The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare

by Lilian Jackson Braun

Book Overview

There's something rotten in the small town of Pickax--at least to the sensitive noses of newspaperman Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum. An accident has claimed the life of the local... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0515095826
• Release Date: June 1988
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

My Favorite Cozy Series!

In the 7th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is becoming acclimated to his new life as a millionaire in Pickaxe City (400 miles north of everywhere). He has moved his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into the old Klingenschoen mansion and has settled in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will. As the book begins, Qwill is awaiting the arrival of "the big one", a huge snow fall, as predicted every day on the weather report on WPKX. He is starting to adapt to life as the richest man in Moose County, and has started dating the local librarian, Polly Duncan. He begins to get acquainted with the various families in town, and develops an easy friendship with Junior Goodwinter, the young, energetic editor of the Pickax Picayune. When Junior's father dies suddenly in an accident, Qwill sympathizes with his friend, and looks for ways to save the centuries' old newspaper run for years without profit. Qwill begins to become suspicious of Junior's mother, and her reaction to her husband's death. It seems the widow is ready to sell all of her possessions and has been seen around town with a new man. Could the death of Senior Goodwinter have been anything more than a bad car accident? Distracting Qwill from the suspicious death is the upcoming marriage of his beloved housekeeper, Mrs. Iris Cobb. Qwill brought Mrs. Cobb up from "Down Below" to manage his household and the new museum that is being created in the Klingenschoen mansion. But the man she is marrying is highly disliked in town, and Qwill works hard to insure that Mrs. Cobb is marrying the right man for her. This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". In this installment, Qwill brings Hixie Rice to town, and begins to talk about having old friend, Arch Riker, join him in Moose County. Also in this book, Qwill's long-time romance begins with librarian, Polly Duncan. This is a great series by my favorite author! The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

Koko Rides the Elevator

As we join the soap opera that is Pickax City in this the seventh book of this series we find that all is quiet, at least in the beginning. The people of Moose County are bracing for the first snow of the year, which they refer to as "the big one" and Jim Qwilleran has lost another love interest. Of course anybody who has read any of the other books knows that before long somebody is going to die and that usually the deaths just keep right on coming. With only 4000 people in Pickax City the author is eventually going to have to bring in new people or quit killing off so many in each book. This series can be just a little morbid but I have found that once one begins reading these books the marvelous characters and backdrop become addictive. Right on schedule there is a death that looks like an accident but Qwilleran isn't so sure that it wasn't murder or even suicide. The first death to occur throws things into an uproar that particularly affects one of Qwilleran's close friends and he jumps into action to solve the problem. He also finds a new love interest and his housekeeper is hinting that she may be close to getting a proposal from her new beau. Along the way he opens a museum in his new palatial home and is suspicious of his old friend Hixie Rice's new boyfriend. Qwilleran also learns that the local radio station predicts snow every day in November until they are finally right and he learns a hard lesson about "the big one" after he starts to ignore the weather forecast. All the while Koko, the cat in the title, is trying to tell the former ace reporter something but somehow Qwilleran misses all of the signals. Koko, for his part learns to use the new elevator in the house and rides up and down a lot. Like the previous books in the series, the mystery in this book becomes secondary to the antics of the people and cats of Moose County. Lilian Jackson Braun has an uncanny ability when it comes to character creation and the reader will get attached to these people, which makes it all the more sad when she kills somebody off. I have even developed a desire to visit Moose County, even though it is a figment of the author's imagination. I would particularly like to visit the town of Brr where it is always colder than it is anywhere else in Moose County. This is just the kind of extra touch that makes these wonderful books so addictive.

THE BEST BOOK SERRIES EVER

The Cat Who is the best serries ever full of humor wit and complexity, James Macentosh Qwilerin is a off beat repoter/Billion air with his 2 cats Koko and Yumyum who are no shorter than extra ordinary. This is the best book serries I have ever read and would recomend it to any one over 10. Trevor Oliver 12 Years old

A cat lover's delight

I realize one person's pet is another one's annoyance, so not everybody loves cats ... or dogs or birds or fish for that matter. But if you do love cats, the Cat Who books are a delight. The mystery story, while part of the fun, is really a sidebar to the story of Mr. Q and his two cats, their travels and their adventures. Jorge Luis Borges said he wasn't sure he believed in the Hound of the Baskervilles, but he believed in Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. That is the way the Cat Who books are. You believe in Jim Qwilleran and his two cats, Koko and Yum Yum. They are characters that live in your heart.

Excellent book!

I loved this book! I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet, but I thought it was an excellent plot. I like how it involves an important family like the Goodwinters, and how Polly was introduced into the series. I always thought Qwill needed a steady girl.