The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Lilian Jackson Braun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2006 | Series: Cat Who...

The residents of Pickax are about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding. But in the midst of all the preparations, Qwill has to take time out to deal with Koko's strange new habit of dropping from balconies and landing in the oddest of places-and a couple that has mysteriously gone missing.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Braun's disappointing 28th Cat Who... novel (after 2004's The Cat Who Went Bananas) mostly follows journalist Jim "Call Me Qwill" Qwilleran as he runs around Pickax City, Mich., getting things ready for the town's blow-out celebration of its sesquicentenary. Many books ago, Qwill inherited tons of money and set up a foundation to benefit Pickax. Now that story line has become a caricature, with Qwill's fund popping up and financing yet another venture virtually every chapter. The "mystery" concerns Nathan and Doris Ledfield, a wealthy couple whose only heir is an obnoxious, greedy nephew. When late in the tale the Ledfields die... well, let's just say that no one will be surprised to learn who was behind their deaths, or what his motive was. Lame plotting isn't the only problem. The characterization is not just thin, it's anorexic. Perhaps it's time to put this series, which once defined feline fiction, to sleep. Mystery Guild main selection. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Anyone who has ever exclaimed, "Cats!" with a mixture of affection, frustration, and admiration is bound to fall (or has already fallen) for this venerable series (27 novels young) featuring Koko and Yum Yum, the svelte and savvy Siamese. This time the marvelously mustached Jim Qwilleran, more familiarly known as "Qwill," and his feline friends relax in their converted apple-barn home in Pickax City, Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere." Frantic activity occurs around them, as Pickax prepares for its sesquicentennial with parades and other festivities. As the richest man around (thanks to an inheritance), Qwill is called upon to lead or partake in many events and write about others in his "Qwill Pen" newspaper column. Meanwhile, a terrible storm threatens the celebration, and the mysterious deaths of a wealthy couple lead to questions about murder. With its familiar characters, cozy plots, and happy endings, this series remains as comforting as a warm cat in your lap on a rainy day. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (February 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786273801
• ISBN-13: 978-0786273805
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,605,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lilian Jackson Braun is the author of twenty-nine bestselling Cat Who . . . novels and three short story collections.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 138 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars cash cow = more ghost writers, February 3, 2006

By 

Chel Micheline "Chel Micheline" (Southwest Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Hardcover)

0 stars for the book in relation to the rest of the series, 1.5 stars just in general...

The sad fact is that if Ms. Braun were still alive, she'd be over 100 years old now. So it's pretty clear this series is being ghostwritten. I wish the publisher would just admit it. But I think as long as this series remains a cash cow for the publisher, and we all keep giving this series a third, forth, and fifth chance, they'll keep churning out more. So it's my fault, too.

[SPOILER ALERT] I didn't HATE this book, but I checked it out from the library and read it in an hour. It was a whole lot of nothing. A lot of Qwill ambling around town, driving his SUV, feeding the cats. A few journal entries. Another long, long description of the apple barn that we've read 6 million times but still can't visually picture.

There was absolutely no mystery in the book at all, besides some weird little thing about fungus and about characters we've never met before (who were apparently VERY important to Moose County society, but not nearly important enough to mention, even in passing, in any of the other books...)

I found it very strange that they DID kill off a semi-main character that Qwill spent some time with several books ago and seemed quite fond of and it was barely discussed. Instead of making that the focus of the book, and maybe introducing the idea of foul play in association with that death, Qwill barely reacted to the news. The old Qwill would have said more, even if the person who passed wasn't someone close to him. His moustache would have twitched and he would have gone to town investigating what happened, even just to satisfy his own curiousity.

Another thing that bothered me, maybe more than anything, is that Qwill is suddenly not just a noted journalist, but a star. Instead of people saying hello to him, now people in town want his autograph and a snapshot with him. Women swoon when he appears. A pencil stamped with "Qwill Pen" emits shrieks of gratitude and bliss. COME ON!

It's just insane, and offensive to fans of this series who have stuck with Qwill through the good times and the bad.

Note to the publishers: either reward us with a decent writer who has actually READ the series and would know where to take it, or just move on. Give "Lilian Jackson Braun" a new project, maybe a spin-off series. Let "The Cat Who" rest in peace.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Putnam Bombs again, July 24, 2006

By 

Mary M. "Mary M." (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Hardcover)

Whatever happened to the real Lilian Jackson Braun? She can't possibly be writing these books. I've always been a fan of this series and have read all the books, many of them more than once (that is, the early books) but I've been so disappointed with the last few. There were 4 deaths in this latest book, all of which were passed over like they were just 60 second sound-bites...except for the last double-murder which got maybe 120 seconds. There was a vague mention of a possible way the murders were accomplished, but no mention of an investigation or proof that this is what happened. Too much time was spent on Pickax details that we already know, yet the murders were passed over too quickly with no discussion of how they were solved. The first murder didn't seem to be covered well and the accidental death at the bridge didn't seem to bother Qwill very much, even tho' it was the death of a close friend. Come on! Let's get real! This series seems to have lost its speed. Even the author seems uninterested in it. Why not let it die with dignity rather than continuing it in such a painful manner!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It May Be Time to Retire Koko, May 15, 2006

By 

Karen Vincent "spikeyv" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Hardcover)

The "Cat Who" mysteries are definitely petering out. The last few have been mere shadows of their former selves. While evacuated for Hurricane Katrina, I reread all of them and it was very evident how superior the older entries were. I love Quill and the cats, but it makes me sad to see something of this poor quality on the shelf. Let them go with dignity - they deserve it!