The Cat Who Wasn't There

Qwill goes on a tour of Scotland, this time, leaving the cats behind. Doesn't matter. Koko still knows when mystery is afoot. He's yowling across the Atlantic at the same time their tour guide dies.

When I read a series this big, (29 books), I compare the books against each other, not other stories. This wasn't one of my favorites. There was a note of sadness that ran through the entire story that normally isn't present in these books. The character Melinda Goodwinter returns, and it isn't a good thing. Other characters that should have been quirky and fun, weren't. It's like the author had seasonal affective disorder while writing this one. Dark clouds just seemed to hang. It really puts the craft of writing a light and whimsical murder story under the microscope, making one realize that what looks easy, probably isn't.

Some regular readers of this series find the Moose County setting to be somewhat dull while others love the eccentric people and odd places that make up Moose County. I tend to fall into the second category but this book contains both home and away settings so everybody should be pleased.

Jim Qwilleran has just rushed home from his summer retreat in the Potato Mountains because a prowler has accosted his lady friend Polly Duncan. He has hardly settled back into life in Pickax City when Polly informs him that a group of Moose County residents are planning a trip to Scotland. Since Polly is going and since, as he informs everyone he sees, his mother was a Mackintosh, Qwilleran decides to sign up for the trip himself.

Once the group arrives in Scotland everything is a blur as Irma Hasselrich takes them through the Highlands and Western Isles at a breakneck speed. That is until one of their number has an apparent heart attack and dies. To make things even worse, their bus driver mysteriously disappears with some of their luggage. This odd coincidence and the fact that the deceased had been closely associated with the bus driver sets Qwilleran's mustache to tingling. Even more odd, when the ace reporter calls home to check on the cats he finds out that Koko had let out a blood curdling yowl at the exact moment that the member of the touring party had died.

When they arrive back in Moose County Qwilleran starts to sniff around and begins to formulate a theory. Unfortunately, the cats do not agree with his theory and both of them start to leave all of the clues that they can think of. Koko even makes a series of mad dashes that end with him plowing into Qwilleran like a mad bull in an apparent attempt to push the amateur sleuth in another direction. In the end of course, Qwilleran and his feline friends solve the mystery but not before Yum Yum ends up in a very dangerous situation.

This is one of the more engaging books in this series and the mystery plays a larger part in this plot that it does in some of the other books. The descriptions of Scotland are marvelous and the sometimes rather odd Scottish diet is well described. The reader is also introduced to some more residents of Moose County like the Chisholm sisters who have a huge collection of teddy bears and also the new director of the Community Theater, Dwight Somers. I suppose that Mrs. Braun had to introduce some new residents of Moose County since she keeps killing off the old ones. The Community Theater by the way is producing "Macbeth", which is in part responsible for the group's trip to Scotland.

I just love Moose County and I also love Scotland so there isn't much about this book that I didn't like, although I was mighty worried about Yum Yum for a little while. Along with the new characters, several old friends make appearances and this book is just really an enjoyable read.

Jim Qwilleran, millionaire bachelor and resident of Moose county (400 miles north of everywhere) has dashed back home to protect his lady friend, Polly the liberian, from a stalker. Qwill is convinced that she is being targeted to be used as a way to blackmail him. When he finds that a tour of the Scottish Highlands (insipired by the local production of MacBeth) is being organized and that Polly is planning to go he decides to go along. Tragedy strikes the tour, a member dies of natural causes or were they so natural? Qwill and Polly return home where he, aided as always by his Siamese cats, Koko and YumYum uncover the true motives and culprits to, of course, save the day.
The mystery is, as always is the case in this series, secondary to the 'cozy' element of Moose County background but in this book is a bit more complex. We are treated to visits by many of the Moose County crowd including a return by Dr. Melinda Goodwinter, Qwill's first lady friend in Moose County (The Cat Who Played Brahms).

Lilian Jackson Braun (June 20, 1913 - June 4, 2011) was an American writer, well known for her light-hearted series of "The Cat Who..." mystery novels. The "Cat Who" books center around the life of former newspaper reporter, James Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and Yum-Yum, in the fictitious small town of Pickax located in Moose County "400 miles north of everywhere." Although never formally stated in her books, the towns, counties and lifestyles described in the series are generally accepted to be modeled after Bad Axe, Michigan, where Braun resided with her husband until the mid-1980s

Like all of Lillian Jackson Braun's books this one captures and holds your attention from beginning to end. I started reading her books a few years ago with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and was hooked. I read all of her books in our local public library and then proceded to buy all the others, read them quickly and donate them to the library so I can go back and read them whenever I want. I eagerly await each new book she writes and only wish we could have a new one each month.

Lilian Jackson Braun has the talent of bringing a wholly and undoubtedly fictional scenario (I mean there can be no place on earth like Pickax!) to life with warmth, yet some sharpness. The characters and their doings, throughout this series, are more important than the crime and its final solution by Qwill and/or the cats. A lovely, heart-warming read always.

Ms. Braun's books are like eating peanuts--gotta read them all! Unlike some mysteries where the cat is a minor player, her cats share the limelight equally with their mustachioed "companion", James ("Jim") Quilleran. Koko, the male of the Siamese pair, has an uncanny sense for solving mysteries, for which he tries to give clues to "Jim". The stories are handled with finesse, no bad language, and not too graphically gory. I suggest you purchase them in order of publication date, to be able to follow the series better, although, they can be read independantly. A must-read for both the cat lover AND the mystery lover! You can't help but turn the "next page"....Absolutely enthralling!

Entertaining suspense series-- strong, friendly, main character and cats are the bonus. Readers must start with book one "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" for introduction to characters. Each book just gets better!

I paid full price for this appalling kitty glurge in the hotel gift shop because I'm on a business trip and couldn't get to a book store. And I read it because, again, I'm on a business trip and need something to read while I drink, and then I wanted to know whether Polly would dump Qwilleran or not. All I can say is, the imputed motive for murder is completely unbelievable. The idea of any woman associating of her own free will with this mustache-massaging cat man is appalling. The concept of living in the awful Pickax as the recipient of charity from this billionaire journalist simply chills the blood. He shows more concern about the kidnap of his cat than the attempted kidnap of his girlfriend. He buys her the exact same "meaningful" present as he buys 5 other women. Frankly, I would prefer to live with any number of free-roaming murderers rather than the prissy Q and his frightful felines. I understand that many find this style of mystery cozy--I do like some series myself--but surely one has to make some attempt to create a likeable protagonist?

2 stars for good grammar.

Lilian Jackson Braun is an outstanding author and this is one of my most favorite book series. The book was shipped almost immediately and is like new. Although, I normally check out her books from the library in hardback when they are published, I purchase paperback copies later for my library so I can read them again later.

Delightful mysteries that keep you asking for more. I read one and kept searching yard sales and used book stores til I could find all of them so I could start at the beginning and work my way through the whole series. Any that were missing I was able to get through the store.com and now keep updated with gift certificates from my daughter.I anxiously await further adventures.

I have enjoyed all of her books. Everyone is great and the way she writes is fantastic. I hope she is going to write more. I have not seen any in stores or the store for a few years. Will she be writting more? Thank you Noreen

All of "the cat who..." novels are great! For some reason, I find reading them comforting and calming... They're a good read and I find the characters interesting. I so look forward to reading them after a long, stressful day.