The Cat Who Played Brahms

The Cat Who Played Brahms. Lilian Jackson Braun. 1987. Penguin. 256 pages.

For Jim Qwilleran, veteran journalist, it was one of the most appalling moments of his career.

Jim Qwilleran has had many jobs at The Daily Fluxion, and when the novel opens, he's on his way to being offered a new job as an investigative reporter. But. For Jim that might not be enough. For he's a little unsettled. And what he wants, what he really wants, is time away. He asks for three months vacation. He wants to spend some quiet time in the country at his aunt's cabin by the lake. He may even do a little writing. So he says. But the country may not prove all that quiet and peaceful. And, no, it's not because Koko and Yum Yum, his Siamese, are too lively. (Though to see them in action is something! For example, when someone tries to break into Jim's place, Koko can hold his own and then some!) No, there's something strange going on in this lake community.

For starters, the not-so-hidden messages on cassette tapes...

Even on vacation it seems Qwill and Koko are in demand to solve a mystery! I am enjoying these Cat Who books so much!!! I would definitely recommend them to cat-lovers or mystery lovers!



© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Cat Who Saw Red

The Cat Who Saw Red. Lilian Jackson Braun. 1986. Penguin. 250 pages.

Jim Qwilleran slumped in a chair in the Press Club dining room, his six-feet-two telescoped into a picture of dejection and his morose expression intensified by the droop of his oversized mustache.

Jim Qwilleran has just been designated the paper's food critic. Unfortunately, Jim has just been placed on a diet by his doctor. When he gets the news that the paper is going to be paying him to eat at all the local restaurants, he's reading over his diet sheet.

No potatoes
No bread
No cream soups
No fried foods
No gravy
No sour cream
No desserts

No wonder Jim is feeling down! His first assignment takes him to Maus Haus where he crosses paths with an old girlfriend--now married, now a potter. He also learns that there's an apartment to rent. True, Maus Haus houses some very eccentric people, but there's also a great cook and housekeeper. (I'm not quite sure how to feel about Jim moving in every book!) His two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum seem to like this move. And his two cats especially love all the food he's bringing home--since Qwill is on a diet, since he's restricting himself to three bites per dish.

But it isn't long before Jim and Koko are back at work solving another mystery. His ex, Joy Graham, has gone missing, and though her husband claims she's run off--again--this time to Florida--a state Jim knows she hates--it may take him a while to really discover the truth.

I enjoyed this one. I did. I am just loving the Cat Who mysteries. I love Koko and Jim. (I still don't feel like I "know" Yum Yum.) These books are just very satisfying, very cozy.

Qwilleran tried to entertain the group with tales about Koko and Yum Yum. "They can smell through the refrigerator door," he said. "If there's lobster in there, they won't eat chicken, and if there's chicken, they won't eat beef. Salmon has to be a nationally advertised brand; don't ask me how they know. In the morning Koko rings for his breakfast; he steps on the tabulator key of the typewriter, which jerks the carriage and rings the bell. One of these days I think he'll learn to type." (40-41)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Cat Who Turned On and Off

The Cat Who Turned On and Off. Lilian Jackson Braun. 1968. Penguin. 265 pages.

In December the weather declared war. 

I believe this is the third mystery in the Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun. Unfortunately, my library did not have the second book in the series. So it is still a mystery to me how Jim Qwilleran came to have a second Siamese cat. (Koko and Jim became good friends in the first novel, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. The second cat is named Yum Yum. As you'd expect, both cats have PERSONALITY.)

Jim Qwilleran, our human hero, is in search of a heartfelt story with the potential to win a contest at the paper. It's Christmas time, and, well, his cats have gourmet taste in food. And at the start he's living in a hotel room. So does he need the extra money? Of course he does! So he has a moment of inspiration. Why not do a series of articles about Junktown? This neighborhood has become a bit shabby looking in recent years, though to hear things from the residents' point of view, it's because they can't get treated fairly. They would rebuild and repair--if they were allowed to. (But that's a whole other story.) So this district has more than its fair share of antique stores. And so even though Jim Qwilleran isn't especially fond of antiques, he's going to do everything it takes to win this prize. Visiting these stores, talking with their owners, attending their auctions, it's not quite enough. He decides to live there, to see this community from an insider perspective. And this leads him into yet another mystery! For he discovers that the previous tenant of his new apartment was murdered in his antique shop. So he's curious and then some!

I liked this mystery. I am just loving the Cat Who series. I know it's only the second novel I've read in the series, but, well, it feels like love to me!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. Lilian Jackson Braun. 1966. Compass Press. 227 pages.

Jim Qwilleran, whose name had confounded typesetters and proofreaders for two decades, arrived fifteen minutes early for his appointment with the managing editor of the Daily Fluxion. 

Jim Qwilleran is a new reporter in town. His days of working at a big paper in a big city are behind him--at least for now. And his new assignment, well, it wouldn't be his first choice, or second, or third. For his new job will have him covering artists. And Jim, well, he knows very little about art--especially "modern" art. Since there is already an art critic on staff, one who writes "reviews," he's a little confused about what this new job would require of him. Turns out, he's supposed to focus on the human-interest side of the art scene. So even though he'd rather be writing bigger stories, better stories, money is money is money.

Qwilleran only thought the local art scene would be boring. For within weeks of his taking the job, the owner of a local art gallery is murdered! And this murder is soon followed by an "accidental" death of another local artist. And then by the art critic himself! Can Jim Qwilleran, with a little help from a Siamese cat, solve these crimes?!

I loved this one. I did. I just loved it. I enjoyed Jim Qwilleran right from the start. And as soon as Qwilleran began taking care of his landlord's cat--his landlord having gone out of town for the week--well, I knew it was love. I loved Koko. I did. I thought the mystery was well written and playful and fun. Just something cozy and satisfying about it cover to cover.

Cats have many gifts that are denied humans, and yet we tend to rate them by human standards. To understand a cat, you must realize that he has his own gifts, his own viewpoint, even his own morality. A cat's lack of speech does not make him a lower animal. Cats have a contempt of speech. Why should they talk when they can communicate without words? They manage very well among themselves, and they patiently try to make their thoughts known to humans. But in order to read a cat, you must be relaxed and receptive. (69)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews