The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Cat Who...) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "April was lovely that year!..." (more)
Key Phrases: cat auction, death howl, Moose County, Qwill Pen, Purple Point (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Braun's disappointing 28th Cat Who... novel (after 2004's The Cat Who Went Bananas) mostly follows journalist Jim "Call Me Qwill" Qwilleran as he runs around Pickax City, Mich., getting things ready for the town's blow-out celebration of its sesquicentenary. Many books ago, Qwill inherited tons of money and set up a foundation to benefit Pickax. Now that story line has become a caricature, with Qwill's fund popping up and financing yet another venture virtually every chapter. The "mystery" concerns Nathan and Doris Ledfield, a wealthy couple whose only heir is an obnoxious, greedy nephew. When late in the tale the Ledfields die... well, let's just say that no one will be surprised to learn who was behind their deaths, or what his motive was. Lame plotting isn't the only problem. The characterization is not just thin, it's anorexic. Perhaps it's time to put this series, which once defined feline fiction, to sleep. Mystery Guild main selection. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

Anyone who has ever exclaimed, "Cats!" with a mixture of affection, frustration, and admiration is bound to fall (or has already fallen) for this venerable series (27 novels young) featuring Koko and Yum Yum, the svelte and savvy Siamese. This time the marvelously mustached Jim Qwilleran, more familiarly known as "Qwill," and his feline friends relax in their converted apple-barn home in Pickax City, Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere." Frantic activity occurs around them, as Pickax prepares for its sesquicentennial with parades and other festivities. As the richest man around (thanks to an inheritance), Qwill is called upon to lead or partake in many events and write about others in his "Qwill Pen" newspaper column. Meanwhile, a terrible storm threatens the celebration, and the mysterious deaths of a wealthy couple lead to questions about murder. With its familiar characters, cozy plots, and happy endings, this series remains as comforting as a warm cat in your lap on a rainy day. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399153071
• ISBN-13: 978-0399153075
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #303,599 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 28 in The Cat Who... Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars cash cow = more ghost writers, February 3, 2006

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

0 stars for the book in relation to the rest of the series, 1.5 stars just in general...

The sad fact is that if Ms. Braun were still alive, she'd be over 100 years old now. So it's pretty clear this series is being ghostwritten. I wish the publisher would just admit it. But I think as long as this series remains a cash cow for the publisher, and we all keep giving this series a third, forth, and fifth chance, they'll keep churning out more. So it's my fault, too.

[SPOILER ALERT] I didn't HATE this book, but I checked it out from the library and read it in an hour. It was a whole lot of nothing. A lot of Qwill ambling around town, driving his SUV, feeding the cats. A few journal entries. Another long, long description of the apple barn that we've read 6 million times but still can't visually picture.

There was absolutely no mystery in the book at all, besides some weird little thing about fungus and about characters we've never met before (who were apparently VERY important to Moose County society, but not nearly important enough to mention, even in passing, in any of the other books...)

I found it very strange that they DID kill off a semi-main character that Qwill spent some time with several books ago and seemed quite fond of and it was barely discussed. Instead of making that the focus of the book, and maybe introducing the idea of foul play in association with that death, Qwill barely reacted to the news. The old Qwill would have said more, even if the person who passed wasn't someone close to him. His moustache would have twitched and he would have gone to town investigating what happened, even just to satisfy his own curiousity.

Another thing that bothered me, maybe more than anything, is that Qwill is suddenly not just a noted journalist, but a star. Instead of people saying hello to him, now people in town want his autograph and a snapshot with him. Women swoon when he appears. A pencil stamped with "Qwill Pen" emits shrieks of gratitude and bliss. COME ON!

It's just insane, and offensive to fans of this series who have stuck with Qwill through the good times and the bad.

Note to the publishers: either reward us with a decent writer who has actually READ the series and would know where to take it, or just move on. Give "Lilian Jackson Braun" a new project, maybe a spin-off series. Let "The Cat Who" rest in peace.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Putnam Bombs again, July 24, 2006

By	Mary M. "Mary M." (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews

Whatever happened to the real Lilian Jackson Braun? She can't possibly be writing these books. I've always been a fan of this series and have read all the books, many of them more than once (that is, the early books) but I've been so disappointed with the last few. There were 4 deaths in this latest book, all of which were passed over like they were just 60 second sound-bites...except for the last double-murder which got maybe 120 seconds. There was a vague mention of a possible way the murders were accomplished, but no mention of an investigation or proof that this is what happened. Too much time was spent on Pickax details that we already know, yet the murders were passed over too quickly with no discussion of how they were solved. The first murder didn't seem to be covered well and the accidental death at the bridge didn't seem to bother Qwill very much, even tho' it was the death of a close friend. Come on! Let's get real! This series seems to have lost its speed. Even the author seems uninterested in it. Why not let it die with dignity rather than continuing it in such a painful manner!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars **Yawn** Oops, I guess I was reading that...., March 26, 2006

By	Barbara A. Miller "Prof de français" (Iowa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As many others, I have been reading this series for years and have enjoyed doing so. This book seems to have lost its stuffing. Usually devoting hours to reading a book, I spent hardly any time at all with this one, leaving me with time to cook supper, do the laundry, wash dishes, and yes, clean the litter boxes.
How does it happen that Homer Tibbett dies and only three words are spoken about it? There is no actual storyline, even when there is murder afoot. Understanding how gutsy "Koko" is, I'm surprised he didn't pounce on "Qwill" trying to get him out of this comfortable, middle-aged rut and contribute to the story.
I will read the next book (glutton for punishment, I guess) in hope that it will actually have a storyline. As for the author, being able to write into one's 90s is quite a feat, but all of these years should have taught her the mystery formula...