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The Cat Who... #24
The Cat Who Went Up the Creek
James Qwilleran and his famous felines, Koko and Yum Yum, are back for another mystery-solving stint in the beloved, bestselling Cat Who . . . series.
"The feelings produced by reading about Qwill and his pals can best be compared to that coziest of feelings-having a purring cat on your lap." Booklist
The game is afoot at the Nutcracker Inn in the village of Black Creek, famous for its black walnuts and for its squirrels, which keep Koko endlessly entertained as he fences with them. Joining the usual cast of characters are gold prospectors, wildlife photographers, pirates, and-oh, yes, the game: bears! This varied mélange conspires to keep Qwilleran and the cats on their toes as they face their latest challenge in Braun's seductively charming style.
"The feelings produced by reading about Qwill and his pals can best be compared to that coziest of feelings-having a purring cat on your lap." Booklist
The game is afoot at the Nutcracker Inn in the village of Black Creek, famous for its black walnuts and for its squirrels, which keep Koko endlessly entertained as he fences with them. Joining the usual cast of characters are gold prospectors, wildlife photographers, pirates, and-oh, yes, the game: bears! This varied mélange conspires to keep Qwilleran and the cats on their toes as they face their latest challenge in Braun's seductively charming style.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2002
424 people are currently reading
2188 people want to read
About the author
Lilian Jackson Braun
193 books1,714 followersLilian Jackson Braun was an American writer. She is well-known for her light-hearted series of The Cat Who... mystery novels. The Cat Who books center around the life of former newspaper reporter James Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and Yum Yum in the fictitious small town of Pickax located in Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere." Although never formally stated in the books, the towns, counties and lifestyles described in the series are generally accepted to be a modeled after Bad Axe, Michigan (located in the "Michigan Thumb") where she resided with her husband for many years until the mid 1980's. Many also believe that the culture and history of the Upper peninsula of Michigan are represented in the series as well, which is quite possible as it is indeed a fictitious location.
Lilian Jackson Braun began her writing career as a teenager, contributing sports poetry for the Detroit News. She later began working as an advertising copywriter for many of Detroit's department stores. After that stint, she worked at the Detroit Free Press as the "Good Living" editor for 30 years. She retired from the Free Press in 1978.
Between 1966 and 1968, she published three novels to critical acclaim: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern and The Cat Who Turned On and Off. In 1966, The New York Times labeled Braun, "the new detective of the year." The rising mystery author disappeared from the publishing scene for 18 years. The blame came from the fact that mystery novels were starting to focus on sex, violence, and foul language, and Braun's light-hearted books were not welcome in this new territory. It wasn't until 1986 that the Berkley Publishing Group reintroduced Braun to the public with the publication of an original paperback, The Cat Who Saw Red. Within two years, Berkeley released four new novels in paperback and reprinted the three mysteries from the sixties. Braun's series became an instant best seller once again. In January 2007 the twenty-ninth novel in the series, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers, was released in hardcover by the Penguin Group.
Not much was really known about Braun, as she prefered to keep her private life that way. For years, publishers have given inaccurate accounts of her year of birth, which has remained unknown until she openly acknowledged her age in an interview for the Detroit News in January 2005.
Lilian Jackson Braun began her writing career as a teenager, contributing sports poetry for the Detroit News. She later began working as an advertising copywriter for many of Detroit's department stores. After that stint, she worked at the Detroit Free Press as the "Good Living" editor for 30 years. She retired from the Free Press in 1978.
Between 1966 and 1968, she published three novels to critical acclaim: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern and The Cat Who Turned On and Off. In 1966, The New York Times labeled Braun, "the new detective of the year." The rising mystery author disappeared from the publishing scene for 18 years. The blame came from the fact that mystery novels were starting to focus on sex, violence, and foul language, and Braun's light-hearted books were not welcome in this new territory. It wasn't until 1986 that the Berkley Publishing Group reintroduced Braun to the public with the publication of an original paperback, The Cat Who Saw Red. Within two years, Berkeley released four new novels in paperback and reprinted the three mysteries from the sixties. Braun's series became an instant best seller once again. In January 2007 the twenty-ninth novel in the series, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers, was released in hardcover by the Penguin Group.
Not much was really known about Braun, as she prefered to keep her private life that way. For years, publishers have given inaccurate accounts of her year of birth, which has remained unknown until she openly acknowledged her age in an interview for the Detroit News in January 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
August 16, 2017
Book Review
3 out of 5 stars for The Cat Who Went Up the Creek, the 24th book in the "Cat Who" cozy mystery series, written in 2002 by Lilian Jackson Braun. It seems every mystery series always needs to have that book where there is a treasure hunt, and they often involve searching for gold. And when you're in the mountains of Michigan, in a cozy little town, there's bound to be some old tale about where it's hidden. And that's exactly what Qwill gets himself into this time around. Unfortunately, it's while he's supposed to be on vacation. But his time off has always been about solving murders, so when a dead body shows up, as one expects it to in a situation like this, he must investigate. Cute story. Fun antics with the cats. Interesting new people as he's in a town a few doors down from Pickax. Connections to people he knows. It's a decent cozy, nothing stand-out, nothing awful. I like the series so it appeals to me. Sometimes simple and fun is good, as in this case.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.
3 out of 5 stars for The Cat Who Went Up the Creek, the 24th book in the "Cat Who" cozy mystery series, written in 2002 by Lilian Jackson Braun. It seems every mystery series always needs to have that book where there is a treasure hunt, and they often involve searching for gold. And when you're in the mountains of Michigan, in a cozy little town, there's bound to be some old tale about where it's hidden. And that's exactly what Qwill gets himself into this time around. Unfortunately, it's while he's supposed to be on vacation. But his time off has always been about solving murders, so when a dead body shows up, as one expects it to in a situation like this, he must investigate. Cute story. Fun antics with the cats. Interesting new people as he's in a town a few doors down from Pickax. Connections to people he knows. It's a decent cozy, nothing stand-out, nothing awful. I like the series so it appeals to me. Sometimes simple and fun is good, as in this case.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.
January 22, 2012
I’ve never read a book with so many exclamation points! They’re everywhere! It’s so annoying! You’d best be a cat lover if you read one of these books (a series!), and like implausible plots. It’s basically a series of vignettes of upper-Midwestern small-town life, rather like Garrison Keillor provides in his monologues for A Prarie Home Companion. Except that Keillor is funny and keeps it to one story at a time. This is a chronicle of the Cat Owner (sorry, I’ve already forgotten his name and no longer have the book), a multi-millionaire who has remained quaint and down-to-earth, but still submits expense reports to the newspaper he writes a column for, with some murders thrown in. The man’s uses his cat’s mannerisms as hints as to what’s going on, and ends up making wild suppositions on what occurred that everyone, including the police, just accept as fact. Granted, I’ve only read this one book in the series, but I’m not going to see if the others are any different. If you’re a fan of light-hearted murder mysteries, re-read your Agatha Christie to see how it should be done.
December 13, 2021
The ghostwriter that took over this series has some serious explaining to do.
March 26, 2010
I've read one of these "The Cat Who..." books in the past and found it light and fun. Was I in a weird place then or was that a much better one than "TCW Went Up the Creek"? This book is light to the point of almost not being there. Some sort of murder/missing person thing was going on, but it was a minor story line primarily there to keep the cat-as-a-psychic-crime-solver theme alive. The real story was about some rich old guy on vacation in the woods. Maybe it was supposed to be a cute story about a small town. I was mainly bored and sometimes even irritated at the triteness of this one. Will I try another "TCW..." books? I don't think so.
April 30, 2022
The mystery is once again in the background. Mostly the reader is riding along with Mr. Q in his busy, busy life. We meet several new characters, revisit several old characters, and learn more about Moose County. I do wonder if the storyline concerning Polly's travels will be continued in the next book or simply dropped . . .
August 31, 2018
Jim Qwilleran, detto Qwill, ex giornalista di cronaca nera di Chicago ora penna del Daily Fuxion, che piace a tutte le donne, con i suoi due siamesi, Koko e Yum Yum, è in vacanza nella ridente contea di Moose. Mentre i due pestiferi siamesi si divertono ad inseguire scoiattoli, Jim si interessa alle usanze dei boscaioli e alla compagnia teatrale del villaggio di Black Creek. Jim, relegato di sua spontanea volontà in uno dei bungalows esterni della locanda dove alloggiano a causa delle scorribande dei suoi gatti, si trova ad occuparsi dell'assassinio del precedente occupante del suo bungalow aiutato dalle intuizioni di Koko che lancia segnali che solo Qwill sa cogliere.
Piacerebbe anche a me andare in vacanza nella locanda in cui si trova Qwill con i suoi siamesi, sarebbe davvero rilassante: pace, buon cibo, libri scambiati con i vicini, abbondanti colazioni, spettacoli teatrali amatoriali ma convincenti e ben realizzati. Ecco in questo libro tutto ciò ci viene descritto con dovizia di particolari; potrebbe anche essere piacevole da leggere ma io penso di avere in mano un libro giallo e non una guida turistica! Il mistero è una parte marginale del libro e viene risolto senza investigazione, ad un certo punto ci viene tutto spiattellato lì da Qwill giusto in tempo prima della fine del romanzo. Ci sono cose che vengono inserite nella narrazione e sembrano promettere bene, come il ritrovamento, fatto nella locanda grazie a Koko, di mobili risalenti alla fine del 1800 e che sembrano avere dietro una storia interessante legata ai primi proprietari della locanda, storia che ci viene raccontata sommariamente e che ci aspettiamo legata al mistero ma che con questo non ha proprio niente da spartire.
Non è scatta l'empatia con Qwill, questo forse anche per colpa mia visto che ho iniziato da questo che è il ventiquattresimo libro di una serie e quindi i personaggi, Qwill e i due siamesi, suppongo fossero stati presentati già abbondantemente nei romanzi precedenti.
Stendiamo poi un velo pietoso sulla traduzione del titolo che in lingua originale è "The cat who went up the creek" che tradotto dovrebbe suonare più o meno come il gatto che risalì il torrente...di streghe e fantasmi neanche l'ombra né nel romanzo né nel titolo originale.
Insomma questo romanzo per me è stata una grande delusione fatta eccezione per il simpatico siamese Koko che mi ha strappato qualche sorriso durante la lettura.
