“Cat Who” Bomb

The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell
Lilian Jackson Braun
Finished reading: October 17, 2008 

The “Cat Who” series is a favored treat for lovers of the mild-mannered, character-driven, amateur sleuthing mystery book sub-set.  That happens to be one of my favorite kind of mysteries–not much blood and guts, characters you can follow as the series develops (unless one becomes the unwitting murder victim,) good storytelling and an interesting plot.  Bombshell is #28 in this series, all showcasing two siamese cats with uncanny murder-solving sensibilities and the sleuthing, cat-loving millionaire and former newspaper man, James Qwilleran.  Set in a rural Northern town called “Pickax,” Mrs. Braun has created a great community of characters with just enough of the typical small town quirkiness to be realistic.  As with all good series, she not only creates characters and relationships, but a history with milestones, grand events, great rivalries and legends much like the real thing.  It’s why I like this series. 

Because I hadn’t read about Pickax in a while, this book was like a trip home for the weekend–getting reacquainted with friends and family, taking a walk around town and sampling favorite cuisine.  The continued development of a great fictional history and richly diverse relationships is where The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell succeeds.  The story is set during the Pickax sesquicentennial summer-long celebration, and included lots of the historical details and community events that give the series depth.  It’s the redeeming factor for this installment.

As for the murder, unfortunately I’d finished the book before I realized there was one.  There were three “mysterious” deaths–one hunting “accident,” and the passing of two elderly residents.  The hunting death was left unresolved and completely unexplored, almost as if it was an afterthought with absolutely no contribution to the story line.  The elderly deaths (predictably, inheritance motivated) were solved on practically the same page they were revealed.  For a mystery book-lover, it bombed.  There was no blow by blow of the police investigation, none of the sleuthing “Qwill” usually provides, and the few hardly recognizable twists and turns were forced and down-right predictable.

I’ve read quite a few of the “Cat Who” mysteries and have never been disappointed as the last page was turned–until now.  Installment #29 is out, and I’m hoping Cool Koko, the siamese crime solver, redeems himself!