Customer Reviews

The Cat Who Lived High

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Great book. In this 11th entry in The Cat Who... series, we get another change of location as Qwill and the cats go back "Down Below" to possibly help save an old apartment building from destruction. I actually was able to pick up some of the clues and knew who didn't commit the murder, but not who did!

I enjoy murder mysteries in general, especially the "who dunnit" type, of which this is one. Since I was also "raised" by a Siamese cat named Impy, and kept in line over my life time by a series of his successors, I especially enjoy this series. The author definitely has an appreciation for the character of the breed. This book is no exception. The antics of KoKo are always a joy and remind me of one of my own early pets, Mr Sin. This particular volume is especially fun as it partakes of some of both of Quill's lives: that of down and out reporter from "Down Under" and that of the recluse multimillionaire from "up North." Since much of the description fits the Minneapolis and Northern Minnesota area from which I come, I also feel a certain resonance with the characters and their settting. The story is an elaborate one with a slightly macabre twist. I actually figured it out because I had a small bit of information from my own experience that helped me do so, but I still found the book a satisfying read

The story begins with Moose County's reaction to the death of Jim Qwilleran, heir to the vast Klingenschoen fortune, beloved columnist in the Moose County Something, companion to Koko and Yum Yum and the hero of this series of books. The action then flashes back to the events that led Qwill and the cats to the 'Big City Down Below'. We learn that he had been contacted by a voice from the past, Amberine, one of the Weird Sisters, who was urged by their mutual friend, Mary Duckworth (both featured in The Cat Who Turned On and Off) to ask him to buy and restore the historic Art Deco era Casablanca apartment building. Qwill is both intrigued by the prospect of returning to city life, at least for a time,and eager to escape another long Moose County winter.

After arriving in the city and establishing himself at the Casblanca Qwill begins to catch up with old friends, visit old neighborhoods and delve into the issues surrounding the Casablanca. Of course once Qwill and the cats are on the scene the suicide and murder scandal that had rocked the community a few weeks before is discovered to be even more scandalous than previously thought. In the end Qwill and the cats unravel the plot.

This is one of my least favorite books in the series. The beginning is riveting, the opening scenes of the warnings Qwill receives from his Moose County friends and his re-introduction to city life are all very well done. It is also great for fans of the series to travel back to Junktown and see how it and some of its residents have changed since we last saw them (The Cat Who Turned On and Off and The Cat Who Saw Red). Many of the characters we meet at the Casablanca are also interesting and cause us to hope we will see more of them but about half way through it is as if the author has begun to lose interest in the story. Details are glossed over, things move much quicker until the last couple of chapters seem to be little more than glorified outlines. This book does not have an ending so much as it just ends.

If you are a fan of the series of course you'll want to read this for the news of old friends if nothing else. If you are new to the series do NOT start with this one and if you are just looking for a good mystery, cozy or otherwise, keep looking because this isn't it.

i really do enjoy L. J. Braun's series, but this one was not her bast work. i thought she left a bunch of loose ends, from the casablanca hotel, the bracelet with scrabble numbers, and Qwilleran's stolen car. She seemed to be in a rush, and i didn't think Koko was his complete uncanny self.

This book was enjoyable as books in this series always are. This one was another where Qwill leaves behind Pickax and his usual cast of supporting characters. On this occasion he wants to avoid another freezing Pickax winter. This gives the author the opportunity to show how unhappy Qwill now becomes outside his Moose County environment and away from Polly Duncan.

The most interesting books of this series are the ones set outside Pickax as this gives Qwill and the cats the chance to relate to new characters and situations.

This is a book in the cosy genre; the plotting is not its strength and I don't think ever was meant to be. Like other books in this series, it was a wonderfully warm and engaging read.

I have most of the "cat who" books and greatly enjoyed them all. They are fun, entertaining, easy to read and well written. I look forward to reading the next one. I especially enjoyed trying to remember the old characters from the previous novel and now wish I hadn't traded in that book at the used book store. Now I just hope they come out with a hard back version that has a collection of the series is order of publication to put on my book shelf next to my Agatha Christie's.

I just can't agree with the reviewer who commented that the cat series was growing weaker. In fact, I think this was a bit better than the last several preceding this, partly because of the new surroundings.

Granted, the plots of the cat books are sometimes a bit weak, even outlandish. And the details of every last thing Qwilleran had for breakfast, lunch and dinner can be a trifle tiresome after the tenth time or so, especially when the same sort of detail is applied to the cats' meals and snacks.

But I can tolerate all those because the characters seem real and because the atmosphere is so carefully drawn. In this case, for example, we have the building owner, the "countess," with overtones of Miss Havisham telling Pip (or Qwill, in this case) simply to "Play." And then there is the apartment building, the Casablanca, with its rickety elevators and other signs of age and disrepair. I feel that I actually know the countess and can smell the Casablanca or find my way through the hallways in the dark.

One has to go by the sum total in evaluating a book, i.e., the credits minus the debits. That being so, I have to give this a solid recommendation as I look forward to the next in the series. The perfect mystery? Not at all. But pretty good.

Qwill and the cats go "down below" to the big city to try and save an historic building.

This book is my favorite of "The Cat Who..." series. It is really exciting. When Qwill, Koko, and Yum Yum move to the historic Casablanca apartment building their lives change. It is exciting. Qwill eats at a new restaurant every night. He meets many interesting people and investigates a murder that supposedly was already solved.

This book had a surprise beginning. Well written. Don't pass on this one!

I love this entire series and am in the process of rereading it. Most fans of the series would probably agree that one of LJB's biggest strengths is her ability to create and "flesh out" a variety of interesting characters and that ability takes center stage in this book like none other in the series, in my opinion. For that reason alone, it is a good read, and I like the continuity of returning to the setting of a previous book in the series - I think that's handled very well.

The only reason I rate this book as 4 instead of 5 stars has to do with what I find to be a rather sloppy ending. I don't expect a happy ending - that is, the Casablanca didn't HAVE to be saved in order for this to be a good book - but there was just something about Qwill fleeing the scene under the circumstances he did with so much left unclear that was very dissatisfying to me.

Overall, this is a great series, though this one was a bit slower than the others. I still like it, just not as much. I prefer the books set in Pickax with the regular characters... I think Qwill is funnier and more engaging there. Don't get me wrong, this is certainly worth reading! Lilian Jackson Braun weaves great mysteries and I am almost always in the dark right up to the end!