2008 Book 45: The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

Book #:	45
Book Title:	The Cat Who Smelled a Rat
Author:	Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher:	G. P. Putnam
Pub. Date:	2001
Pages:	229
Started:	May 20, 2008
Finished:	May 21, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"The Big One is on its way, and none too soon for the residents of an unusually arid Moose County, who are becoming increasingly anxious about wildfires as they await the first snowstorm of the season. A Citizens' Fire Watch is formed, and volunteers go out on shifts to patrol areas of concerns, particularly the old minesites, which have been rumored to contain subterranean fires deep within. When a volunteer is murdered near the Big B minesite, which had been set ablaze, the people of Pickax realize they are dealing with both an arsonist and a killer. And Koko, Siamese cat extraordinaire and owner of journalist James Qwilleran, knows even more than that, as evidenced by his suspicious scrutiny of an antique pitcher, a batik of robins, and an old-fashioned glove box. The string of catastrophes continues as a local builder dies in an apparent accident, and it's up to Qwilleran & Co. to trap the rat who's behind it all. With her twenty-third Cat Who... mystery, Lilian Jackson Braun purrpetuates her reputation for fine feline-oriented entertainment and authentic portrayal of small-town life."
Stars:	***
Review:	Braun produces a cute story as always, when Koko and his kept man Qwilleran set about to sniff out the culprit in several suspicious deaths in town. Most devastating to me, as a reader, was the complete loss of Eddington's Editions, the used book store Qwill so loves, and the perishing of its owner in the fire. Cat lovers will breathe a sigh of relief to known that Edd's cat escaped unharmed, but Qwill knows that this loss is more than just an accident. How Qwill traps a ne're-do-well at the end who is behind all of the drama that's been going on in Pickax makes the story's end more exciting than most in this series. Great read - check it out!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 44: The Cat Who Came to Breakfast

Book #:	44
Book Title:	The Cat Who Came to Breakfast
Author:	Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher:	Jove
Pub. Date:	March 1995
Pages:	249
Started:	May 19, 2008
Finished:	May 20, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Qwilleran and the cats are visiting an island known by many names. Qwill has always called it Breakfast Island, but to the taciturn natives, it's Providence Island. To the rich summer residents it's Grand Island - and to the developers and tourists who are turning this once peaceful place upside down, it's Pear Island. But when some odd "accidents" occur, including a fatal boat explosion, Qwill suspects sabotage and sets out to investigate - because murder by any other name is just as deadly..."
Stars:	***
Review:	Koko and the gang are at it yet again, summering at the frightfully decorated Domino Inn, the newest venture of enterprising Lori Bamba and her husband Nick. In following these books, I think we've seen Lori in a dozen or so roles, from Qwill's secretary, to postmistress, and now to Innkeeper. She and Nick are determined to make this venture a go...but mischief on the island seems destined to undermine their efforts. With Qwill and kitties on scene, however, an explanation for what is really going on isn't far away... Love it - another great edition to the Cat Who series. Breakfast Island, sans sabotage, sounds like my kind of place to visit - why don't you buy this book and go there yourself?

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 33: The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell

Book #:	33
Book Title:	The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell
Author:	Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher:	Putnam
Pub. Date:	2006
Pages:	187
Started:	April 24, 4008
Finished:	April 25, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"The residents of Pickax eagerly await the start of Pickax Now, a festival celebrating the 150th anniversary of the town's founding. In the midst of preparations for parades and performances, newspaper columnist James Qwilleran must make time to entertain Harvey Ledfield, an aspiring architect visiting from out of town. Qwill welcomes Harvey into his home to sketch, but strange occurrences seem to follow Harvey around. Why, for example, did the extraordinary Siamese Koko leap from the balcony onto Harvey's head while he was drawing Qwill's barn? And why have Harvey's aunt and uncle - residents of nearby Purple Point - not been seen in public since Harvey's arrival? Soon, Koko's strange behavior is not the only sign of trouble in Pickax. A knitter with psychic powers predicts murder, and a woman makes a weekend trip to Pickax from California to leave a message for Qwill. It's up to Koko to help Qwill piece the clues together. In the 28th Cat Who mystery, Lilian Jackson Braun welcomes readers back into the world of Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum."
Stars:	***
Review:	Pickax, a town 400 miles north of everywhere, has been the scene of many of my literary forays over the past fifteen years since I first discovered its existence in the fifth Cat Who novel. And so, after visiting there in over twenty books, I feel like I've come to know the area and its residents. They've all come out to play in this Cat Who novel, and it's always fun to seem them again. If I had to complain about anything in this book, it's that a well-known character dies and is sent off with barely any fanfare. It makes Qwill seem almost uncaring that he spends so little time thinking about this character's death and so adroitly moves on from learning of it to theorizing possible solutions for the mystery - or mysteries - at hand. Nonetheless, this is a fun and quick read, and it's always nice to visit with Qwill and his kitties!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 32: The Cat Who Went Into the Closet

Book #:	32
Book Title:	The Cat Who Went Into the Closet
Author:	Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher:	Jove
Pub. Date:	March 1994
Pages:	257
Started:	4/23/08
Finished:	4/23/08
Time to Read:	1 Day
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Qwill's moved into the Gage mansion - and the cats are on a treasure hunt! The house's fifty closets are crammed with several generations of junk, and while Qwill investigates two recent deaths - those of the mansion's former occupant and a local potato farmer - Koko investigates the contents of the closets. Qwill and the cats are unearthing some surprising skeletons - and bringing long-buried secrets to light..."
Stars:	***
Review:	On the way home from school one day during the 7th grade, seated on the bus with my friend Becky, I noticed she was reading a book that had a captivating title: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. She gladly loaned me the book to read when she finished, and a love affair with Lilian Jackson Braun and her captivating characters was born. Qwill - it's a "w", not a "u" - is a lovable loaf of a journalist-turned-philanthropist who plays Dad to two lovable felines: Koko and Yum Yum. These kitties are anything but house cats, however. When there's a mystery to be solved, they can usually be found sniffing out clues. In this book, something like the 15th that's a part of the series, Qwill changes his residence for the winter and finds more than just a new address: there's a treasure trove waiting for him, left behind by several generations of a local family, all tucked away in a zillion different closets. He uses those treasures not only to turn out a successful one-man show, but also to get to the crux of two deaths - one that occurred locally, and another thousands of miles away. How the two connect and the mystery is solved is for Koko to know...and you, the reader, to find out. Go immerse yourself in the world of The Cat Who today!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany