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Customer Reviews

Koko Plays Beethoven

2005-04-25
Lillian Jackson Braun opens this, her sixth cat mystery with Jim Qwilleran waking up in a hospital bed and not knowing who or where he is. It seems that he had been run off of the road by a truck as he bicycled on Ittibittiwassee Road. As he tries to regain his memory the reader is led along with him while he thinks back on events leading up to his accident. Most of these events involve the perplexing disappearance of one Daisy Mull who had been employed by Qwilleran's "Aunt Fanny." Once he is home from the hospital things begin to happen at a more rapid pace and a mystery that no one in Moose County had thought about all that much ends up bringing down some of Pickax City's leading citizens and leads to more deaths. Had Qwilleran paid attention to Koko's clues a little earlier some of this mayhem might have been avoided but the Siamese wonder can't seem to make his human friend understand. Koko finally gets so disgusted with Qwilleran that he refuses to have anything to do with him.

Braun also uses this book to set up Qwilleran's new life in Moose County. Arch Riker comes up from Down Below for a visit and hints that he might just like to make the move to Pickax City himself and Mrs. Iris Cobb does make the move and becomes Qwilleran's housekeeper, cook and the curator of his newly acquired house full of antiques. Ever the ladies man, our hero has hooked up with the lovely green-eyed Dr. Melinda Goodwinter and the relationship has blossomed since it began in the last book. He even begins to hint at a marriage. He also makes the acquaintance of Amanda Goodwinter who seems to be a perfect match for the newly divorced Arch Riker.

There are a few more twists and turns in this story than in some of the previous books but once again the mystery is not the main attraction of the book. Braun's talent for creating memorable characters and settings is very much in evidence in this book and she appears to have even created a man for Iris Cobb. Just Like Iris' first husband, nobody can stand this guy either. As usual, the cats steal the show as they march together in a dinner line and wait impatiently for the mail to come through the slot so that they can dive in the pile. And once again the cats save Qwilleran's life. This time it is Koko that comes to the rescue at the end of this highly enjoyable and entertaining book.

THE BEST BOOK SERRIES EVER

2005-02-18
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

The perfect murder mystery

2004-04-08
I am a big fan of the Cat Who series by Lillian Jackson Braun. In fact, this was the first book I actually read from the series. I think I read this first book within the span of a day, and that was as a pre-teen. All the books in this series are full of captivating, edge of your seat suspense. Jim Qwilleran (Mr. Q, and Qwill) has inherited a mass fortune, but must inhabit Pickax county for a period of 5 years in order to obtain his new found wealth. In this story, he has just moved into the Klingoshen mansion with his 2 cats, Koko and Yum Yum. Koko has a crazy knack for sniffing our murder and mystery no matter where he is. And once again, his nose proves to hold the key, only this time by sorting Qwill's mail (only bringing those letter HE deems important). The antics of Koko and Yum Yum will make you laugh, while at the same time, setting the stage for a truly remarkable novel. I give this book (and the series) 50 stars.

In Which Qwilleran, Koko, and Yum Yum. . .

2004-02-19
. . .move to Pickax (pop. 3,000) in Moose County (400 miles north of everywhere)!

Why? Because Qwill is suddenly very, very rich! He endears himself to the population of Pickax by setting up a foundation to distribute his new wealth for the betterment of the community. He is also dating the beautiful daughter of the local doctor.

HOWEVER. . .someone does NOT approve of Qwill's actions; someone does NOT appreciate Qwill's generosity; and someone does NOT want Qwill, his moustach, or his cats to discover a deadly secret.

Fans of this series will also appreciate the return of Mrs. Iris Cobb, Qwill's landlady from Down Below, and the return of Arch Riker, Qwill's best friend from the newspaper world.

A good novel, and one which lovers of the series will greatly appreciate.

for fans of the series 3 to 4 for anyone else 2004-01-07
This 6th book in the series opens with Qwill, the new heir to the Klingenschoen fortune, trying to remember just who and where he is. As he remembers flashbacks cover the events leading up to the accident that lead to his amnesia, or was it an accident? Along the way Qwill, with the guidance of his cats, solves the long ago disappearance of a housemaid and encouters a scandal involving a the oldest most respected Moose County family.

Qwill's relocation to Moose County has been eased by friends, both old and new. His long time friend Arch Riker has come up north for a visit, a former land lady, Iris Cobb has relocated to Pickaxe to become his housekeeper. Qwill's romance with Dr. Melinda, begun in the previous book, is continuing. Other Moose County residents, both from the eariler Cat Who Played Brahms and new to this book appear.

This 'cozy' mystery will appeal more to those already familiar with the series although it could be enjoyed on its own merits by a mystery fan. A reader new to the series could also begin here.

