(3.5 / 5)

This book was good, but not one of the better installments of the series. Part of that, I think, is because after we've had the chance to get used to Pickax City, Moose County, and all of the odd characters in Qwilleran's new home 400 miles north of everywhere, we're yanked back to the big city (as is Qwilleran). There are some familiar faces there, but the series really got better when Qwilleran moved north, so why go back? I think the other reason it didn't stand out is that the cats aren't all that involved. Yum Yum pretty much sleeps the whole time, and Koko's input mostly involves finding locations where certain things happened. Yes, it plays into his uncanny abilities, but part of the charm of this series is the odd habits he tends to pick up for the length of one mystery and then discard. That didn't really happen this time.

The mystery was not particularly interesting, either, and while there were some aspects to it that I didn't figure out myself, it was overall nothing spectacular. Still, it's not a bad story, and I would still recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries. ( )

Another fun read. ( )

3.5 stars
I enjoy the Cat Who Pickax setting more then the other settings in the series so I was surprised to find that this book set "Down Below" in the big crime ridden city was as enjoyable as it was. It had a great cast of quirky characters and a fast moving plot. It was also nice to see a few of the characters from early in the series when it was set "Down Below" appearing again, and also nice to see that Qwill has changed so much those books. ( )

In this 11th book in the series, the nomadic Qwill accepts an offer to spend the winter in a fully furnished penthouse apartment Down Below. The penthouse is at the top of the historic Casablanca hotel, now gone to seed, and the purpose of this residency is to determine whether the K fund will underwrite the restoration of the once elegant and famous building.

The mystery involves the previous tenant of the penthouse who was apparently the victim of a murder-suicide. But it isn�Ûªt long before Koko unearths clues that make Qwill question that conclusion, and wonder if he himself is in danger. It seems that someone wants to make sure the Casablanca restoration project doesn‰Ûªt go through.

One of the fun things about The Cat Who‰Û_books is revisiting characters, events and places from previous novels, and this one is no exception. For example, the Casablanca is right at the edge of Junktown; and lots of the characters make an appearance here, including Robert Maus, who has given up law to open a restaurant; and Mary Duckworth, who is spearheading the ‰ÛÏSave the Casablanca‰Û movement. When packing for his trip Down Below, Qwill packs a suit that he wore only twice ‰ÛÒ one to a wedding, and once to a funeral. Those of us who have read the books in order know exactly which two events he is referring to.

This was an enjoyable outing in the series. Qwill was once again likeable, and the cast of characters was varied and interesting, especially the residents of the Casablanca hotel. Qwill opens up to one of them about how he overcame his drinking problem. I liked the way this sojourn to his old stomping ground Down Below made Qwill realize that he didn't belong there anymore, and just how much Moose County had become his home.

I wonder if at this point Ms. Jackson Braun went through the same body count analysis I did in my previous review, and determined that 29 deaths somehow related to Qwill in 10 books was a bit much - and that was humans only, there was also a murdered cat and some unfortunate goats. So this one had an extremely low body count ‰ÛÒ only one (not counting the murder-suicide which happened before he entered the picture and couldn‰Ûªt be blamed on him.)

Originally published: 1990

Body Count: 1 a maid at the Casablanca (food poisoning)

Preceded by: The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts

Next Up: The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal ( )

Now I am very glad that I read #12 before #11 in the series as Chapter 1 of #11 riveted my attention for the dearly loved character of Jim Qwilleran. WoW! Well done Lilian Jackson Braun! Well done! The author totally surprised me with this twist of opening chapter and I was spellbound to learn what happened to Qwill as his friends are known to call him.

I'd also call attention to the dedication by the author to her husband for this series as it can be as romantic or as matter-of-fact or as humorous as one's imagination dares.

If you're only reading a few of the titles in this series, I would suggest this one shouldn't be missed. ( )