Not my type of mystery novel...June 13, 2008 When i first discovered the whole "cat mystery" genre, I became curious, so I decided to give this one a try, and listened to the audio version.
For a mystery novel, it's unusual in that the mystery doesn't start until about halfway into the book. The author first establishes the characters and we get to follow the main character, Jim Qwilleran as he starts working at his new job, making some new friends, etc. I suppose these parts were occasionally somewhat funny and the characters were interesting, but I would prefer to have the mystery start much earlier.
The writing was good but I personally didn't find the story very interesting, but I guess this isn't my type of mystery. It seems to be popular among readers of cozy mysteries, so I suppose I can recommended the book to those cozy mysteries fans who haven't already read it. Readers looking for suspense should look elsewhere.
Loved it!July 12, 2007 This is the first time i had come across the 'The cat who..' stories but i must say i am well and truly hooked now!. The characters are very 'film noir' and are described very well by Braun. She has also got feline personalities down to a T and you can just picture them. Intially i thought the book was about talking cats so was a little confused when i started listening!. Although the cat(Koko) doesn't exactly speak in the story - he does communicate in his own way! This book is a good ole classic whodunit and i enjoyed every minute and no i didnt guess the end!. I am pleased to see there are so many more titles in the range and intend to work my way through them!.
Well written and loaded with genuine charmOctober 26, 2001 11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Introducing Jim Qwilleran a down on his luck crime reporter landed with the task of reporting on an art scene he knows little about. Working with the papers antagonistic resident art critic he walks in to a story he never imagined on his new beat, a brutal murder. Qwilleran finds help in the unlikely form of an aristocratic Siamese called Koko belonging to the papers art critic. L. J. Braun really excels at fleshing out believable human and feline characters in this unusual and very readable crime novel.