Piacerebbe anche a me andare in vacanza nella locanda in cui si trova Qwill con i suoi siamesi, sarebbe davvero rilassante: pace, buon cibo, libri scambiati con i vicini, abbondanti colazioni, spettacoli teatrali amatoriali ma convincenti e ben realizzati. Ecco in questo libro tutto ciò ci viene descritto con dovizia di particolari; potrebbe anche essere piacevole da leggere ma io penso di avere in mano un libro giallo e non una guida turistica! Il mistero è una parte marginale del libro e viene risolto senza investigazione, ad un certo punto ci viene tutto spiattellato lì da Qwill giusto in tempo prima della fine del romanzo. Ci sono cose che vengono inserite nella narrazione e sembrano promettere bene, come il ritrovamento, fatto nella locanda grazie a Koko, di mobili risalenti alla fine del 1800 e che sembrano avere dietro una storia interessante legata ai primi proprietari della locanda, storia che ci viene raccontata sommariamente e che ci aspettiamo legata al mistero ma che con questo non ha proprio niente da spartire.
Non è scatta l'empatia con Qwill, questo forse anche per colpa mia visto che ho iniziato da questo che è il ventiquattresimo libro di una serie e quindi i personaggi, Qwill e i due siamesi, suppongo fossero stati presentati già abbondantemente nei romanzi precedenti.
Stendiamo poi un velo pietoso sulla traduzione del titolo che in lingua originale è "The cat who went up the creek" che tradotto dovrebbe suonare più o meno come il gatto che risalì il torrente...di streghe e fantasmi neanche l'ombra né nel romanzo né nel titolo originale.
Insomma questo romanzo per me è stata una grande delusione fatta eccezione per il simpatico siamese Koko che mi ha strappato qualche sorriso durante la lettura.
July 12, 2025
Jim Qwilleran and his sidekicks Koko and Yum Yum are on vacation at the Nutcracker Inn.Meanwhile Qwilleran 's lady friend Polly is vacationing with her sister out of state and much to his chargrin has met a gentleman antique dealer.While Polly's trip involves museum visits, lovely dinners and a slight mishap, Qwilleran 's contains, two murders, a suicide and a heartattack. Koko the psychic siamese cat alerts his owner to some shady activity and ultimately helps solve the crime. A cozy cat mystery that is both engaging and whimsical.
February 29, 2020
Gee, I found one of Lilian Qwill and her cats are spending a few weeks at the Nutcracker Inn, a restored Victorian mansion in rural Maine. The manager believes it may be haunted and wants the journalist to investigate. On the first day, Qwill finds a nasty surprise: the body of a guest floating in nearby Black Creek. Is the inn really jinxed, or are other forces at work? Moustache tingling and with whiskers twitching, Quill and his Siamese sidekicks begin to look for clues. Their investigation will uncover a goldmine of information about this remote area.
Credits
Read by George Guidall, Jackson Braun's Books that I had not read. Shock faint. Didn't think there could be any left.
FIRST READ: Prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, must solve a complicated capers while on vacation in this charming cozy mystery in the New York Times best selling Cat Who Series.
Jim Qwilleran is enjoying his stay at the Nutcracker Inn in Black Creek. His two Siamese, Kodo and Yum Yum, don't seem quite as pleased with the accomodations...though Koko does enjoy keeping a keen eye on the squirrels and other local wildlife. Then, while Koko's eagerly watching some jumping trout, he spots something else; a body floating downstream. When it's revealed that the victim was a guest at he inn--and had nuggets of gold hidden in his shoes--Qwill dives into the case. And if he and the cats don't solve it soon, they're going to be up the creed without a paddle.
Enjoyable - Recommend. Was a delightful read.
SECOND READ: In this twenty-fourth entry into this bestselling cozy series, wealthy journalist Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum head off for a mini-vacation at a friend's inn in nearby Black Creek. Qwill's long-time girlfriend, Polly Duncan, is out of town and Qwill is left to his own devices. Innkeepers Nick and Lori Bamba are excellent hosts, but Lori feels that there is something wrong at the inn. And when a guest's murdered body shows up in the local creek, Qwill is forced to agree. With Koko to provide some helpful clues, Qwill sets out to investigate. During the course of his inquiries, he also collects more fascinating local lore for his upcoming collection of Moose County legends, entitled Short & Tall Tales, and gets involved in varied local doings which provide fodder for his popular newspaper column.
The latest adventure of Qwill and his beloved cats shows that Lilian Jackson Braun hasn't lost her touch. Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, the opening of an antique mall and lots of eccentric characters. The characterizations, setting and gentle folksy humor are what keep readers coming back for more of Ms. Braun's delightful mix of cats and crime.
The game is afoot at the Nutcracker Inn in the Village of Black Creek, famous for it's black walnuts and for its squirrels, which keep Koko endlessly entertained as he fences with them. Joining the usual cast of characters are gold prospectors, wildlife photographers, pirates and oh yes, the game: bears!!! This varied melange conspires to keep Qwilleran and the cats on their toes as they face their latest challenge. Enjoyed a lot!!
Credits
Read by George Guidall, Jackson Braun's Books that I had not read. Shock faint. Didn't think there could be any left.
FIRST READ: Prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, must solve a complicated capers while on vacation in this charming cozy mystery in the New York Times best selling Cat Who Series.
