The Cat Who Robbed a Bank (Cat Who...) (Hardcover)

by Lilian Jackson Braun (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Qwilleran and his crime-solving Siamese cats KoKo and Yum Yum are back on the case in Pickax, the biggest little city in Moose County, which is 400 miles north of everywhere but still boasts a remarkably sophisticated social and cultural scene. Hardly a day or a night goes by without a tea, dinner party, crafts fair, play, or pageant, all of which are attended and described in great detail by Qwilleran, a former crime reporter whose not very onerous duties entail writing a feature column for the local newspaper as well as overseeing the civic philanthropy made possible by an inheritance from a wealthy friend of his deceased mother. Fans of this long-running and immensely popular series will delight in this 23rd installment, in which the matrons of Pickax are buying French perfume and blueing their hair for the annual visit of Mr. Delacamp, a jeweler from Down Under (Chicago), whose arrival will coincide with the reopening of the town's fabulously refurbished grand hotel. When the mysterious Mr. Delacamp is found dead in the presidential suite, and his "niece" goes missing along with the jewels and the cash, Qwilleran and his curious cats investigate. As usual, it takes a couple of Siamese with extraordinary powers (even for cats) and a current preoccupation with pennies, gum wrappers, and paper towels to point their owner toward the solution; Qwilleran may not be the quickest sleuth in Moose County, but with KoKo and Yum Yum on the case, he doesn't need to be. This is the coziest of cozies, a particular niche in the mystery subcategory of crime-solving felines of which Braun is the acknowledged mistress, and once again she delivers the goods. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly
After 22 Cat Who mysteries (The Cat Who Saw Stars, etc.), Braun's legions of fans know precisely what to expect from this mistress of feline detective stories--a bloodless crime, much bantering between Jim Qwilleran and his friends, and mysterious crime-solving hints from his beloved Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. Braun's 23rd novel fulfills these expectations. Journalist Qwilleran has evolved into an independently wealthy columnist and generous benefactor for almost every worthy cause in Pickax, Mich. As a leading citizen, he participates in everything from the refurbishing of the Pickax Hotel (renamed the Mackintosh Inn) to the tricounty Scottish Gathering and Highland Games. One of the renovated hotel's first guests is a jewelry buyer and seller from Chicago. Mr. Delacamp appears once every five years or so to offer exquisitely expensive jewelry (cash only, please) and to buy heirlooms (cash, again) from Pickax's wealthy ladies. This trip proves to be his last, and his murder provides the grist for Koko's deductive prowess. This Sherlock of the cat kingdom does his best, from his reading choices to his seemingly inexplicable actions with paper towels, gum wrappers and nuts, to educate the mere human he lives with. Yet again, Braun's upbeat prose and amiable characters make her novel the cat's meow of cozies. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399145702
• ISBN-13: 978-0399145704
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #843,167 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 22 in The Cat Who... Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable entry into the Cat Who series, June 2, 2000

By	Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The Cat Who... books are the only mystery series I read. I'm really not a mystery fan, so I probably judge them differently than someone would who cares a lot about the quality of the mystery---to me, that is a secondary or less concern! I really enjoyed this entry into the series. It's like visiting friends you haven't spent time with in a year or so to read each new Cat Who book. Several things stood out for me in the entry. I felt like I really got to know Qwill better, as he got to know himself and his past better. I got the feeling his relationship with Polly is deepening, and I love reading about that, as unlike some Cat Who fans, I really like Polly! As always, there were many great food descriptions, always a highlight of these books for me! And the mystery itself was well done, although the outcome wasn't too much of a surprise. Another enjoyable thing about this book---more focus on the cats! It seemed like they came into the story more than in some recent entries into the series, and Koko had more of his mystical talents showing! I know there are those who will say this doesn't live up to the early cat books, and they are probably right, but for me, it's enough that I can read more about the little world of Pickax, and feel relaxed and happy spending some time there!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very charming and delightful cozy, January 10, 2000

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Moose County lies 400 miles form everywhere. The county seat is Pickax, a thriving town with a population of around 3000, including the wealthy Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, the mind reading Koko and the lovely Yum Yum.

>Qwill, a reporter, has a genuine interest in crime and has even solved several cases. Pickax has a lot happening now such as the reopening of the hotel, the Scottish Festival, and an eccentric jeweler coming to town. Qwill is not thinking of felonies until someone kills the jeweler. As the townsfolk are outraged, Qwill vows to uncover the truth even though he and his two feline partners have some strange incidents get between him and his goal.

THE CAT WHO ROBBED A BANK is the twenty-third entry in this popular series, but the story line retains the freshness and charms that is a trademark of the novels. The plot is delightful when focusing on the antics of a clairvoyant cat and his preening companion. Qwill remains an engaging individual who more than just marches to a different drum. He is the drummer. The mystery is enjoyable, but as usual Lilian Jackson Braun's tale belongs to two cats and their pet human.

Harriet Klausner

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars an exhausting dissapointment, February 11, 2000

By	Frank Hall "Still Waiting for Guide Book afte... (Camden, ME United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Through the year, we look forward to the cat who books. My wife reads them aloud by the fire. As this one went on and on with no mystery, no humor, no irony and none of the subtle sexiness of the past books, we sadly realized that either Ms. Braun would never again be able to give us the pleasure we looked forward to or someone else is writing these books. Topics were brought up and dropped i.e. Amanda Goodwinter's race to be Mayor and humor, so loved in the past, is sadly nonexistant. What we had were thick pages, wide margins, and a drone of day to day activities. The villans and town characters had no character and we were depressed instead of elated. Come on, if the publisher is doing this, they should get a better ghost writer. If it's Ms. Braun, it's sadly time to retire. Of course, we will buy the next one and my wife will read it aloud by the fire. We will always have hope that it will be as joyous as the great Cat Who Books we remembered.