The Cat Who Played Brahms (1987)

This 5th installment was my favorite so far. With the move to Moose County, the series is injected with humor and whimsy, and the characters and mystery are engaging.

This time, Qwill's beat was ... no beat!

When the building he‰ÃƒÂ›Ã‚ªs living in (Maus Haus from the previous book) is sold and the residents given notice, Qwill decides it's the perfect time for a vacation. For years, wealthy family friend "Aunt Fanny" Klingenschoen has been offering him the use of her lake house in Moose County, so he loads Koko and YumYum into his newly purchased car and off they go.

Qwill is a city boy and everything about isolated Moose County seems strange, but before long he gets to know and appreciate the beauty of the area and the quirky, friendly locals. Of course, he and the cats are soon embroiled in a mystery ‰ÛÒ this time involving escaped prisoners, a shady turkey farm, and smuggling.

A few more tidbits about Qwill‰Ûªs life are parceled out here. We find out that his ex-wife had a nervous breakdown, which led to his drinking problem. Rosemary, his age-appropriate lady love from the previous book comes to visit but the relationship is doomed as Qwill is backsliding into his preference for much younger women. (Although in fairness, it might not be Rosemary‰Ûªs age so much as the fact that she doesn‰Ûªt get his jokes.) He meets beautiful young doctor Melinda Goodwinter and clearly wants to pursue her ‰ÛÒ despite the fact that she seems determined to put him in his place, constantly referring to his advanced age.

The biggest surprise in this novel is the incredible change in Qwill‰Ûªs circumstances. Upon Aunt Fanny‰Ûªs death, he learns he is her sole heir and becomes an overnight multi-millionaire. The catch is, he must live in her Pickax mansion for the next five years. If he declines, the entire fortune goes to an outfit dedicated to restoring Atlantic City, where Aunt Fanny had made her fortune. This would be a huge blow to the citizens of Moose County, who for years have been promised funds from Aunt Fanny‰Ûªs fortune for various community projects.

Qwill is torn. He is not materialistic, and he likes his life as a reporter Down Below. He's not sure he wants to live full time in this strange, remote part of the country. What will Qwill decide? We won‰Ûªt know until the next book!

Originally published: 1987

Body Count: 4 Unknown escaped prisoner (murder/drowning); Qwill's new friend whose name I can't remember (bludgeoned with his own candlestick); Aunt Fanny (murder/pushed down stairs); Tom the handyman (suicide/guilt about pushing Aunt Fanny down the stairs)

Preceded by: The Cat Who Saw Red

Next Up: The Cat Who Played Post Office ( )

This is one of the earlier "The Cat Who" books and not quite as cutesy as some of the later ones. Jim Qwilleran and his cats go to a fishing cabin for a well-deserved rest. Qwill ends up solving a murder with the help of his cat Koko who suddenly develops a taste for classical music. ( )

Journalist and amateur detective James Qwilleran takes a break from newspapering to ostensibly write a book in a cabin owned by a woman who was good friends with his mother in college. Old Mrs. Klingenschoen is quite a wacky lady and also a bazillionnaire and the acknowledged orchestrator of most events in Pickax as well as all of Moose County. Again people nearby are murdered and Qwill and his prodigious Siamese, Koko, investigate.

Another cast of eccentric characters are introduced, Qwill continues womanizing, the mystery is mildly suspenseful and tricky, the cat is adorable and a big surprise at the end (though not a surprise if you've read LT reviews of the first four books in this series). ( )

Qwill decides to take a vacation in the north and visit his Aunt Fanny and spend time in her cabin in the woods. He's supposed to be taking time off from his newspaper job to write a novel. But things aren't all they seem in the small town where the locals don't talk to people from "down below." A neighbor is killed in his woodworking shop. Qwill also hears some strange goings on while out on a fishing trip in the fog. All this gets his investigative reporter mind to working. ( )

The conclusion felt rushed and wasn't very satisfying.
I also don't like how it ended with the will. It feels like a cheap cop-out. ( )