Jim Qwilleran is enjoying his stay at the Nutcracker Inn in Black Creek. His two Siamese, Kodo and Yum Yum, don't seem quite as pleased with the accomodations...though Koko does enjoy keeping a keen eye on the squirrels and other local wildlife. Then, while Koko's eagerly watching some jumping trout, he spots something else; a body floating downstream. When it's revealed that the victim was a guest at he inn--and had nuggets of gold hidden in his shoes--Qwill dives into the case. And if he and the cats don't solve it soon, they're going to be up the creed without a paddle.
Enjoyable - Recommend. Was a delightful read.
SECOND READ: In this twenty-fourth entry into this bestselling cozy series, wealthy journalist Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum head off for a mini-vacation at a friend's inn in nearby Black Creek. Qwill's long-time girlfriend, Polly Duncan, is out of town and Qwill is left to his own devices. Innkeepers Nick and Lori Bamba are excellent hosts, but Lori feels that there is something wrong at the inn. And when a guest's murdered body shows up in the local creek, Qwill is forced to agree. With Koko to provide some helpful clues, Qwill sets out to investigate. During the course of his inquiries, he also collects more fascinating local lore for his upcoming collection of Moose County legends, entitled Short & Tall Tales, and gets involved in varied local doings which provide fodder for his popular newspaper column.
The latest adventure of Qwill and his beloved cats shows that Lilian Jackson Braun hasn't lost her touch. Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, the opening of an antique mall and lots of eccentric characters. The characterizations, setting and gentle folksy humor are what keep readers coming back for more of Ms. Braun's delightful mix of cats and crime.
The game is afoot at the Nutcracker Inn in the Village of Black Creek, famous for it's black walnuts and for its squirrels, which keep Koko endlessly entertained as he fences with them. Joining the usual cast of characters are gold prospectors, wildlife photographers, pirates and oh yes, the game: bears!!! This varied melange conspires to keep Qwilleran and the cats on their toes as they face their latest challenge. Enjoyed a lot!!
July 20, 2010
Almost no mystery at all in recent weak 24th "Cat Who..."
Managed expectations will help regular mystery readers enjoy Braun's now 24-book "Cat Who" series more than they might. Don't expect a heavy plot or any chasing of whodunits; and we don't at all miss sex, profanity, or violence for a change. Expect leading man Jim Qwilleran, a now wealthy newspaper journalist, who writes witty and folksy little "local color" columns for the county rag mostly for his own amusement, to entertain his friends to dinner, sniff about for column ideas, and generally play the role of bon vivant. His cats Yum-Yum and Koko are featured throughout, with details of their meals and other antics; and Koko specializes in "assisting" with any ongoing mystery investigations, mostly through timely and clairvoyant yowling.
"Creek" is no exception, but if anything, downplays the mystery plot more than usual, almost to the point of oblivion. We suspect little more than 10 pages out of the 226 were devoted to the crimes (two murders) and their "solution" (we use the word loosely), most of that coming right at the end. In between, Qwill goes to see plays, hosts dinners, reads disappointing postcards from his traveling girlfriend Polly, and uses his inherited money to solve minor problems. While a few humorous events and interesting characters come to light, this novel is really little more than interconnected little tales, with Siamese cat antics and an almost non-existent plot thrown in for diversion. We don't mind a light read once in a while, but there's more meat on the cat plates than you'll find on yours! This is our third "Cat Who", but there's certainly nothing about this weak "entree" in the series to encourage us to continue with Braun.
Managed expectations will help regular mystery readers enjoy Braun's now 24-book "Cat Who" series more than they might. Don't expect a heavy plot or any chasing of whodunits; and we don't at all miss sex, profanity, or violence for a change. Expect leading man Jim Qwilleran, a now wealthy newspaper journalist, who writes witty and folksy little "local color" columns for the county rag mostly for his own amusement, to entertain his friends to dinner, sniff about for column ideas, and generally play the role of bon vivant. His cats Yum-Yum and Koko are featured throughout, with details of their meals and other antics; and Koko specializes in "assisting" with any ongoing mystery investigations, mostly through timely and clairvoyant yowling.
"Creek" is no exception, but if anything, downplays the mystery plot more than usual, almost to the point of oblivion. We suspect little more than 10 pages out of the 226 were devoted to the crimes (two murders) and their "solution" (we use the word loosely), most of that coming right at the end. In between, Qwill goes to see plays, hosts dinners, reads disappointing postcards from his traveling girlfriend Polly, and uses his inherited money to solve minor problems. While a few humorous events and interesting characters come to light, this novel is really little more than interconnected little tales, with Siamese cat antics and an almost non-existent plot thrown in for diversion. We don't mind a light read once in a while, but there's more meat on the cat plates than you'll find on yours! This is our third "Cat Who", but there's certainly nothing about this weak "entree" in the series to encourage us to continue with Braun.
October 10, 2023
Zwarte walnoten. Dat is kort samengevat de inhoud van het boek. Walnoten meubelen, brandhout, beschermd reservaat en walnotentaart tot ze je als lezer de strot uit komt. En niet te vergeten de eekhoorns die ook al verzot zijn op walnoten.
