Book Review: The Cat Who Brought Down the House

By Lilian Jackson Braun



James Qwilleran, his two cats Koko and Yum Yum and their adventures together in Pickax City, in Moose County – 400 miles north of everywhere. Qwill, as his friends and admirers know him, is a journalist from Down Below – what Moose County residents call everything in the big cities to the south. After a bout with alchoholism he cleaned up his act and was reviving his journalism career when he inherited the Klingenschoen fortune. Part of the requirements of the inheritance necessitated that he live in Moose County for five years. Qwill, not being one to like dealing with large amounts of money, set up the K-fund to distribute the money as needed in Moose County. He now lives in a converted octagonal apple barn most of the year, and in a condo in upscale Indian Village during the winter; with his Siamese cats. Qwill now writes a twice weekly column known as the Qwill Pen, and is at work on a book he plans to call Short and Tall Tales.



There are many mini mysteries in this, twenty-sixth, installment of the Cat Who Series. It begins with the anticipated return to Pickax of long ago resident, Thelma Thackeray, who has been a success in Hollywood for over sixty years. Everyone wonders what she will be like and why she is coming back after all these years.



Another mini-mystery revolves around strange happenings at the old Opera House. The buildings on either side have been torn down and parking lots have been put in. Delivery trucks have been seen taking large boxes inside. Qwill has Celia Robinson O’Dell, his usual partner in espionage, do a deed and permit search on the Opera House but it turns up nothing.



Yet a third mystery involves the kidnapping of Thelma’s beloved parrots. Koko sends out his death howl on the night that the parrots have been kidnapped, but the parrots are returned safely, though Thelma keeps the matter hushed up. Who is it that has died wrongly, causing Koko to do his death howl – which has never been wrong before?



Thelma goes into a business venture with her nephew, whom KoKo has expressed extreme dislike for. Qwill begins to look into this nephew’s past and becomes suspicious of his intentions since he is Thelma’s only living relative and stands to inherit a large amount of money when she dies. Qwill also becomes suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the death of Thelma’s twin brother, her nephew’s father, who died a few years ago.



The book flows from one mystery to the next and back again without really delving too deep into any of them. It is as if they are secondary to the scenery of Pickax life. The ending therefore falls flat. We don’t really get involved enough to care.



If you just want to spend some time in Pickax and environs and visit with some old friends without having to think too much, this is the book to go to. You can enjoy a reception at the barn, an art exhibit of textiles, fine dining around town, Koko on stage at the theatre, and you will get to hear several more stories for Qwill's book in progress "Short and Tall Tales".

The book touches base with most of the familiar characters-- including Homer Tibbit who has a milestone birthday in this book-- from the previous books in the series but doesn't go in depth into anything.

The descriptions of Pickax and Moose County. This is a place I would love to visit and the setting of these books never fails to make me feel good.

How shallow and unimportant the "mysteries" in this mystery seemed to be.

Relaxed, as if I had been on a short vacation to a place I love.

Seems to be back to her old style of writing. After her previous book in the series "The Cat Who Went Up a Creek" there were doubts as to whether she was actually doing the writing or if it had been given over to a ghost writer (the author is in her eighties now).

Overall it was an enjoyable, relaxing read. The cats were their usual adorable and intelligent selves and the characters are still believeable.

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Created Jun 01, 2003 at 7:41pm • Submit your own review...