(2.5 / 5)

This was my least favorite book in the series so far. That has a lot to do with the fact that it feels almost like a repeat of The Cat Who Moved a Mountain, with the primitive locals vs. the tourists, developers, and wealthy people, except on an island. On top of that, Qwilleran often starts out in a story with reluctance and grumbling, but he usually ends up finding something to appreciate, if not enjoy. Not so in this book, where he is basically unhappy the entire time on the island.

One thing I did enjoy about the book was that island strongly reminded me of Mackinac Island in Michigan, with the no-cars rule, the bicycles to compensate, and the smell of fudge everywhere. I don’t know if that was on purpose, or if Braun had some other touristy island in mind (or none at all, though I’d doubt that), but I have very fond memories of vacations spent there, so it provided a little nostalgia. Unfortunately, the mystery wasn’t particularly intriguing or surprising. I finished the book just under a month ago, and I no longer remember for sure who the “bad guy” was. Not really what you want from a mystery book. Hopefully this doesn’t signal Braun starting to run out of ideas, but I’ll continue on with the hopes of a better book to follow it up. ( )

Love these books. They are cozy and so safe to read - no real worrying stuff inside. Perfect just before bed books. ( )

I didn't like this one as much as the previous books. The setting of Breakfast Island and the lack of the Pickax characters failed to interest me. ( )

Another fun read. ( )

I love this series! It never fails as a pick-me-up for an enjoyable reading adventure!

As mentioned when I read #12 in the series...One of the delights of this series is that one never knows where Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum-Yum will be residing as the setting for their residence changes throughout the series and they always add an interesting twist to the mystery of murder and mayhem and a fascinating new cast of characters for their interactions.

Koko's version of playing Dominoes with Qwill and faithful Yum-Yum watching adds to the fun of this adventure particularly for readers who share their lives with cats. ( )