Dank zij Qwill zijn de Bamba's manager geworden van het nietuwe hotel de Nutcracker Inn. Het mag dan ook niet verwonderen dat Lori met haar zorgen bij Qwill terecht komt. Als gevolg gaat die in het hotel logeren, met meename van zijn twee Siamezen. Daar ontdekken ze verborgen antieke meubelen en gaan dan in een bungalow wonen omdat de katten veel te veel lawaai maken. De bungalow komt pas vrij nadat de bewoner vermoord werd en uiteraard vindt Koko het juiste spoor.
Ondertussen is Polly weer eens op reis en daar lijkt een haar in de boter te komen.
Een aantal bekende personages maken hun opwachting en er zijn weer een aantal nieuwkomers waarvan enkelen hun verblijf in Moose County niet zullen overleven.
Een opera en een toneelspel zorgen voor het cultuurelement samen met de boeken waaruit Qwill zijn katten voorleest. Het antiekcentrum waar in het vorige boek al over gepraat werd komt er toch en wordt meteen een bescheiden success.
Hoewel de moorden en de speurtocht essentieel zijn voor het boek krijgt de achtergrond en de oplossing relatief weinig aandacht. Koko geeft hints, Qwill denkt er over na en geeft dan de oplossing op een blaadje aan commissaris Brodie.
Grappig is wel wanneer hij denkt bij de moeilijk toegankelijke MCCC zijn opwachting te kunnen maken en het een snorrenclub blijkt te zijn.
De boeken blijven vlot leesbaar, gaan soms over moeilijke onderwerpen, maar door het vele beschikbare geld kan veel leed met geld afgekocht worden.
Dank zij Qwill zijn de Bamba's manager geworden van het nietuwe hotel de Nutcracker Inn. Het mag dan ook niet verwonderen dat Lori met haar zorgen bij Qwill terecht komt. Als gevolg gaat die in het hotel logeren, met meename van zijn twee Siamezen. Daar ontdekken ze verborgen antieke meubelen en gaan dan in een bungalow wonen omdat de katten veel te veel lawaai maken. De bungalow komt pas vrij nadat de bewoner vermoord werd en uiteraard vindt Koko het juiste spoor.
Ondertussen is Polly weer eens op reis en daar lijkt een haar in de boter te komen.
Een aantal bekende personages maken hun opwachting en er zijn weer een aantal nieuwkomers waarvan enkelen hun verblijf in Moose County niet zullen overleven.
Een opera en een toneelspel zorgen voor het cultuurelement samen met de boeken waaruit Qwill zijn katten voorleest. Het antiekcentrum waar in het vorige boek al over gepraat werd komt er toch en wordt meteen een bescheiden success.
Hoewel de moorden en de speurtocht essentieel zijn voor het boek krijgt de achtergrond en de oplossing relatief weinig aandacht. Koko geeft hints, Qwill denkt er over na en geeft dan de oplossing op een blaadje aan commissaris Brodie.
Grappig is wel wanneer hij denkt bij de moeilijk toegankelijke MCCC zijn opwachting te kunnen maken en het een snorrenclub blijkt te zijn.
De boeken blijven vlot leesbaar, gaan soms over moeilijke onderwerpen, maar door het vele beschikbare geld kan veel leed met geld afgekocht worden.
June 27, 2016
squirrels, squirrels, and more squirrels;
plus maybe a skunk or two;
it's missing my favorite gramma, though
plus maybe a skunk or two;
it's missing my favorite gramma, though
October 3, 2020
I need to pay more attention to my cat !
June 24, 2025
Andiamo sempre più peggiorando, le letture iniziano ad annoiarmi, il giallo è elementare, niente intrighi, niente colpi di scena, sembra quasi diventato secondario alla vita di Qwill e dei suoi gatti. Unica cosa interessante è l'ambientazione, tra boschi, scoiattoli e torrenti, dove i nostri amici fanno un piccolo soggiorno.
Carina anche l'idea del ritrovamento, in una stanza della locanda, di alcuni mobili antichi, con tre specchi incrinati tutti nello stesso punto, appartenuti ad una ragazza fuggita di casa per amore, ma perché non è stata sviluppata? Poteva uscirne fuori una storia interessante.
Non tralasciando Polly, che ogni tanto sparisce in vacanza con la sorella, facendo interessanti conoscenze maschili, saranno vere o vuole solo far ingelosire Qwill e scuotere il loro rapporto? Vabbè, comunque io non la sopporto, spero che ci rimanga per sempre in vacanza e che Qwill rivolga la sua attenzione verso qualcun altra. Possibile che dopo tanto tempo non si sono dati neanche un bacio? 😑
E non parliamo del titolo tradotto a cacchio, dove sono le streghe???🤔 Non potevano lasciare la semplice traduzione del titolo originale? (The Cat Who Went Up the Creek)
Due stelle e mezzo
Carina anche l'idea del ritrovamento, in una stanza della locanda, di alcuni mobili antichi, con tre specchi incrinati tutti nello stesso punto, appartenuti ad una ragazza fuggita di casa per amore, ma perché non è stata sviluppata? Poteva uscirne fuori una storia interessante.
