Brilliant Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum help reporter Jim Qwilleran solve a complicated murder plot in this mystery in the bestselling Cat Who series.When Qwilleran decides to do a feature story on Junktown, he gets more than he bargained for. Not the dope den he anticipated, Junktown is a haven for antique dealers and collectors—as strange a lot as the crafty reporter has ever encountered. When … encountered. When a mysterious fall ends the career—and the life—of one of Junktown’s leading citizens, Qwilleran is convinced it was no accident. But, as usual, it takes Koko to prove he’s right.
more
Great characters – entire series – Qwill and the cats make a great team. Got hooked on these years ago.
Over time, I’ve read this entire series, and feel that I am on “first-name basis” with some of the characters! The earlier books of the series are among my “favorites”, and have been read more than once.
Good book, third in a long series starring a newspaper man and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and YumYum. (The books get progressively sillier as they go along in sequence). Qwill decides to take on a story competition with his topic to be “Christmas in Junktown”, an area where there are many antique dealers but also a criminal element and drugs. He moves into a small apartment in a large house that is also an antique store, and gets to know his neighbors, learning about the strange death of the previous tenant. Qwill and the cats go on to solve the mystery of that murder and another, and find who has been dealing drugs, and of course, Qwill wins the prize for his writing.
As with all of The Cat Who books this is so very good I wish I could give it a higher rating. Enjoy all the books by this author. Worth reading again and again.
I enjoy all the cat who books. This is one of the first ones so the characters aren’t as well developed as the later ones. It was fun to read about Quill’s attraction to the females in the story…. seen too much of that.
Fun read with enough mystery to keep you interested. If you are from Michigan or have visited the UP you will not only recognize the place but feel at home!
I’ve read this entire series and loved them all. If you are a cat lover then you will love them also.
I have read every book in this series and enjoyed them all. I was sad when the author passed away.
Former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran takes on a new challenge–writing something worthy of a cash reward about the much-disdained part of town known as Junktown. When he begins to sniff around the haven for antique dealers, a mystery is already afoot. A beloved dealer has recently fallen and died, but Qwilleran quickly begins to suspect foul play.
This is my favorite so far, finding the trio of Qwill, Koko, and Yum Yum really beginning to feel like a family. The characters are a lot more engaging, the mystery is interesting and a little easier to follow and potentially solve by the reader, and the interactions between man and cats are cute and whimsical.
I felt like Braun really hit her stride with this story (and then stopped writing for 20 years), as Qwill seemed less grumpy and more open to new things. I loved his misunderstanding about Junktown near the beginning of the book. I really appreciated what Yum Yum added to the investigation, considering that she always seems to take a backseat to Koko when it comes to laurels. And there was a character introduced in this book that I’m pretty sure is going to be around later, because her name is very familiar. Other than some of Qwill’s fellow newsmen, no characters have recurred yet, so that’ll be interesting to see in the future.
Overall, this was a nice, quick read, and the best of the first 3 in the series. I would recommend this book for fans of the classic whodunit & cozy mystery genres.
Love the whole series.
A classic Qwilleran tale that will make you laugh as you enjoy the antics of Qwill and his beloved Siamese cats.
Love all the cat who books…as usual the characters were funny and interesting. Would recommend.
Loved the series
I’ve just started rereading the Cat who series. I loved them the first time around and am enjoying them all over again 15 years later.
I enjoyed this book tremendously,k however I have never read one of this series that I haven’t liked. I like Jim “Quill” and I like his cats and all the people I’ve met who live in what I think is Michigan. The characters are very likable, except for e ones who aren’t. And the characters seem complete. You learn more about them with each book but each book could stand alone. I really like this author!
I love Lillian Jackson Braun books because: as a cat lover I find them amusingYou never know what these cats will come up with just like regular cats. Devilish and finicky but lovable.
I just love these books for a lighter read!
Mop
A good friend of mine loaned me my first “The Cat Who . . .” book. It was a series her mother was reading and they thought I would enjoy it. And enjoy it I did. I was hooked and had to read every one after that.
Love all the Cat Who books! Just a fun read.