Rating: 
Summary: So bad it's sad!
Review: I have been a long time fan of "The Cat Who..." series, but since the last few, I have been getting my copies from the library because buying them seems a total waste. I really feel sorry for anyone who chose this book as their first experience of "TCW...". I really can't add much more than what other reviewers have said, except to say it's all true. Grammatical errors, check. Lack of suspense, check. Shoddy and inconsistent plot development, check. Suspicion that this book was ghostwritten, check. Moose County, once a beloved and rich tapestry of people and places, is now just a parody of itself. Qwilleran has become even more insufferable - some sort of Godfatheresque oddity who throws money at any and every occasion. Not only that, but the deference with which everyone treats him, practically kowtowing to his least whim is just getting creepy. Kudos to Koko for not "selling out" his dignity. Ok, that whole rant was probably not necessary - let me get to the point. Daddy Warbucks, er, I mean Qwilleran's character development (or lack thereof) and the bootlicking of the entire MC community is way out of balance. It's not credible, it's not pertinent to the plots, and worst of all, it's not entertaining. Au revoir, Koko and Yum Yum. I'll miss you, but not enough to return.
Rating: 
Summary: The Cat Who Brought Down the House
Review: I have been disappointed in the last two books. I feel the style has changed like someone else is writting the stories.
I did enjoy the book but it was two quick a read. Too much time spent developing main characters, for her loyal readers.
I did enjoy it but miss her old fun style.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, But What Does It Have To Do With Character/Leadership?
Review: I have enjoyed several of Lilian Jackson Braun's books. They're all fun to read, and I recommend them. But, what does this book have to do with character and leadership? In no respect meaning to take away from the brilliance of "The Cat...", if you are at this site looking for books on character and leadership, you might want to try Covey's bestselling "Seven Habits..", Remick's "West Point: Character Leadership Education...", and Noonan's "When Character Was King". For pure fun, however, "The Cat..." is at the top of the heap.
Rating:
Summary: This book has no plot!
Review: I listened to the unabridged audio book and waited patiently for SOMETHING to happen, but all I got was Q having lunch with this person or that person, someone redecorating, Polly changing jobs, and the planning for a fund-raiser. I eventually realized that this is not a murder mystery like the other books, but rather the story about everyday life in a small town where people do very uninteresting things. If I were to abridge it, I would leave out everything except side 8 of the 8-sided tape set. That is the only part where anything happens at all. And even that is not very interesting. Oh yes, and Koko and Yum-Yum are virtually absent throughout the entire book. The earlier "Cat Who..." books really did have a plot that began in the beginning and threaded through the story. This book (like the last one) has dispensed with plot altogether...I have been a devoted reader, but recent trends indicate that this series has run its course.
Rating:
Summary: 25th in the Series and Still Very Enjoyable!
Review: I love Lilan Jackson Braun's books. She's written 25 and each one is still fresh and new. Starting a Braun book is like a hot cup of tea, a cozy quilt and a warm fire all in one. I get this incredible feeling of wellbeing when I begin a new story. This book is very good. It's different than a lot because there is no real murder until near the end of the book, but there are plenty of nefarious characters, and things that make Qwill's mustache tingle! KoKo is his usual astute self, and picks out the bad guys right away - even if he has never seen them. He gives all kinds of clues of the double-dealing that is going on for those that are wise enough to listen to them. I sure do hope that Ms. Braun continues to write these wonderful cozy mysteries that we all enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Pickax and its delightful citizens are back . . .
Review: I love reading about the Qwill and the town of Pickax. The quality of the writing of the 25th entry in the series is much improved over the recent entries. This mystery revolves around an elderly woman returning to her hometown after spending 60 years in Hollywood, birdnapped parrots and the opening of the local opera house -- and, of course, the obligatory murder. As you can expect, if you've been following the series, the murder plays second fiddle to the Siamese, Quill and the regular townfolk. I never thought I'd see the direction that Polly's character decides to follow and I can't wait to read more about it in the next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed in Colorado
Review: I really enjoyed the early "The Cat Who..." books. They involved the characters in the plot, they had more than "Hi, how are you" conversations and were more than cardboard cutouts. As a fledgling mystery writer it is very disheartening to see such "slock" sold to the public. If this is a ghost writer maybe I should apply for the job. I know I could write a better mystery. "The Cat Who.." books are thin anyway, but this book was made up of excerpts from Qwill's book which had little to do with the so called murder mystery plot. Believe me I will never spend hard earned money for another in the series. I won't even let it take up room on my library shelf. This book goes to the used book store in trade for something worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Like an old sweater
Review: I really think the quality of these "The Cat Who..." books has deteriorated greatly in the past several books. The general plot line and details to actually allow a person who is picking up the more recent books as a complete novice to the characters to be able to maintain interest in the story is barely there. Ms. Braun actually goes into great detail of the background of each character but that seems to comprise the bulk of the book. There is the requisite body found and central suspect but all pretense of these books, and this particular book, being mysteries is completely gone. In this book, the crime barely got a few sentences and the suspect is made out to be so obviously the bad guy that there is no mystery.
I rated this 3 stars because I do have a warm spot in my memory for the characters. Reading this book for me was more like visiting with old friends that I'm very comfortable with. Sometimes one visits these friends not because of anything other than to bask in their company. However, if I wasn't already familiar with the characters and general pace of the books from having read ALL of the books in the series, I would be completely turned off by it.
My question is, is Ms. Braun actually still alive? Or are these books now being written by some computer program owned by the publisher based on some formula so that the publisher can keep making money off of those of us who are addicted?
My advice is if you're a new reader to this series, read the earlier works, especially if you're a halfway intelligent adult who is familiar with mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: actually 4 1/2
Review: I thought this book was much better than the last few book as far as the character feeling in chraracter. Maybe Mrs. braun was just in a slump. There isn't much mystery to this one. Unfortunately the killer is pretty obivious from the get go and Mrs. Braun never even puts suspicion on anyone else. This would have lost the book 2 stars in my review, but a pleasant twist at the end added one star back. Also, with the return of Celia Robinson, my favorite Moose County resident next to Qwill and the Kitties, I was able to add the 1/2 star. It could have been a perfect five it Polly had decided to move away, but I have resigned myself to the fact that that is never gonna happen. I really enjoyed this book and I am sure most Cat Who fans will too.
Rating:
Summary: Another visit with old friends- Not much of a Mystery,though
Review: I'll echo the sentiments of many of the reviewers here. (I won't bother to recap the plot-- others have that well covered.) This book is another nice visit with old frinds- the Pickax county folks. It is not much of a mystery, however.
Again, the mystery is very light-- the mystery sort of solves itself with Qwill on the sidelines, watching. (A key giveaway: Qwill doesn't meet with Chief Brodie at all in the book!) I wish the books would return to the stories where Qwill and the cats were active participants in the mystery. I also thought it was a little lame that this book pushes "Short and Tall Tales". It just smells of "Cross-marketing" and "Product placement". Bottom line: I think this one is a little better than the last, in that it isn't as disappointing. It doesn't live up to the standards of the earlier books, but it doesn't fall as short as some of the other recent books in the series. (Or have my expectations just dropped over time?) Final thought: Some reviewers have suggested that the series is being ghostwritten. I did a quick web search, and could find no real evidence to support this claim. (That doesn't really prove or disprove anything.) IMO, the style has definitley changed over the years, but then again, LJB is 87 years old. I'm not sure what to think on this.....
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