Non tralasciando Polly, che ogni tanto sparisce in vacanza con la sorella, facendo interessanti conoscenze maschili, saranno vere o vuole solo far ingelosire Qwill e scuotere il loro rapporto? Vabbè, comunque io non la sopporto, spero che ci rimanga per sempre in vacanza e che Qwill rivolga la sua attenzione verso qualcun altra. Possibile che dopo tanto tempo non si sono dati neanche un bacio? 😑
E non parliamo del titolo tradotto a cacchio, dove sono le streghe???🤔 Non potevano lasciare la semplice traduzione del titolo originale? (The Cat Who Went Up the Creek)
Due stelle e mezzo
April 6, 2022
Though I gave this book a three, I still enjoyed the book. I have read all the prior books in this series and will read the remaining books. They all rate a three
The books are light and predictable. The characters are quirky. The cats are easy to visualize.
For me, sometimes I just need simple and that’s what this series is
The books are light and predictable. The characters are quirky. The cats are easy to visualize.
For me, sometimes I just need simple and that’s what this series is
January 24, 2024
Moose County benefactor and journalist Jim Qwilleran takes his two Siamese cats to an inn at Black Creek, where the cats watch squirrels and Qwill spots a body floating downstream. But there's not much mystery, it's mostly Qwill meeting various local characters.
March 30, 2018
I just love this series and taking the action away from the Apple barn is a great addition. This story moves a bit more slowly than others, but still a very enjoyable read.
April 9, 2012
I knew it was going to be a stressful weekend and wanted something to transport me away to somewhere safe and familiar. This is the 24th of these books I've read so I knew what I was getting and it really fit the bill. Simple stories/plots, not especially "sophisticated" murders, but most importantly, an easy to get into society that has become like family every time I return. Since the main protagonist, Jim Qwilleran, is independently wealthy he has a fairly stress-free existence doing just what he wants to do. And even though it's not exactly what I'd pick for myself, I sure would like to be in his shoes.
As for the story, itself, I found it much like the last few books in the series; i.e. more about life in the northern areas around Moose County than about actual murder solving. In fact, in this book the murders happen off stage and almost without impact on the main characters, like an afterthought to the rest of the book. This is probably not the best book for murder mystery lovers but still enjoyable for a quick read to escape a holiday weekend with the relatives :)
As for the story, itself, I found it much like the last few books in the series; i.e. more about life in the northern areas around Moose County than about actual murder solving. In fact, in this book the murders happen off stage and almost without impact on the main characters, like an afterthought to the rest of the book. This is probably not the best book for murder mystery lovers but still enjoyable for a quick read to escape a holiday weekend with the relatives :)
October 26, 2010
This was better than the last one but that's not saying much. Qwill seems to have taken on this air of superiority and demandingness. Perhaps his status has gone to his head. The longer he lives in Moose County the more manipulative he becomes it seems, using the other citizens only for their information and bragging about his cat's abilities (something he never would have done in earlier novels). He's becoming an insufferable know-it-all. I hope he reverts back in later novels because his endearing qualities are disappearing. Also, whatever happened to the Bamba's soup restaurant? There's no mention of it since they went to the Nutcracker Inn, only references to their failed B&B on Breakfast Island. The plot of this one was pretty transparent and we spent more time following Qwill back and forth on his various lunches and dinners.
January 30, 2016
This is the first of The Cat Who...series that I really didn't like. I found the plot confusing and the story line disjointed. Much of the book was taken up with superfluous information that didn't pertain to the story. Qwill's good friend, Polly has left for a month on vacation with her sister. She sends a post card every day and the note is shared with the reader. The entire book is filled with these little asides with no purpose at all. Too bad. Up until this book, the series has been an entertaining bit of fluff
March 21, 2019
My goodness, the amount of exclamation points in this book is unrivaled.
What was the point of this book? I assumed it was about a murder-but there were only like 5 pages pertaining to any type of mystery. It was mostly info about this millionaire’s “vacation” (which he expenses to his newspaper), the history of black walnuts and the foods they can be put it, and all the dishes this weirdo fed his cats...no plot, weird characters and TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS.
I’d never read anything by this author before and after reading this, I think I’ll keep it that way.
What was the point of this book? I assumed it was about a murder-but there were only like 5 pages pertaining to any type of mystery. It was mostly info about this millionaire’s “vacation” (which he expenses to his newspaper), the history of black walnuts and the foods they can be put it, and all the dishes this weirdo fed his cats...no plot, weird characters and TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS.
I’d never read anything by this author before and after reading this, I think I’ll keep it that way.
October 21, 2013
These books are always great for a quick, fun read. There is not a lot of meat to the story but they are always enjoyable for me to read.
May 9, 2016
Love all the Cat Who,books.
March 31, 2018
This book was enjoyable and contained the same quirky characters and banter of the previous books. The murders seemed secondary to the other community activities, and that was fine with me.
April 7, 2014
These books are comfort food for my mind.
May 27, 2017
Ghost busting? James Qwilleran, the richest man in the northeast central United States, gets a call from an innkeeper friend who believes her inn is haunted. Well, any excuse for a change of scene, Qwill thinks, and he will be able to find some new material for his newspaper column.
Qwill loves to move around, his pampered Siamese cats don’t. But once they all settle into the inn’s "penthouse," it doesn’t take long for Koko and Yum Yum to uncover the mysteriously damaged furniture of a long-ago runaway heiress in their tower, and the body of a missing lodger in the creek. Qwill has the healthy curiosity of a good newsman. He makes friends with the other residents of the inn and takes part in the community life of Black Creek, conversing all the while about antique furniture, ideas for his column, and the forest upstream from where the body was found. Koko also has ideas to contribute to the investigation, requiring Qwill’s interpretation. Qwill doesn’t play detective in the way most mystery novel heroes do. He doesn’t make timetables or mull over theories. When one of his new friends also goes missing, he drifts around chatting casually while the police do their jobs.
THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK mostly consists of chats and cats. Qwilleran’s geniality and reassuring mustache attract friends everywhere, so Lilian Jackson Braun can have a good time creating the many people he meets. She has fondly observed cats for many years, and her warmly visual descriptions will appeal to all cat lovers. After twenty-three books about these characters, the formula is well established. It is Qwilleran’s acquaintances who give these books their remaining freshness – including, in this case, the squirrels at the Nutcracker Inn.
In my opinion the special charm of the bestselling CAT WHO books depends on long custom. If you have been reading them, you keep reading them. The journalist Qwilleran who moved from one bare city rooming house to another is more believable than the later Qwilleran who unexpectedly inherited billions of dollars and became a philanthropist; but the series’ gentle humor, amusing and recognizable townspeople, and the cats who blessedly never grow old, keep readers coming back book after book.
Qwill loves to move around, his pampered Siamese cats don’t. But once they all settle into the inn’s "penthouse," it doesn’t take long for Koko and Yum Yum to uncover the mysteriously damaged furniture of a long-ago runaway heiress in their tower, and the body of a missing lodger in the creek. Qwill has the healthy curiosity of a good newsman. He makes friends with the other residents of the inn and takes part in the community life of Black Creek, conversing all the while about antique furniture, ideas for his column, and the forest upstream from where the body was found. Koko also has ideas to contribute to the investigation, requiring Qwill’s interpretation. Qwill doesn’t play detective in the way most mystery novel heroes do. He doesn’t make timetables or mull over theories. When one of his new friends also goes missing, he drifts around chatting casually while the police do their jobs.
THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK mostly consists of chats and cats. Qwilleran’s geniality and reassuring mustache attract friends everywhere, so Lilian Jackson Braun can have a good time creating the many people he meets. She has fondly observed cats for many years, and her warmly visual descriptions will appeal to all cat lovers. After twenty-three books about these characters, the formula is well established. It is Qwilleran’s acquaintances who give these books their remaining freshness – including, in this case, the squirrels at the Nutcracker Inn.
In my opinion the special charm of the bestselling CAT WHO books depends on long custom. If you have been reading them, you keep reading them. The journalist Qwilleran who moved from one bare city rooming house to another is more believable than the later Qwilleran who unexpectedly inherited billions of dollars and became a philanthropist; but the series’ gentle humor, amusing and recognizable townspeople, and the cats who blessedly never grow old, keep readers coming back book after book.
January 13, 2023
Enjoyable twenty-fourth book of The Cat Who Series
Entertaining twenty-fourth book of my favorite Cat Who Series. In this book Qwilleran and his two siamese cats go for a vacation to The Nutcracker Inn in Black Creek where they can enjoy a large wooded area that's part of The Klingerschoen Conservatory. Staying in one of several small cabins right on the river Qwilleran gets to know their neighbors, Hannah Hawley, a singer in the choir who's hobby is building dollhouse furniture. Wendy and Doyle Underhill, newlyweds. He is a nature photographer and she's a housewife with a congenital heart condition. And the more mysterious pair, a man named Joe who disappears every day and claims to be deep sea fishing and his wife, who claims to be recovering from surgery and her child, who she seems to neglect. The man who was staying in the cabin before Qwilleran was murdered and Qwill found a pair of his shoes with a hidden compartment filled with gold nuggets. Then Doyle Underhill disappears while out taking pictures of wildlife and Wendy has cardiac issues and needs to be hospitalized. Joe returns to his cabin and then takes off and the next morning Hannah finds the little boy, Danny waiting on her porch with a suicide note from his mother in the pocket. Qwilleran and Police Chief Brodie figure out what was going on and link it to illegal activity going on in secret in the deep woods of the Klingerschoen Conservatory.
Entertaining twenty-fourth book of my favorite Cat Who Series. In this book Qwilleran and his two siamese cats go for a vacation to The Nutcracker Inn in Black Creek where they can enjoy a large wooded area that's part of The Klingerschoen Conservatory. Staying in one of several small cabins right on the river Qwilleran gets to know their neighbors, Hannah Hawley, a singer in the choir who's hobby is building dollhouse furniture. Wendy and Doyle Underhill, newlyweds. He is a nature photographer and she's a housewife with a congenital heart condition. And the more mysterious pair, a man named Joe who disappears every day and claims to be deep sea fishing and his wife, who claims to be recovering from surgery and her child, who she seems to neglect. The man who was staying in the cabin before Qwilleran was murdered and Qwill found a pair of his shoes with a hidden compartment filled with gold nuggets. Then Doyle Underhill disappears while out taking pictures of wildlife and Wendy has cardiac issues and needs to be hospitalized. Joe returns to his cabin and then takes off and the next morning Hannah finds the little boy, Danny waiting on her porch with a suicide note from his mother in the pocket. Qwilleran and Police Chief Brodie figure out what was going on and link it to illegal activity going on in secret in the deep woods of the Klingerschoen Conservatory.
