Customer Reviews

The Cat Who Wasn't There (A Cat Who ... Mystery)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some regular readers of this series find the Moose County setting to be somewhat dull while others love the eccentric people and odd places that make up Moose County. I tend to fall into the second category but this book contains both home and away settings so everybody should be pleased.

Jim Qwilleran has just rushed home from his summer retreat in the Potato Mountains because a prowler has accosted his lady friend Polly Duncan. He has hardly settled back into life in Pickax City when Polly informs him that a group of Moose County residents are planning a trip to Scotland. Since Polly is going and since, as he informs everyone he sees, his mother was a Mackintosh, Qwilleran decides to sign up for the trip himself.

Once the group arrives in Scotland everything is a blur as Irma Hasselrich takes them through the Highlands and Western Isles at a breakneck speed. That is until one of their number has an apparent heart attack and dies. To make things even worse, their bus driver mysteriously disappears with some of their luggage. This odd coincidence and the fact that the deceased had been closely associated with the bus driver sets Qwilleran's mustache to tingling. Even more odd, when the ace reporter calls home to check on the cats he finds out that Koko had let out a blood curdling yowl at the exact moment that the member of the touring party had died.

When they arrive back in Moose County Qwilleran starts to sniff around and begins to formulate a theory. Unfortunately, the cats do not agree with his theory and both of them start to leave all of the clues that they can think of. Koko even makes a series of mad dashes that end with him plowing into Qwilleran like a mad bull in an apparent attempt to push the amateur sleuth in another direction. In the end of course, Qwilleran and his feline friends solve the mystery but not before Yum Yum ends up in a very dangerous situation.

This is one of the more engaging books in this series and the mystery plays a larger part in this plot that it does in some of the other books. The descriptions of Scotland are marvelous and the sometimes rather odd Scottish diet is well described. The reader is also introduced to some more residents of Moose County like the Chisholm sisters who have a huge collection of teddy bears and also the new director of the Community Theater, Dwight Somers. I suppose that Mrs. Braun had to introduce some new residents of Moose County since she keeps killing off the old ones. The Community Theater by the way is producing "Macbeth", which is in part responsible for the group's trip to Scotland.

I just love Moose County and I also love Scotland so there isn't much about this book that I didn't like, although I was mighty worried about Yum Yum for a little while. Along with the new characters, several old friends make appearances and this book is just really an enjoyable read.

This is one of my favorite "Cat Who" mysteries. The descriptions of Scotland and its landscape make this one worth it. Koko and Yum Yum work well together. This is one of Braun's best for showing feelings. When Yum Yum was catnapped, I felt a lot of the same feelings that Qwill probably felt. It might be better, however, if Yum Yum were allowed to help Qwill and Koko solve the mystery, instead of being a cute little female.

Polly is being stalked. Qwill is worried that someone is trying to kidnap her. He is very protective of her for a time. They decide to join a tour of Scotland.

The tour turns tragic. One resident of Moose County does not return home from the tour alive. Qwill and Koko try to figure out what is going on in Pickax. Strange things are going on about town and a mysterious stranger is spotted all over the county.

I liked this installment of, "The Cat Who.." series. It was a little dark and sad, but nevertheless excellently written.

Jim Qwilleran, millionaire bachelor and resident of Moose county (400 miles north of everywhere) has dashed back home to protect his lady friend, Polly the liberian, from a stalker. Qwill is convinced that she is being targeted to be used as a way to blackmail him. When he finds that a tour of the Scottish Highlands (insipired by the local production of MacBeth) is being organized and that Polly is planning to go he decides to go along. Tragedy strikes the tour, a member dies of natural causes or were they so natural? Qwill and Polly return home where he, aided as always by his Siamese cats, Koko and YumYum uncover the true motives and culprits to, of course, save the day.

The mystery is, as always is the case in this series, secondary to the 'cozy' element of Moose County background but in this book is a bit more complex. We are treated to visits by many of the Moose County crowd including a return by Dr. Melinda Goodwinter, Qwill's first lady friend in Moose County (The Cat Who Played Brahms).

In this, the 14th Qwilleran/Koko/Yum Yum mystery, Koko helps solve a case that began in Scotland while he was at home! I really enjoyed this. In some of these books you can figure out what happened earlier, but in this one I was almost at the end when I realized who was doing what. The characters seemed deeper in this one too, and having a Scottish locale for part of the book added interest. A good read.

If you read more than a few Cat Who's you will find them becoming comfortable, like another "Lake Woebegon." There's not much suspense, mystery, thrill, or romance left by now, but increasing numbers of "tall tales" of Moose County (now collected in a new book) and amusing characters who all seem to have "hearts of gold" whatever their pseudo-rough veneer (except of course for the murderer, almost incidentally). While Qwill, our cozy billionaire journalist and lead character, carefully never says ill of another, there's just enough acerbic comment on somebody's part to keep these stories from terminal cuteness. Besides cat-lovers (especially SIAMESE cat-lovers), these stories will please admirers of the Far North, Arts and Crafts, and things Scottish. Indeed, The Cat Who Wasn't There takes place most entirely in Scotland, which is why it's one of the better ones, since it forces Qwill into new surroundings. The Cat Who Moved a Mountain is one of my favorites for the same reason, besides providing an intriguing other rural alternative to Moose County.

Although there is a comfortable and appealing continuity of characters and back stories from book to book, they might become soporific if you read them one right after another. They are bonbons for the mind, best not overdosed. The series is one you can let kids of any age discover and enjoy, too. The whole family can read them, and perhaps the allusions to historical people, music, styles, and places may excite some additional interest among your young ones!

she obviously has not read the "Cat Who..." series...I have read 18 of the series and have thoroughly enjoyed everyone single one of them. Koko & Yum Yum are an intricate part of each story and while the series is not completely about cats, they do play a major role in the life of the story! Anyone who is a cat lover can relate and appreciate their antics in this wonderful series! I would HIGHLY recommend to Mistress of Furry to start from the beginning because, as you can see from the other reviews, she stands alone in her opinion!

Entertaining suspense series-- strong, friendly, main character and cats are the bonus. Readers must start with book one "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" for introduction to characters. Each book just gets better!

I have listened to many of the Cat Who series and I believe that The Cat Who Wasn't There may very well be my absolute favorite. I cannot believe that I have become such a dedicated fan of these books; it is somewhat embarrassing. However, I have a very beautiful Siamese and I think I am in love with George Guidal's voice. I am in my car a lot (alone, this is a secret vice) and I feel oddly comforted by the antics of KoKo and YumYum and Qwillerin. I live in a small town seemingly 400 miles SOUTH of everywhere, so I can somewhat relate to the venue of PickAx. I just wish my town was as much fun, that I had someone ridiculously wealthy like Qwill to take me out to dinner, buy me odd gifts and not care that I wore a size 16! Obviously, a major fantasy! Oh, and even though my cat is extremely intelligent, she has not yet solved a mystery. The Cat Who Wasn't There is good because it has all the essential elements of a quintessential Cat Who... book plus a neat trip to Scotland! I have it on CD and sometimes replay parts of it for the nostalgia. Sometimes I replay it to torture my husband. I wonder whether any of these books could be turned into a movie?

This was the first "Cat Who" mystery that I read, and it has gotten me hooked on the whole series! This tantalizing whodunit has something for lovers of cats, mysteries, and (in this one book) Scotland. This is mystery at it's best. Viva Braun! Viva Koko! Viva Qwilleran! Viva Frobnitz!