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47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Qwill is back!, March 7, 2003
"The Cat Who" books are a light mystery series, based on a town "400 miles north of everywhere" and all of its lovely, eccentric inhabitants. The action focuses around one James Qwilleran (Mr. Q to his friends and fans) and his two cats, Koko and Yum-Yum. In each book, an event occurs that draws Q into an investigation which usually involves some element of the town's locales and history. There's no ticking clock, no shooting guns, no sense of foreboding in these books. Each is a return to our beloved Mooseville and the people we now consider our own neighbors. This isn't a marvel of literary fiction- it's merely a comfy, quick read as part of an enjoyable series. The general consensus among hardcore "The Cat Who" fans is that the *real* Jackson Braun stopped writing the series several years ago. There have been about four ghost writers since, and almost all have done a poor job of recreating Braun's characters and descriptions of Moose County. In the last book, the cats were relegated to mere household pets, and Qwill rambled around with no real point to his actions. Well, I'm thrilled to report that after several strange attempts at recreating Braun's magic, whoever wrote this book got it right! The old Qwilleran is back- as are favorite locales and neighbors. "The Cat Who Brought Down the House" revolves around a zany new arrival to Moose County, and some of the troubles that her move to Pleasant Street brings. Qwill is on the case, assisted by his two intuitive cats and several of his close friends. Like I said above, the book isn't deep, it doesn't motivate you to get out a piece of paper and try and solve the crime. It's just a fun read, with a light mystery at its heart. I'm just happy to be able to give the book a good review and I am really hoping that the publisher keeps this writer on - I haven't felt so at home in years. Happy reading!
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a Personal Favorite, November 23, 2003
I've been a fan of the Cat Who series for about twelve years now; I own quite a few of the earlier volumes, and have read every one of them, first to last. Recently, I've been rereading my copies--so I was particularly thrilled to spot _Cat Who Brought Down the House_ in my library, and I snatched it up with an enthusiasm that I might not have had if I'd been rereading the *later* books in the series and thus remembered their severe dip in quality. Unfortunately, this book served as quite the refresher course for my memory. I realize that the focus of the series has changed somewhat over the years, and that I shouldn't expect a tight, suspenseful whodunnit; my quibble with the book thus isn't really its lack of a sound mystery. (As with other recent installments, the mystery plot is very, very secondary to scenes and anecdotes about life in Moose County.) What I have problems with is how *pointless* it all felt--not to mention how different Qwill and various other characters seemed from their old selves of even a few books ago, and how many of the characters in this book are relative newcomers to the series and in no way as engaging (IMHO) as the Old Guard. The plot meandered here and there, not so much hard to follow as hard to stay interested in; and Qwilleran himself seemed almost unrecognizable. Since when does he let everyone and their dog--literally!--into his home, when he once resented people wishing to come gawk? Why would he become the special chum of Thelma Thackeray and spend so much time with her? And speaking of which, why was it that in the beginning of the book no one seemed to know who Thelma was or whether she was even real, while in later chapters everyone Qwill talked to had something to say about her brother, her father, and her family history? That sort of continuity error seems sloppy. And speaking of sloppiness, I question whether an editor even glanced at this novel. Twice I found quotation marks where they had no business being--such as in the middle of a dialogue sentence, as if the author had forgotten the character was already speaking. Qwill's name is even misspelled once! Meanwhile, there are a lot of little throwaway scenes that never amount to anything and aren't interesting enough to add character or flavor to the narrative (Burgess describing in detail the party that the kids on Pleasant Street will be having comes to mind); I found myself wondering in bemusement how this or that scene would later become relevant... and it never did. The book might have benefited from having an editor more inclined to use his or her pruning shears. Finally, it's hard to imagine how this book contributes anything of lasting value to the series given how everything turns out. (I can't say much more without spoiling the ending, but anyone who's read it through should know what I mean.) I felt empty after reading it. Granted, 'empty' is a better way to feel than 'completely disgusted,' which is how I felt after _Cat Who Saw Stars_, but given that I used to put down a newly-finished Cat Who book with reluctance because I didn't want to leave Qwill's vivid, lovingly-crafted world, I can't help but be saddened by this development. Now that I've said all that, is there anything *good* about this book? Well, yes... sort of. Maybe. It depends on what you're looking for. Do you just want something light and quick to read, with a couple of engaging characters and a lot of mentions of delicious-sounding foods? Then you might be fine with this. It's nice, it's light, it's fluffy, and there's nothing wrong with that--so long as you go into it knowing what to expect. Personally, I just can't recommend that anyone make this their first Cat Who novel (_Cat Who Could Read Backwards_ would be my recommendation there) or buy it in hardback. I'm not sure I'd even suggest buying it in paperback, at least not without trying to find it at your library first.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Cozy Quarter Century, July 25, 2003
It has been a long time (possibly 24 years) since anyone has read a Lilian Braun mystery story for the mystery. If for no other reason than that we often know who committed the crime before we ever know what the crime was. Instead we read them to enjoy the antics of a stellar cast of characters in a mythical town set '400 miles north of everywhere.' The ostensible star is Qwilleran, a recovering journalist, whose life in Pickaxe began when he inherited a fortune and found it impossible to leave. His friends include almost everyone, and his deepest secret is that Koko, one of his two Siamese cats, is the true brains behind the outfit. In this, the 25th in the series, Pickaxe is abuzz with the news of the return of Thelma Thackery, who left Moose County for Hollywood (where she eventually became a very successful restaurateur) 55 years ago. Now she has moved into one of the towns few mansions with Janice, her assistant and a bevy of colorful and outspoken parrots. Her sole surviving relative in Moose County is her nephew, who is noted for his smile and the lack of any visible means of support. And so the stage is set for intrigue, parrot-napping, blueberry pie recipes, and an endless flow of gossip and tales. The success of Braun's books depends not on the intricacies of plot and character development, but on Qwiilleran's exuberant side trips into the nooks and crannies of Pickaxe history. One of the dangers to any long running series is settling into formula writing and then forgetting the point behind the formula. For a while, Braun's books lost their focus, and Qwilleran allowed to become increasingly irritating as a main character. This has always been a series where a year between episodes was needed to maintain their charm, but recently a year has not been enough. I'm happy to say that 'The Cat Who Brought Down the House' has broken this trend. Not that it isn't formulaic, but it has returned to being a pleasant, entertaining romp. Cozy mystery stories are, after all, literary comfort food. Reading this story is almost like a return to the home that might have been if the world was a bit less dire. There is nothing in this volume that would prevent anyone from starting with it. For the most part historical relationships are explained, and there is nothing in the plot that depends on previous knowledge. If you are looking for pure escapism, consider starting here.
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