The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

This a review is for all of Lilian Jackson Braun's series on Mr. Quilleran, better known as Mr. Q. I love the story line and look forward to reading each one. I wish I could read them in order, but in ordering you can't tell. I only know by copyright when I get them. Thank you for the great prices. God bless you.

Another delightful mystery by Lilian Jackson Braun...Qwilleran is able to solve the mystery with the help of Koko, his Siamese cat. A famous rare bookstore located in Pick Ax unexpectedly burns to the ground and the owner is killed. Although he always joked about it, the owner leaves the bookstore to Qwilleran in his will. Qwilleran is thoroughly surprised and plans to build a memorial to him in the town library. Throughout the story, Qwilleran cannot believe that the fire was an accident. Koko confirms his suspicions by leaving a series of cat-like clues. Koko eventually leads him to the suspect after he smells-out the biggest clue.

My first intro to "The Cat Who..." series was "The Cat Who Saw Stars" and consequently I purchased each book in the series (some hardback, some paperback)and read them in order -- it's the best way to achieve full appreciation of the series and Ms. Lilian Jackson Braun's skills. Upon finishing the latest available installment I've pre-ordered next year's edition with high hopes. I'm noticing, as others have, that the writing of some later titles veers away from the style present in earlier books. So, I was relieved with "The Cat Who Smelled a Rat" because it definitely harks back to the earlier writing style of the series. I'm beginning to suspect Ms. Braun is a bit ahead of most of us, i.e., have any other readers dedicated to the series started noticing the slow progression of Qwilleran's life as if it is an integral subplot? Also, particularly intriguing are this title's references to unknown information from his childhood combined with Qwill's reflections upon his relationship with Polly. I'm going to start over and read the series again, a first for me. Because I suspect Ms. Braun has laid a framework throughout the series regarding Qwill's personal evolution through the years that has gone past even a dedicated reader like myself. Ms. Braun has received accolades for her writing yet I feel she surpasses in skill and talent even the best of compliments she has so far received. This great author is telling LAYERS of stories, weaving a beautiful tapestry of not only Qwill's adventures but of his personal journey through life. In a few of the later books, I felt a sense of isolation from the character which is what I think others felt when wondering if possibly a ghostwriter was involved. Now, I'm not so sure it wasn't intentional. Definitely something is going to occur between Qwill and Polly in the next installment!! Great reads.... Highly recommended series.

She's just phoning in the plots now, folks...very little if any thinking goes into this series anymore....but I still love every one of the books....you don't need a plot when you have Jim, the cats and the wonderful denizens of Pickaxe!

They say cats have nine lives. Some have more than one score if we count the feline centered mystery series penned by the ingenious Lilian Jackson Braun. Her latest and 23rd cat caper again proves that there's no such thing as a purr-fect crime when Koko, the Siamese sleuth is around. With "The Cat Who Smelled A Rat" we return to Pickax City in Moose Country during a season of drought. Residents are hoping for a really big blizzard to cover the dry land. When several mysterious fires occur, volunteers from the Citizens' Fire Watch get to work, and Koko proves that she's no mere puss in fireman's boots as she and newsman James Qwilleran are hot on the trail of the rat behind all the ruckus. Obie Award-winner George Guidall gives a sharp, vibrant delivery of this entertaining tale. To date, he has recorded more than 400 audio books; his expertise is obvious in this rendering. Five saucers of cream to both Braun and Guidall!

I was astounded when, in reading the covers of Lilian Braun's latest episode in her tales of James Qwilleran that "The Cat Who Smelled a Rat" was Volume 23. I went to her shelf and, sure enough, I had read them all. While they really are mystery stories, I don't really read them for that. Rather, over the history of the series, I have become addicted to life in the far north town of Pickaxe.I love wandering through the town with Qwilleran, meeting the many quirky characters, sharing in the gossip, reading Qwill's columns over his shoulder and, above all, interpreting the mystic messages of Koko the detective cat. As, I'm quite sure, will any mystery lover who needs a break from the noir fiction that makes up so much of modern mystery writing. This time Pickaxe is in the throes of an autumn drought, trying to prevent brush fires and waiting impatiently for 'The Big One', the first big snowstorm of winter. When a volunteer fire watcher is murdered at one of Moose County's famous mine shafthouses the mystery begins. Be prepared for an Haiku contest, an elopement, curling and many delicious meals consumed at Pickaxe's seemingly inexhaustable supply of restaurants and inns.Of course, the real heroes of all Braun's stories are Koko and Yum Yum, Qwill's faithful Siamese sidekicks. Koko, by virtue of superior intelligence and wit, works dilligently to provide Qwilleran with the clues needs to discover the villain and reveal his nefarious scheme. Koko limited to growls and 'Yows' resorts to plant destruction, apple hockey and general chaos in order to keep Qwill on track.If you've been following this series for as long as I have you will need no encouragement to read this new volume. For those of you who have never travelled to Pickaxe before, prepare for a lot of fun - all 23 volumes are well worth reading!!