April 27, 2024
Jim Qwilleran, former crime reporter and owner of a huge bushy mustache, has made it with the Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum to the twenty-fourth book in this mystery series. This book was a great addition to the series, and I enjoyed that the ending was not what I expected. (Although I will point out that I can be fooled by just about anything.)
It is June, and Qwilleran is at loose ends, since his girlfriend Polly Duncan, the head librarian in Pickax City, is on vacation with her sister Down Below. He opts to head to the old Limburger Mansion in Black Creek, now repurposed as the Nutcracker Inn. The Inn (run by old friends, and staffed by students from Moose County Community College, otherwise known as MCCC) is next to Black Creek, which runs through the Black Walnut Conservatory, closed to all but recreational use. Qwilleran and the cats install themselves on the third floor, and discover old black walnut furniture in the turret. Since one of the five screened porch cabins along the creekside has become vacant (due to the involuntary death of the mysterious occupant), Qwilleran and the cats move to Cabin Five. Koko is interested in books about pirates, and Qwilleran gets invited to be a guest speaker at an MCCC Luncheon.
I enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to the next four or five books left in the series.
It is June, and Qwilleran is at loose ends, since his girlfriend Polly Duncan, the head librarian in Pickax City, is on vacation with her sister Down Below. He opts to head to the old Limburger Mansion in Black Creek, now repurposed as the Nutcracker Inn. The Inn (run by old friends, and staffed by students from Moose County Community College, otherwise known as MCCC) is next to Black Creek, which runs through the Black Walnut Conservatory, closed to all but recreational use. Qwilleran and the cats install themselves on the third floor, and discover old black walnut furniture in the turret. Since one of the five screened porch cabins along the creekside has become vacant (due to the involuntary death of the mysterious occupant), Qwilleran and the cats move to Cabin Five. Koko is interested in books about pirates, and Qwilleran gets invited to be a guest speaker at an MCCC Luncheon.
I enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to the next four or five books left in the series.
April 20, 2019
This installment in the series has our hero staying at yet another location around Moose County (a delightful place, with an exorbitantly high crime rate, it seems.) I agree with many of the other reviews that the mystery part of this installment in the series was not well done, the deaths themselves were not covered in much detail (and it is a newspaper man reporting on them!) The clues leading to the solutions were minimal. I listened on audiobook, and found myself rewinding several times, thinking I must have missed something. I had not missed anything - the story just continued without sufficient details that should have been there. I will continue to read the series because I like the small town goings-on but I want the mystery to be front and center. To get 3 or 4 stars, the mystery has to be good, its solution presented in a well thought manner. This story fell short - it was not one of her better efforts.
October 28, 2019
Qwill is asked to come stay at the Nutcracker Inn. His cover story is he is researching material for his column. The true story is he is trying to find out what it is that is making Lori Bamba, one of the owners, feel so uneasy.
Once Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum (his two feline co-horts) were settled, it was time to start investigating. The first mystery solved was what was locked behind the door to the turret in Qwill's room. Antique furniture belonging to the original family who built the building in the late 1800s!
The next mystery involved a body found floating in the creek. A much more serious matter! Seems he is a guest at the inn and also has golden nuggets hidden in his shoes.
Koko once again lets his curiosity go in high gear as he 'helps' Qwill solve this murder.
Oh, and the thing that was making Lori feel uneasy? That is solved too!
"The Cat Who" is a series I've enjoyed for quick reads over the years.
Once Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum (his two feline co-horts) were settled, it was time to start investigating. The first mystery solved was what was locked behind the door to the turret in Qwill's room. Antique furniture belonging to the original family who built the building in the late 1800s!
The next mystery involved a body found floating in the creek. A much more serious matter! Seems he is a guest at the inn and also has golden nuggets hidden in his shoes.
Koko once again lets his curiosity go in high gear as he 'helps' Qwill solve this murder.
Oh, and the thing that was making Lori feel uneasy? That is solved too!
"The Cat Who" is a series I've enjoyed for quick reads over the years.
August 3, 2021
#24 in the series. Polly is off travelling with her sister, and Qwill takes a vacation at the Nutcracker Inn. Soon mysteries and dead bodies start to pile up. Koko and Yum-Yum feature prominently, as usual.
The premise of the book was good. Our first victim seems to have been a current day gold prospector. But there's a different direction that this book veers off into, which was also interesting.
There were several threads of stories going on in the book. These threads correspond to the folks also staying at the Nutcracker Inn, as well as some peripheral events.
What I didn't like was that the ending seemed unfinished. No spoiler here, but certain events in the book do not come to their anticipated conclusion. We have no idea if the 'bad guy' gets away with murder, and more. Not every crime in real life gets resolved, but I felt a little let down at the ending. Or lack of ending.
The premise of the book was good. Our first victim seems to have been a current day gold prospector. But there's a different direction that this book veers off into, which was also interesting.
There were several threads of stories going on in the book. These threads correspond to the folks also staying at the Nutcracker Inn, as well as some peripheral events.
What I didn't like was that the ending seemed unfinished. No spoiler here, but certain events in the book do not come to their anticipated conclusion. We have no idea if the 'bad guy' gets away with murder, and more. Not every crime in real life gets resolved, but I felt a little let down at the ending. Or lack of ending.
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