said, is not that hard to figure out. But the characters are so rich, the writing so fluid, and the situation so compelling that one cannot put this book down. The way Jim Qwilleran interacts with those around him is just fabulous in this book. Unlike later "Cat Who" novels, he doesn't take himself seriously at all - and he can also be heartbreakingly vulnerable. Qwill's buddy Arch Riker is a treat in this book, too, witty and cranky at the same time.
   
   I highly recommend this book as an introduction to the series, or as a re-read for longtime fans.



5. Poor old Jim Qwilleran, everywhere he goes people are drinking in front of this recovering alcoholic. To make matters worse, early in this book his doctor puts him on a strict diet just before he gets assigned to cover the gourmet scene for the Daily Fluxion. Just as he really begins to feel sorry for himself he runs into an old flame at a party he is attending that is on his new beat. The party and the old flame are at the Maus House, something of a boarding house for the gourmet set. Since the house was built as an artist's conclave and must remain so to some extent, the new owner has kept the pottery going and brought in Joy Graham and her husband to run it. Joy is the reporter's old flame and his perspective brightens as soon as he sees her.
   
   Soon however Joy disappears and her husband Dan claims she has left him and gone to Florida. Except for the fact that Joy had just told Qwilleran that she hates Florida the story is plausible enough but something just doesn't ring true to the ace reporter and he starts sniffing around. Soon there is another disappearance but no one takes Qwilleran's suspicions seriously and this book ends up reading like the disaster movies of the 1970's. The hero knows the dam is about to break but nobody will listen so he spends the entire movie trying to prove his point until the dam does break and everybody drowns. There are indeed a couple of drowning victims in this story but they may or may not have any connection to the mystery at hand.
   
   The solution to the mystery becomes apparent early but Qwilleran, despite his suspicions, can't prove a thing. Again Koko rises to the occasion, this time on a typewriter and Yum Yum makes the collar. One sometimes wonders if these cats need Qwilleran for anything beyond food and water. You can also rest assured that these cats, unlike their human, will never swallow red herrings.
   
   As is the norm for Lilian Jackson Braun's books, the characters and their often-odd behavior are the bread and butter of the story. And speaking of odd, I am happy to report that photographer Odd Bunsen makes a return in this book after being absent from the previous story. For a free meal Bunsen will help Qwilleran with almost anything and just like the rest of Jackson's characters and this book, Bunsen is witty, engaging and sometimes a little devious.

5 comments about The Cat Who Lived High.

1. Another interesting mystery with Qwilleran, the middle-aged news writer for the Daily Fluxion and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum-Yum. This time, Qwilleran returns to Junktown as a millionaire after inheriting a large sum from his aunt. He reluctantly moves from his estate in the quiet North to the crime-ridden and seedy life in Junk town. Junk town is beginning to revive however. He moves into the penthouse apartment of the old historic Casablanca apartment building. His goal is to have the elderly Countess agree to sell the decaying property to him so that the Klingenschoen fund can renovate the building back to it's glory days. However, Koko accidentally uncovers clues to the murder of the prominent art dealer who lived in the apartment previously...



2. The Cat Who Lived High
   Lillian Jackson Braun
   
   James Qwilleran, is about to inherit over a million dollars, had an alcohol problem, is a retired crimes journalist at the age of fifty-two. When he travels to "Down Below," he and his Siamese cats, Yum-Yum and Koko, are caught in a murder in a building called the Casablanca.
   Koko has "noble whiskers, aristocratic ears, a sensitive nose and impenetrable gaze. Koko could see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and sense the unknowable." Yum-Yum, his other Siamese, "was a charmer, who captivated Qwilleran with shameless wiles, reaching out her paw to touch his moustache while squeezing her eyes and purring throatily." Together they were a "handsome pair - fawn furred, with seal-brown extremities and mesmerizing, blue eyes."
   Lillian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who Lived High is a work of art. Throughout this novel I felt puzzled, surprised, and amazed. I couldn't wait to find out the murderer and the weapon. I recommend this novel for anyone who loves cats.
   
   Bodeine



3. The eleventh book of this series finds Jim Qwilleran packing for a trip Down Below, much to the dismay and worry of his fellow residents of Moose County. One of the Three Weird Sisters, whom we met in a previous book, has called him up and urged him to look into saving an old building in Junktown that is about to be demolished. The cats are none too happy about the trip but Qwilleran is eager to check out his old stomping ground and also to avoid the Moose County winter.
   
