Former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran takes on a new challenge--writing something worthy of a cash reward about the much-disdained part of town known as Junktown. When he begins to sniff around the haven for antique dealers, a mystery is already afoot. A beloved dealer has recently fallen and died, but Qwilleran quickly begins to suspect foul play.

This is my favorite so far, finding the trio of Qwill, Koko, and Yum Yum really beginning to feel like a family. The characters are a lot more engaging, the mystery is interesting and a little easier to follow and potentially solve by the reader, and the interactions between man and cats are cute and whimsical.

I felt like Braun really hit her stride with this story (and then stopped writing for 20 years), as Qwill seemed less grumpy and more open to new things. I loved his misunderstanding about Junktown near the beginning of the book. I really appreciated what Yum Yum added to the investigation, considering that she always seems to take a backseat to Koko when it comes to laurels. And there was a character introduced in this book that I'm pretty sure is going to be around later, because her name is very familiar. Other than some of Qwill's fellow newsmen, no characters have recurred yet, so that'll be interesting to see in the future.

Overall, this was a nice, quick read, and the best of the first 3 in the series. I would recommend this book for fans of the classic whodunit & cozy mystery genres. ( )

This cozy mystery really held my interest. People died who I thought were important to the story. The author plays fair with the reader for the revelation of the murderer, but I didn't catch it until the end. While it is the third in a series, it can be read out of order.

I enjoyed it and will continue on in the series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with cats, this series should be on your "to read" list. ( )

It was an easy read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It seemed to wrap up awfully quickly at the end, though. ( )

Book three in Braun’s popular “The Cat Who…” cozy mystery series, starring journalist Jim Qwilleran (known simply at Qwill), and his two Siamese: Koko and Yum Yum.

This time Qwill’s been assigned to write a Christmas feature story on Junktown, a formerly (still?) blighted area of town full of shops specializing in all manner of antiques and collectibles. Since he’s also in the market for a new apartment, he’s happy to find a truly affordable place in a remodeled and repurposed mansion, above the antique shop run by the owners. And, of course, he’s curious about a padlocked shop – one resident says the owner was murdered, but almost everyone else say it was a tragic accident. Qwill can’t help but investigate.

I really like this cozy series. As a journalist for the local newspaper, Qwill has every reason to search out the story. His cats seem rather prescient as well. No, they don’t talk to Qwill, other than to voice their demands for food, of course. But Koko, in particular, has a knack for pointing out interesting tidbits – a red feather here, or a secret panel behind the bookcase there – that help Qwill’s investigation.

There isn’t a lot of graphic violence, and Qwill is a gentleman when it comes to romantic interludes (i.e., he never tells). ( )

I think if I read this one first, I probably wouldn't have wanted to read any others in the series. This time, Qwill's beat was: antiques. In his quest to win a much-needed monetary prize for writing, he decides on a series of articles about Junktown, a decrepit area of the city famous for it's moldering buildings and many antique stores with silly names. I loved the way characters were constantly questioning how people who own these shops can possibly make a living - I ask myself this every single time I enter one. There were a few other amusing scenes, but overall there were too many characters and none of them were very memorable; coupled with a less-than compelling mystery this one fell flat for me.

A few tidbits about Qwill's life were revealed. It's confirmed that he was once a well known and much-lauded crime writer in New York city; that alcoholism played a role in his fall from grace, and that his ex-wife lives in Connecticut and he still sends her money. Also, as I predicted, his girlfriend Cokey from the previous book wasn't in it for the long haul, but the breakup was barely mentioned and apparently untraumatic to both parties. (Qwill quickly moves on to another much-too-young-for-him woman; not my favorite part of his character at this point, but men will be men.) So I guess they can't all be home runs, and I'm optimistic about the next adventure with Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum.

Originally published: 1968

Body Count: 3 Andy the Antique Dealer; Bum who claimed Andy was murdered; Mr. Cobb, the other Antique Dealer and Qwill's temporary landlord

Preceded by: The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

Next Up: The Cat Who Saw Red ( )