Cat Who Sang for the Birds [Import] [Paperback]

Lilian Jackson Braun (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: ISIS Large Print Bks.; Large print e. edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753159600
• ISBN-13: 978-0753159606
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yum Yum Goes Cuckoo for a Yo-Yo, September 20, 2006

By 

Dennis Phillips "The Book Friar" (Bulls Gap, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (Mass Market Paperback)

Once again we tune in on the denizens of Moose County and find all in an uproar. In fact there are several uproars going on in this cozy neighborhood located 400 miles north of everywhere. First there is the new art center which most people love but the director somehow expects the farmers in the vicinity to keep their dirt off of the roads. When it rains you see, that dirt becomes mud and eventually gets tracked into the art center. Worse yet, the library has gotten rid of their card catalog and replaced it with a computer. This little innovation even sparks a demonstration complete with a grill for burning protestor's library cards.

Amid all of the normal Pickax City hubbub resides the ever-affable Jim Qwilleran and his mystery solving cats Koko and Yum Yum. In this entry in the series Koko has taken to singing like a bird and communing with his bird friends as often as he can. He has also been on the case again after a suspicious fire claims the life of one of Pickax's oldest citizens. The authorities rule that the fire started with a kerosene heater but Qwill doesn't buy it and neither does Koko. Yum Yum for her part is happy playing with her new yo-yo.

Eventually of course everything works out and as in previous books Qwill looks back to see just how precise Koko's clues were. For those new to the series Koko, although talented can't talk but he tries to tell Qwill what has happened in some odd ways. Usually however Qwill doesn't figure out Koko's clues until he has solved the mystery on his own. The best thing about this series besides the wonderful cast of characters is that the reader gets the same clues as does Qwilleran and if one pays very close attention Koko will tell you who done it long before the solution is revealed.

Overall this book, while enjoyable is just a little darker than most of the previous entries, although the body count is fairly low especially compared to some of its predecessors. I can't put my finger on the difference but there is a slightly different tone to this book and it is not an altogether welcome change. On the other hand this is still a very fun and entertaining read and this is a book that should be on every cozy mystery lover's bookshelf.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really great addition to the series, April 7, 2000

By 

Chel Micheline "Chel Micheline" (Southwest Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (Mass Market Paperback)

Although a lot of diehard fans argue that this is the first "The Cat Who" book that may provide evidence that Lillian Jackson Braun is no longer writing the series, I honestly think that "The Cat Who Sang for the Birds" is a wonderful book. It is a great addition to any "Cat Who" collection. The characters in this book are given much care and thought, and it is a definite page turner. It was this book that made me wish for a real Pickax, so that I could go live among these wonderful people. Qwilleran becomes more compassionate in these pages, Polly loses her constant doubting attitude, and the rest of the residents of Pickax become more than just "characters" in Qwill's life. If Lilian Jackson Braun did indeed pass on her pen, then the author of this book would be an excellent successor. Long live the Siamese!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!!!!, May 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (Hardcover)

I just purchased 2 of Braun's books, this one and "The Cat Who Saw Stars." I inadvertently read them out of order. This book, the predecesor to Stars, was by far the best work that Braun has released in recent years. Second only to Backwards (for the older books ) and Cheese (for the newer ones). Her work is always superlative and Qwill and their Royal Catlinesses are wonderful. If you like the "Cat Who" series, buy this one. I'll even recommend the Stars, simply because Braun wrote it.