   He arrives back in Junktown to find an old rundown building that looks like a big refrigerator and as he carries the cats up to his apartment on the fourteenth floor the elevator stops. This time he is just as unhappy as the cats. He finds himself lodged in an elegant apartment that was recently the scene of a murder, a fact that Koko discovers. As usual in this series, Koko makes most of the discoveries and then spends a great deal of time trying to communicate his discoveries to Qwilleran. In this book Koko even takes up Scrabble to try and get his message across. One very nice thing about this book is that you don't get attached to the deceased because by the time the story starts, she is already dead. I'm still not over Iris Cobb's death.
   
   For fans of the series this book will bring back some memorable characters from previous books including Mary Duckworth of Junktown and Robert Maus and Charlotte Roop of the Maus House. It is great fun to go back and see what has happened in these people's lives since we last encountered them and to find out what they are up to now. Prim and proper Charlotte for example, has a man and is a changed woman. There are also some neat new characters like Mrs. Tuttle, Mr. Rupert, the Countess and Isabelle Wilburton who gives Qwilleran a flashing he will never forget. The characters and the atmosphere are indeed the major part of the story because the mystery is even more submerged than normal, but the clues are there if you just pay attention to Koko.
   
   This is not the best book in the series so far but it is very enjoyable. Unlike some other reviewers, I miss the folks in Moose County but it was a real pleasure to visit some old friends. It was a nice change of pace but I'm ready to get back to Pickax City.



4. In the 11th book in the Cat Who mystery series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is feeling the familiar wanderlust grab him as the threat of the first large snowfall descends on Moose County (400 miles north of everywhere). When he is summoned by an old friend from "down below" to help restore the old Casablanca building in Junktown, he agrees to visit the old apartment building that has lost most of its previous shining glory.
   
   Once he arrives, he realizes very quickly that the old building is not in great shape, and that the tenants are an eclectic mix. He meets elderly folks, young artists, and one eccentric building owner who is called the countess and never leaves her suite. Qwill is assigned the penthouse apartment on the 14th Floor, and when KoKo starts sniffing a stain on the rug, Qwill's natural curiosity is raised. He learns that there had been a murder in his temporary residence, and as he decides whether to finance the restoration of the Casablanca, he also probes into the mysterious death. With the help of his two irrepressible felines, KoKo and Yum Yum, the unlikely detective threesome saves countless lives from the clutches of an evil, greedy killer.
   
   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. I must say that I missed the setting of Moose County and its residents a bit in this installment, but found it refreshing to have Qwill meet some new people and explore the city. The characters in each book 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!



5. Not only is this the best addition to the Cat Who series, it reminds me so much of my own treasured one, Mr. Cheddar. No need to get a permit for renovations, this book towers above other cat-related mysteries! I am tempted to get another cat just to name it Mr. Yumyum and see if I too can teach it scrabble.

5 comments about The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (Cat Who...).

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.
   Trevor Oliver
   12 Years old



2. As we join the soap opera that is Pickax City in this the seventh book of this series we find that all is quiet, at least in the beginning. The people of Moose County are bracing for the first snow of the year, which they refer to as "the big one" and Jim Qwilleran has lost another love interest. Of course anybody who has read any of the other books knows that before long somebody is going to die and that usually the deaths just keep right on coming. With only 4000 people in Pickax City the author is eventually going to have to bring in new people or quit killing off so many in each book. This series can be just a little morbid but I have found that once one begins reading these books the marvelous characters and backdrop become addictive.
   
   Right on schedule there is a death that looks like an accident but Qwilleran isn't so sure that it wasn't murder or even suicide. The first death to occur throws things into an uproar that particularly affects one of Qwilleran's close friends and he jumps into action to solve the problem. He also finds a new love interest and his housekeeper is hinting that she may be close to getting a proposal from her new beau. Along the way he opens a museum in his new palatial home and is suspicious of his old friend Hixie Rice's new boyfriend. Qwilleran also learns that the local radio station predicts snow every day in November until they are finally right and he learns a hard lesson about "the big one" after he starts to ignore the weather forecast. All the while Koko, the cat in the title, is trying to tell the former ace reporter something but somehow Qwilleran misses all of the signals. Koko, for his part learns to use the new elevator in the house and rides up and down a lot.
   
   Like the previous books in the series, the mystery in this book becomes secondary to the antics of the people and cats of Moose County. Lilian Jackson Braun has an uncanny ability when it comes to character creation and the reader will get attached to these people, which makes it all the more sad when she kills somebody off. I have even developed a desire to visit Moose County, even though it is a figment of the author's imagination. I would particularly like to visit the town of Brr where it is always colder than it is anywhere else in Moose County. This is just the kind of extra touch that makes these wonderful books so addictive.



3. In the 7th book in The Cat Who...series, 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 the 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.
   
   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. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". In this installment, Qwill brings Hixie Rice to town, and begins to talk about having old friend, Arch Riker, join him in Moose County. Also in this book, Qwill's long-time romance begins with librarian, Polly Duncan.
   
