The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (Cat Who...) (Hardcover)

by Lilian Jackson Braun (Author) "Following an unseasonable thaw and disastrous flooding, spring came early to Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere..." (more)
Key Phrases: fireplace cube, spell game, butterfly box, Moose County, Yum Yum, Butterfly Girl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-Braun continues the adventures of the odd, but successful, sleuthing team of Jim Quilleran and his cats. When Koko begins knocking books off the library shelf, Jim knows that his feline is once again using his unusual talents to prophesy future events of the murderous kind. Taking hints from the cat, and clues from the murder of his elderly neighbor and the disappearance of a young artist, the man sorts out the motive for and perpetrator behind the mayhem. By providing background on the various characters and their relationships and mentioning previous events, the author makes sure that even first timers to the series can enjoy this title. The strongly defined personalities of the main characters lend interest and the plot has realistic complexities that assure a steady turning of pages. Braun's use of details and discussions about everyday events enhances the feeling of community interconnections and concerns. Koko's quirky predictions and other cat-ly antics add spice to an already enticing mystery. A light, entertaining whodunit that offers the added appeal of cats and their often mysterious ways.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
More dire doings in Pickax (``400 miles north of everywhere''), where bachelor zillionaire Jim Qwilleran keeps a paternalistic eye on the town from his opulent barn house and his columnist job on Moose County Something, the local paper. Pickax has been saddened by the death of 93-year-old recluse Maude Coggin in a supposedly accidental fire in her decrepit house soon after she'd sold her hundred-acre farm, at a giveaway price, to buyers called Northern Land Improvement. Qwill's suspicions of this deal, reinforced by prescient cats Koko and Yum Yum, lead to his finding the company nonexistent. Some big-time chicanery is afoot, not to mention other odd happenings: a break-in and theft at the recently opened art center; an old scandal new to Qwill; the misgivings of boutique owner Elizabeth Hart about her boyfriend Derek's being offered a job as manager of Chet's Barbecuea downscale bar owned by town councilman Chet Ramsbottom. And then there's young butterfly-breeder Phoebe Sloan, whose unsavory boyfriend Jake is bartender at Chet's. When the town's major annual event takes placeit's a spelling beePhoebe is missing from her team. With help from Qwill and, of course, Koko and Yum Yum, the discovery of her body in Bloody Creek brings about the downfall of Pickax's corrupting elements. Braun's terminally arch mixture (The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, 1997, etc.) is even more extreme than before as confusion reigns, characters proliferate, and Qwill, with his second-sighted assistants, once more solves Pickax's problems. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (February 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399143335
• ISBN-13: 978-0399143335
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,311,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 20 in The Cat Who... Series.

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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really great addition to the series, April 8, 2000

By	Chel Micheline "gingerblue.com" (SW Florida) - See all my reviews

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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!!!!, May 3, 1999

By A Customer

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.