Rating: 
Summary: The Cat Who Disappointed a Reader
Review: I have read every Cat Who book written by this author, and I feel this is the weakest book in the series! All of the other books had twists and turns in the plot, and all of the other books had the ability to keep you guessing until the very end. Unfortunately, in this book, the author chooses to dwell on character development and background material. As a fan of the series, I did not need this additional information - I already love Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum, without knowing the ins and outs of Scottish games or mechanical banks! I hope that the next book in the series sees a return to a real mystery, and not just a walk down memory lane! If you have enjoyed the other books in this series, you will find this entry acceptable, but it will probably not be one of your favorites. If you have never read one of the Cat Who books, or if you have read only a few, I would recommend reading the earlier books before this one.
Rating: 
Summary: for Moose County fans, 3-4 for anyone else
Review: The story opens in late summer, Jim Qwilleran, wealthy newspaper columnist is, like the rest of Moose County (located 400 miles north of everywhere) looking forward to the opening of the new hotel. He finds that in addition to the grand opening, the hotel is to be graced by a visit from Mr. Delacamp, a jeweler from the big city who travels to Moose County every few years to do business. Qwill is intrigued by this strange custom and resorts to undercover work to satisfy his curiousity about the expensive cash only, women customers only business. When a murder occurs he becomes more so. As always Koko, his Siamese cat helps Qwill to pick his way through the tangle of old and new county scandals and county ties to reach the answers.For fans of this long running series there are plenty of Moose County updates and 'information to be shared' as well of glimpses of day to day small town life. 'Cozy' fans would probably enjoy this as well even if not familiar with the series but anyone looking for a more hard-boiled or challenging story should look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book For a First Timmer
Review: This is the first book in the series that I have picked up, yet I still feel as though I have read the hole series. The Cats are wonderful, the Charicters are beleaveable, and the plot is great. It is a Purrfect Book for a first timmer to "The Cat Who" series.
Rating: 
Summary: Close but no cigar. The Cat who Robbed a Bank
Review: Although the book was very well written and was very enjoyable, it was completely opposite ms. Braun's creative style. In fact, every single one of her books contradict the style in this book. It deprives you of the magnificance of her other books. In this one Qwill (James "Jim" Qwilleran) is practacly handed the clues to the crime. And also what outrages me about it is that THE CATS PLAY OFF STAGE AND QWILL GETS ALL THE LIMELIGHT! It's a semi-good book, but I would only recomend it if you were to read the whole series.
Rating:
Summary: Been a Quiet Week in......
Review: LJ Braun''s latest book is like a Whitman sampler, you know what you're getting, but it's still delicious. Compared to the previous book's (Cat Who Sang for the Birds) disappointment, I approached this with caution, and found it a pleasant jaunt thru Moose County. This time, the actual murder, of a noted visiting Chicago jeweler, is more prominent; at the same time, all the wonderful details LJB is known for, florish. Still, the Actual Murder never truly dominates. SPOILER ALERT! The case itself is quite routine, tho I don't think it's too much a surprise as to who the culprit is. Oddly, many of the various subplots are either missing or too neatly tied off, the marraige of Celia Robinson to a town local, for example, while Polly's famous jealousy has gone dormant. Qwill himself has maybe too well settled into his role as town benefactor; he has lost much of the "Jed Clampett" charm. Even the famed Siamese cats have settled down; Koko's clues are few, if helpful. Are they simply getting old? Koko's age, at least ten years, can be roughly guessed at; I see nothing wrong with his teaching Polly's Bootsie-Brutus, and Catta, also Siamese. There is also quite a lot of looking backwards in odd places; long-time readers will note many little references to the evens in previous books. There is even a long look at Qwill's mother, the famed Mackintosh maiden who married (it turns out) a Scandinavian. None of this really distracts from the charm of Ms. Braun's Moose County, but the books are beginning to sound akin to the famed Lake Woebegon, if with a higher mortality rate. I kept hoping there would be more details on the town and the people; the Actual Murder didn''t see so important anymore. Whether this is a failing or a success is for every reader to decide.
Rating:
Summary: Great cats; okay story
Review: Having read the first 15 or so "Cat Who" books a couple of years ago, I recently picked up this (the 23rd) to catch up with Qwill and his feline friends (and the other residents of Moose County and The City of Pickax. The cats are in great form. Unfortunately, the writing is not.
I had stopped reading this series for a while as the plots were becoming stale. In this installment, the cats play all too minor a role. They pop in occasionally to provide a clue, or to provide humor, atmosphere, etc. What they do not do is solve the crime, provide important clues that are followed up by Qwill (or the police), or do anything else that is directly related to the plot. They are relegated to the role of a "Greek Chorus"--providing commentary to the audience, without being part of the drama itself.
As to the plot--there is no mystery here. The person everyone thought did it, did it. The person everyone thought was a suspicious character, turns out top be a bad guy. The woman everyone thought was a fake, was a fake. No one needed Koko to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
Finally, the cat never does rob the bank...I kept expecting Koko to get into the bank and uncover the key clue--but it never happened.
Rating:
Summary: Could not possibly be written by Ms. Braun
Review: Most of my enjoyment of this delightful series has come from the literary skills of Lillian Jackson Braun. Her nuances of humor, her turn of a phrase, strong character development, and the life threads that run through the series cause me to always come back for more. This book is clearly NOT written in the same style. It is inoffensive, very light, but tends to the cloying, tea-table mystery style. Not my favorite, and I hesitate to buy any more "stories" from this "series."
Rating:
Summary: Good Old Koko
Review: I agree with some of the previous comments - there are really no surprises in Moose County, but knowing what you're going to read has a certain charm all its own. I still enjoy this series, and the characters are still pretty wonderful. Yes, this mystery was pretty straightforward, and you know who did it and why. I think I would have liked a little more exposure to the murderer's character - he seemed to be a shadowy figure at best in this one. But Koko still delights, and Polly and Qwill are still wonderful. For all cat fanciers, this series is a must!
Rating:
Summary: How The Cat Who Series Seems
Review: Ive been reading the cat who books for a couple of months and if you like cats and mystery then this is really good for you.They are so hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: OK book, but no plot.
Review: I got this book expecting an interesting mystery. This is definitely not what I got --
A murder is committed around page 50, after that, the main character, Qwilleran, keeps living his life like nothing happened until, around page 200 he finds out who the murderer is and keeps living his life. Practically no plot, no investigation, no nothing...
Even so, the book is an interesting (and fast - 3 hours at most) read. If you like cats, read The Cat Who... books, if you want real mystery, stick to Agatha Christie.
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