The Cat Who Went into the Closet

I think this was my favorite "The Cat Who.." so far. It is late autumn in Pickax. Qwill and the cats rent a downtown mansion from Mrs. Gage to be closer to civilization in case of blizzards. Qwill has just written a play about a fire long ago in Pickax and begins giving performances. The town receives word that Mrs. Gage who had sold out and moved to Florida, had committed suicide. Qwill and Koko do not feel all is right with that scenario. Along the way, Qwill meets a young, beautiful, dog sled racer who had a big part in this mystery. The story takes place over my three favorite holidays; Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. You will love this edition of "The Cat Who..." series.

I'm a great fan of Koko and YumYum, so I enjoy having them along with me while I'm on the road. Somehow the narrator's voice sounds like Jim Qwilleran's would if he was a real person. The only problem is that it's not always easy to tell when we've reached the end of a disc, but then that's true of virtually all audio discs.

Jim Qwilleran, wealthy bachelor and newspaper columnist, has again changed residence, this time into the Gage mansion which just happens to be located next to his lady friend's carriage house. Living in a small town like Pickax (pop. 3000) in remote Moose County (400 miles north of everywhere) it pays to be discrete. Soon after settling in though Qwill's Siamese cats begin to unearth 'treasures' left behind by the former occupant, the eccentric 88 year-old Euphonia Gage who has recently moved to Florida. Qwill's enjoyment of his new quarters is disrupted by news of her suicide. Something about it seems wrong to Qwill but he has trouble focusing on the problem due to other concerns, a worried daughter seeking her missing father, a one-man stage show, and an upcoming wedding not to mention the usual Moose County activities. In the end though Qwill and the cats sort out all the mysteries, even unearthing yet another deep-dark Goodwinter family secret.This is another Moose County mystery complete with many of the familiar characters and marking the first appearance of Celia Robinson. This is a must for those who are fans of the series and would be enjoyable by anyone who likes the 'cozy' genre of mystery. For anyone who is seeking a more traditional mystery it would be one of the more acceptable of this series.

I have read every one of the books in this series- more than once, and I never tire of Qwill or the cats. This book had me laughing out loud at Qwill as Santa Claus! For sheer "pleaseure"reading, one can not do better than this series or this book. I do advise reading them in order. You get a better feel for Qwill and the life he had before becoming so rich. They never fail to entertain.

This is the 15th book in the series. I've read them in order and they get better every time. In this one, Qwilleran (and his cats) are looking into two deaths, one of which took place far away in Florida. Of course by the end everything is solved. With some mysteries you can figure out what happened early on but this keeps you guessing and you're solving it right along with Qwill. (Sometimes I pay more attention to Koko's clues than he does, though!) Good light mystery reading for those of us who DON'T like thrills and chills.