Editorial Product Review:Item Description:Polly Duncan is off to Paris, temporarily leaving Jim Qwilleran without his lady companion. Good thing there's lots to keep Jim busy. Like a mysterious death from a bee sting that leaves everyone but Koko the Siamese in a state of confusion. If only the kitty with sixty whiskers would stop pussyfooting around and let Jim in on the deadly secret
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
-
Goodbye old friend
As anyone who has ever loved a cat knows someday that little puff of fluff who steals your heart will someday no longer be the sleek and agile athlete that delights you with crazy acrobatics. All too soon your faithful companion begins to sleep more, play less and slow down until the sad day you must accept that it is over and it is time to let your friend go. Apparently that is so for this beloved series as well. Fans have been noticing the slow decline for a while. The plots that were a bit plodding, the characters that no longer sprang to life off the pages, and yet like the cat guardian who takes comfort in the good days when their friend seems to regain their old spark however briefly fans would open each new Cat Who...book and eagerly search out the bits that had the old wit and charm that had won them over in the first place. In this one though, the spark seems to have gone out completely.
It is common in this series for the murder mystery aspect to take a backseat to Qwill and the cats. The murder often is a secondary plot to other, smaller mysteries - who is the mysterious stranger?, who is behind a prank? etc that may or may not be related to the murder. In this one though the murder is set up, the interesting side mysteries laid out, new characters are introduced as possible suspects and then.....not a whole lot. The murder happens and is then pretty much ignored. When it is solved this reader had to go back after finishing the book and search for the few sentences that revealed the culprit and motive. It had been tossed off so casually that it was all but lost in the Moose County storyline. The little side questions don't even get that much attention.
Also sadly for long term fans many of their old friends drop by but behave either as if they are not feeling up to par or just plain behave badly. Polly in particular acts completely out of character, especially towards her supposedly adored cats. There is also a completely unnecessary destruction of a familiar landmark that has figured so prominently for so long that it had almost become a character itself. It's demise was not even part of the plot as previous landmarks' destruction had been, instead it was destroyed and dismissed in a few sentences.
It is not as though there was no room for these plot aspects to be developed either. This novel in many ways is a lot like a high school essay that has been stretched to reach the required number of pages, the font is a bit larger than normal, the margins a bit wider, the spacing a bit generous and portions that would have previously been condensed or even edited out are included.
As when the grieving cat owner realizes that at some point the pain of saying goodbye will be replaced with memories of happier times, this reader is looking forward to the time when happier recollections of Qwill and the cats will replace the painful thoughts of their decline.
Those new to the series should absolutely not start here, instead begin with anything else in the series. Fans of this series might even wish to skip this one, it is honestly too much like taking a much loved cat into the vet for the final visit.
Customer Rating: -
Good night, dearest Qwill, Koko & Yum Yum
My initial dismay with this book is lessened by learning that Ms. Braun is not in the best of health. (May your health be restored, LJB!) She has given us all so very much over the years. Her books have always given me the sense of being a secret but honorary member of Moose County. I will forever appreciate the many happy hours I've spent there, courtesy Ms. Braun.
Like most other reviewers here, I was stunned by Polly's desertion (of store, Qwill, and cats) and the unexplained (and unmourned) destruction of the amazing apple barn. I came away thinking "Why didn't she just kill off Koko & Yum Yum and be done with it?" Thank goodness THAT didn't happen.
I blame the agent, editor, and publisher for not gently asking the author to bid Qwill, Koko, and Yum Yum a fond and dignified good night...for everyone's sake.
Customer Rating: -
Puzzled and disappointed
After reading the book and reflecting on the content for a while, I had to wonder if, after all these years, the series might be coming to an end. Qwill seems completely uninterested in the little mysteries surrounding him. Very unusual for this every nosey newsman. Everything in this man's safe and sane life changed dramatically and yet he seems completely detached from those events. It feels like he is saying goodbye. If it was "The End", it was a sad end.
Customer Rating: -
Definitely not like the others
Most of the reviewers have it right. This volume is meant to introduce change, but it does so in a very poor manner. Even though I'm not reading the series in order, I've noticed the past few I've read have a lot of short cuts in them - the same phrases are used to describe people or cats or places over and over again within the same book. In this volume, the shortcuts include not developing the plot or Qwill's reaction to major events going on in his life. If the series is ending, let's have a proper wrap up. If it's evolving, then let's make a transition.
