The Cat Who Wasn't There

(4.5 / 5)

Koko’s back to licking photographs, but while he does his best to communicate the clues to his food-provider (or is just coincidence?), Qwilleran is busy dodging an old girlfriend who wants to be a new wife. Qwilleran has definitely changed over the course of this series, in ways that even he is still discovering. It keeps the series from getting stale, as do the location changes now and then. While I have grumbled in the past about books that take us away from Pickax, this book still spends plenty of time there, while the death happens far away.

I’m not a Shakespeare aficionado in any way and have never read Macbeth, but it makes a great backdrop to the story. The author does a pretty good job of giving a reader without show more knowledge of the play, which the local theater club is staging, enough information to appreciate the connections made. I don’t know if a reader more knowledgeable about Macbeth would enjoy it more or less than I did. Though I had suspicions about who was involved in the crime, I didn’t put together the hows and whys before I was told. But to be fair, Braun wrote these books before “cozy mystery” became a formula. In the end, I enjoyed the book a little more than I did the previous. show less

Jackson Braun is getting racy with the series! Whereas I'd long figured out part of the mystery, I hadn't suspected the ins and outs of the convoluted plot. In this book, we travel to Scotland which remains a constant theme throughout: a lovely change of decor from Pickaxe while remaining endearingly familiar. Koko and Yum Yum are as delightful although Koko seems to get suspiciously smarter with every page: suspended disbelief is definitely required!
A fun, light read.

Qwilleran goes on a trip to the Scottish Highlands with a group from Moose County (but without, of course, his cats Koko and Yum Yum). Sixteen set out, but only fifteen return alive. Was the death foul play? And how can Koko solve this murder that happened thousands of miles away?

A few years ago, I read through this series to figure out where it jumped the shark. This is a solid entry, though not one of the best ones. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries and somehow haven't found this series yet, start at the beginning.

I haven't read any other books in the series. I wasn't expecting high literature, but I was expecting an engaging mystery, probably humorous, and I was really disappointed. Details which would help you solve the mystery are left out at the end (I felt like a grumpy Poirot when the details were revealed). The plot progressed extremely slowly, with lots of unnecessary detail, and honestly not enough pizazz. The writing is dull. The cats played a very minor role (I hoped from the bank cover that the cats would be solving the mystery. They just meow and lick things.) Furthermore, it's supposed to be set in the rural north (I inferred far north Maine), but the depiction of small town life is not very convincing. I finished it, but only put show more of a sense of obligation to discover the murderer. show less

The 14th �Û_Cat Who‰Û_ book was set up by a cliffhanger in the previous installment. Polly has been frightened by a potential kidnapper and Qwill races home early from his sojourn in the Big Potato mountains to make sure she stays safe. Another event from the previous book has repercussions here ‰ÛÒ the deaths of Dr. Hal Goodwinter and his wife. As a result of this double loss, their daughter Dr. Melinda Goodwinter returns to Pickax to take over the family medical practice. I never liked Melinda because she was too young for Qwill and her interest in him seemed mercenary; but more annoyingly, she insisted on calling him ‰ÛÏLover.‰Û Koko wanted no part of her, either, and it turned out we were both show more right.

Just after Qwill returns home, a local woman named Irma Hasselrich announces a trip to Scotland for prominent residents of Pickax. Qwill‰Ûªs mother, as we and Polly know VERY well, was a Mackintosh; and since this is also a great opportunity to get Polly out of harms way for awhile, they become members of the Bonnie Scots tour group. So does Dr. Melinda, which leads to some uncomfortable moments when this aggressive female tries to renew her former relationship with Qwill. There are some interesting descriptions of the Scottish countryside and the various dramas that are inevitable among people who spend a lot of time together on a bus. Unfortunately, a jewel theft and an unexpected death cause the premature end of the trip.

Back in Pickax, a production of MacBeth is in rehearsals, Dr. Melinda plans an unprecedented estate sale at the Goodwinter mansion, and there is a big Teddy Bear Heist in the neighborhood. These events occupy the local attention and culminate in a shocking kidnapping ‰ÛÒ but the victim is NOT Polly! With assistance from Koko, Qwill has been piecing the mystery together. He saves the day and unmasks a murderer.

Another development - which I expected because I read book #19 before I started the series from the beginning ‰ÛÒ is the romance that develops between Qwill‰Ûªs oldest friend, Arch Riker, and his friend Mildred Hanstable. (Arch had been involved with Amanda Goodwinter but they were never serious about each other.) All in all, this was an entertaining entry in the series

Originally published: 1993

Body Count: Two: Irma Hasselrich (Poison) and Melinda Goodwinter (Suicide). And the kidnapping victim was ‰ÛÒ YumYum! But of course she is returned unharmed and none the worse for wear, as there are at least a dozen more Cat Who... books to go.

Preceded by: The Cat Who Moved a Mountain

Next Up: The Cat Who Went into the Closet show less

When a group of people decide to take a trip the Scottish Highlands, it promises to be a trip of sightseeing and history, not one of death. For a few days, everything progresses relatively smoothly, but then the organizer of the trip dies. Was it simple cardiac arrest, as the doctor traveling with them proclaims, or is it murder as Qwill believes? The trip fizzles out from there and most of the group start returning home. Qwill is faced with questions and although he doesn't know what it means, his cat Koko is always trying to point him in the right direction.

I enjoyed this mystery. I felt it was a little bit quirky and it was just a fun read. I liked how Koko, a cat, helped his owner solve the mystery. It wasn't anything over the top show more or necessarily obvious in what he was trying to convey to Qwill. I was also happy that the solution wasn't glaringly obvious to me. I had an idea of who was involved, but not necessarily how things were done. I liked having a bit of a surprise. show less

I was told I should be able to pick up any of these Cat Who books and understand what's going on without reading the previous. Um, not entirely true. This book doesn't really introduce characters and if I hadn't known the two main cats were Siamese, I'd be completely lost. The book sat without me even considering trying to read it for almost a month.

I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, but I couldn't get into it in the least to connect with them in the first place. That's just a bad sign to me, so I mark a dud and keep on moving.