Koko Delivers the Mail 2008-07-19
Jim Qwilleran wakes up in the hospital and can't remember much. He keeps thinking he has forgotten to do something. It is a nagging thought in the back of his mind. He knew it was something important. He longtime friend Arch Riker shows up and fast forwards Qwill through his life. Luckily he remembers...the cats!

As it turns out the bike wreck that landed him in the hospial was no accident. His investigation (led by Koko) of a former housekeeper of the mansion, who vanished mysteriously five years before, leads to much mystery and intrigue.

I loved this edition of "The Cat Who..." books, especially where Koko played piano. A piano playing cat is a rare find. This book will not disappoint you.

My Favorite Cozy Mystery Series! 2006-08-09
In the 6th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is just settling in 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 is settling in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will.

As the book begins, Qwill is lying in a hospital bed, suffering from amnesia caused by a bicycle accident. His old friend, Arch Riker, flies into town to assist Qwill in regaining his memory, and succeeds in bringing Qwill out of his fog. While beginning to heal, Qwill starts to have vivid dreams of the moments leading up to the mishap, and eventually remembers that it was no accident...a truck had purposefully run him off the road! While trying to piece together who may have meant to harm him, Qwill begins some renovations to his new home. During his explorations of the mansion, Qwill stumbles across the room of a former employee, Daisy. Her room was completely painted with a graffiti style mural of daisies, and it arouses Qwill's keen curiosity. He begins to ask questions about the former employee of Fanny, and finds that Daisy disappeared rather abruptly. And when everyone that Qwilleran speaks to about her begins to have "accidents", he becomes suspicious that someone will kill to keep Daisy hidden forever.

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 hires Iris Cobb as his house manager. She cooks for him (and the cats), and is in charge of cataloging all of the antiques in the old mansion. 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!

The Cats, The Mailbox, and the Missing Maid 2005-10-12
This is number six in Lilian Braun's long running 'The Cat Who' series and marks the beginning of Jim Qwilleran's transplantation to the far northern town of Pickaxe. Qwilleran has managed to become the heir of the community's wealthiest resident and must stay in Pickaxe for five years in order to inherit. As we all know now, he lasted a lot more than five years, and may still be north of everywhere enjoying the foibles and gossip that play such an important part of the world's coziest cozies.

Qwill has just moved into the Klingenshoen mansion with his two Siamese cats - Yum Yum the delectable and arch-detective Koko. Koko, through various manipulations of his owner's behavior, manages to arouse Qwill's curiosity about the disappearance of a housemaid a few years previously. In the process of investigating, the newspaperman introduces us to many of Pickaxes residents for the very first time. When he isn't being his by trucks, that is. It is interesting in retrospect to meet these characters again, who often started out one way and then became something else as Braun added layer after layer to her confection of characters and mysteries (and cats).

I can only read so many of these in rapid succession before I have to stop. Lilian Braun has a tendency to let her characters run in a groove with very little development over a number of volumes. She makes up for this by using Qwilleran to create witty dialogue, but there are only so many Pickaxe witticisms that one can read before feeling a desire for something with a bit more meat to it. This volume is a change of pace (if you've been reading in sequence). There's a bit less sarcasm and a bit more story and that makes this one of the best of her early books.

Don't look for a complicated mystery here. Braun's villains tend to be obvious, and more often than not the means are just as visible. You read these tales for lightweight enjoyment and the zany characters that chitchat their way through the pages. And, of course, you read them because you can't resist Qwill's owners, the Siamese masterminds.

Pretty Good Listening 2005-10-08
At first when I started to hear the tapes, I was thinking that the narrator's voice was not dynamic enough. But by the middle of the first tape, I was ok with it. I've just gotten so tired of listening to Los Angeles radio stations in the car (we sit in traffic a lot out here) that I thought it would be nice to be entertained by something I really love. I was glad I did. Even if you've read the books in the past, it's fun to let the narrator do the reading for you. AND... something I thought was neat and that made me laugh was... when the narrator would be talking about Koko and Yumyum and a noise they were making, he would sound EXACTLY like my own Siamese cat. So it made it funny, because I knew exactly the "language" he was referring to. (He must have studied Siamese cats before attempting this narration!)

Anyway, I will probably buy more "Cat Who" books on tape. I don't anticipate L.A. traffic to be letting up anytime soon. And for some strange reason, listening to it in the car makes me feel like my own cat is in there with me. I say if you live in a city with heavy traffic... buy the tapes!

The Cat Who Played Post Office. 2005-09-30
These are great stories Lillian Jackson Braun does a wonderful job of writing. I hope to one day have all the Audio Tapes in the series. Amazon.com is a great company to do bussiness with.