   This is a great series by my favorite author!
   
   The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!



4. In the 7th book in The Cat Who...series, 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 the 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.
   
   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. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". In this installment, Qwill brings Hixie Rice to town, and begins to talk about having old friend, Arch Riker, join him in Moose County. Also in this book, Qwill's long-time romance begins with librarian, Polly Duncan.
   
   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. This is the first one of the series I've read. I must say I am so delighted that I'm now reading THE CAT WHO WASN'T THERE.
   
   For a short time I have been to Pickaxe where I've made friends with Polly, the librarian, avuncular Qwilleran, and dear Mrs. Cobb. I should say, POOR Mrs. Cobb, but I have a feeling she is going to bounce right back after her big ordeal. I've suffered through a mean snow storm and a couple of startling catastrophies, reasons for which are not divulged till the end.
   
   Was anybody listening to Ko-Ko and Yum-Yum?. They are cats who are indulged gastrnomically, but who maintain their independence...as all good cats do, especially Siamese. Someone should have been taking their insights and pranks to heart. They are certainly given credit at the finish of the story.
   
   Each character in this book brings to mind someone, somewhere I've met before. Lillian Braun describes them so vividly they've stayed with me for days. And they are worth thinking about.
   
   My only criticism is there were times I wanted more interaction with Ko Ko and Yum Yum.

5 comments about The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts.

1. The cat series are just a pleasure to listen to. Lilian Jackson Braun has captured the essense of a good mystery, and George Guidall brings the charactures to life. Easy listening.



2. In the 10th book in the Cat Who mystery series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is called late one evening by his dear friend, Iris Cobb. Iris has been frightened by some noises that she hears outside of her apartment at the Goodwinter Memorial Museum and begs Qwill to help her. Immediately throwing on clothes over his pajamas, Qwill rushes out to Iris' home, and arrives too late, only to find his former housekeeper already dead...apparently from a heart attack. Mourning the loss of his friend, Qwill agrees to move into her apartment and take her place until a permanent replacement is found. Moving into Iris' home also gives Qwill the opportunity to poke around in her sudden and suspicious death.
   
   Moving his adored cats, KoKo and Yum Yum, to the museum, Qwill begins to question his feeling about ghosts. Several influential members of the town claim to have seen them, and Qwill wonders if Iris had been frightened to death by a ghost's apparition. But redirecting Qwill's attention from the untimely death are several other strange occurances in Moose County. One is the annoying presence of Vince Boswell, the loud, brash man who lives up the lane from the museum and who is being considered to be the replacement for Iris, despite his lack of aptitude for the job. Another is an escaped felon that shows up in town...and shortly after his arrival, his ex-wife's goats are poisoned. Finally, many begin to wonder about the Goodwinter curse, and rumors continue to swirl regarding the death of Ephraim Goodwinter decades after his death. Qwill questions all of the facts, and in the end, finds that all of the pieces to this puzzle neatly tie together to spell murder.
   
   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. I must say that I was very saddened by Iris' death, as she was one of my favorite characters in this series. Many fans enjoy the homey, familiar feel of the town and the characters themselves, and Iris had become one of the favorites. I did, however, love this installment with all of its twists and turns!
   
   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!



3. In the latest edition with Qwill and the gang of cats we see a major character killed off which is so sad cos she was one of the nices ones.
   
   Once discovered that Qwills old friend has been "scared to death" he moves in to the farm house, which doubles as a museum, and begins to sniff out possible explanations for his dear friends death. Again this leads to Ko Ko trying to state the facts from his point of view what is going on, even going as far as talking to ghost....or so it seems. And naturally what insues is fun new characters, more murders, and even more mayhem all leading to the killer in the end.
   
   If your looking for a really easy read this is definitly for you as long as you are a fan of the series because the murder mystery definitly takes back seat to the other story lines and new and familiar characters that pop up. If your new to the series I would recommend starting at the beginning to see how it all began. A must read for any Cat Who fan....



4. Ms Braun is a master writer. I have personally read almost all of her "cat" books and each one stands on its own.....however, you know the characters as your own neighbors.



5. This was the first Lilian Jackson Braun novel I have read. I loved it. I enjoyed reading about the cats and how smart Koko was. And how the cats knew the phone was going to ring 10 seconds before the phone rang.
   
   Qwill is called in the middle of the night by his former landlady, Mrs. Cobb. She has been hearing strange noises and was scared. He leaves to investigate and finds her dead. Many strange things are happening at the museum, and Qwill decides to move in and find out what really happened to his friend.
   
   Very enjoyable, this will not be my last Lilian Jackson Braun.

No comments about The Cat Who Sang for the Birds.

5 comments about The Cat Who Played Brahms (Cat Who...).

1. In "The Cat Who Played Brahms" Qwilleran takes a vacation from the big city and the press. He borrows a cabin from his Aunt Fanny, who is either hard of hearing or just doesn't listen. She lives in a town called Mooseville. Qwilleran buys a car and he and his two cats drive up to the cabin. Things get eerie when he finds something in the local cemetery. Someone did not want him to go to the cemetery even though it is advised in a tourist brochure. When while fishing on a strange boat he catches something unbelievable. Koko finds a secret tape stashed in the cabin and the vacation turns into another wonderful mystery.

   I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to all mystery lovers. It kept my interest and I loved the cats. They bring a new meaning to mystery solving. This is the first book in the series that I have read and it will not be the last.




2. 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.
   Trevor Oliver
   12 Years old



3. In this the fifth book of this series, our hero Jim Qwilleran decides that it is time for a short change of pace and that he may just take his "Aunt" Fanny up on her offer of a free lakeside cabin for the summer. Any doubts he has about the move quickly disappear when he finds that the Press Club has been remodeled and that his living quarters have been sold out from under him. There is a little problem with story inconsistency here because Maus Haus is being torn down despite information in the last book that an art center of some sort must be maintained there. Not a big deal but it did draw my attention.
   
   Soon Qwilleran has bought a car and he and his cats are headed to Pickaxe City to visit Aunt Fanny and then on to the cabin which is located in Mooseville. Braun is well known for her colorful characters and as one might imagine Moose County is fertile ground for a good crop of exceptionally colorful characters. Beyond the people, the area in question has a character all of it's own. The restaurants are for the most part awful, most people drive blue pick-up trucks, the local turkey farmer has a BO problem and no one wants to report a crime because they will get someone they know into trouble. There is indeed crime in Moose County but with nobody reporting it the police have to resort to setting up roadblocks to pass the time.
   
   Qwilleran, a confirmed city boy has all kinds of problems while trying to get used to the rural quiet. He buys a cap so he will fit in but he thinks that the septic tank hole is a grave, he picks at poison ivy, and the various animal noises during the night prompt several calls to the sheriff. At one point he tries to impress a visitor by pointing out that they just heard an owl but the visitor corrects him and says it was a dove. An easy mistake that even my country born and raised wife has made.
   
   As out of his element as Qwilleran is, he is still sure that something terribly illegal is going on around him. He pokes around but all he gets is a bad case of poison ivy and he is wary of calling the police since they already think he is about half-nuts. The mystery in this book is a little more subtle than in some of the previous books and the reader will not find the answer, or what the mystery is for that matter until late in the book. Basically the reader is in the same boat as the hero and is not able to quite put his finger on things until once again the cats come to the rescue. Then, even after the first mystery is solved another one appears that has been quietly lurking under everyone's nose for almost half of the book. Neither Qwilleran nor the readers know of this mystery until the mighty Koko provides the answer to the previously unknown question. For once the ever-suspicious reporter is not suspicious enough.
   
   This is another good story by Lilian Jackson Braun that draws the reader in as the narrative proceeds. One isn't drawn in so much by a deep mystery but by the delightful characters to whom one becomes attached. The reader should pay particular attention to this book because it introduces the setting for the rest of the books in the series. Pickaxe City here we come.



4. Amazing how Braun continues to turn out such good material.



5. In the 5th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", a newsman for the Daily Fluxion is in a bit of a funk. He had returned to writing for a paper after a several years absence, and has sobered up and adopted two beautiful Siamese cats. After bouncing around with several different assignments at the Daily Fluxion, Qwill is thinking of a change. When his apartment building is sold, and the Press Club is hideously remodeled, Qwill's mind is made up. He decides to take his godmother, Aunt Fanny, up on her offer of spending the summer at her cabin in Moose County. He purchases a car, packs up the cats, and heads 400 miles north of everywhere to live in Pickaxe. Surprises abound when Qwill rolls into town, and nothing seems to go right for him from the beginning. Animals have vandalized the cabin, blue pickups seem to follow Qwill everywhere, and the restaurants offer limp food and watery coffee. Aunt Fanny seems to have her own agenda as well, and even though Qwill loves his eccentric elderly "aunt", he gives her a wide berth while chuckling at her antics. When Qwill hooks a "corpse" on a fishing trip, he immediately reports it to the local authorities, but no one seems to take him seriously. He sees treachery at every turn, and the more that the locals laugh off his suspicions, the more Qwill is determined to figure out what illegal dealings are going on in this interesting town.
   
   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. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and this book will lay the groundwork for the rest of the books to come. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight as to how Qwill became associated with Moose County. This is a great series by my favorite author!
   
   The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!