The Cat Who Sang for the Birds

by Lilian Jackson Braun

1999

Status

Available

Publication

Berkley (1999), Edition: Reprint, 272 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. In this delightful new novel featuring Jim Qwilleran and his lovable cats, Koko and Yum Yum, the rites of spring are celebrated with the fine art of birdcalling....and a fateful act of murder. It seems that this spring, a cat's fancy may turn to crime-solving...

User reviews

LibraryThing member victorianrose869
August 27, 1999
The Cat Who Sang for the Birds
Lilian Jackson Braun

Had trouble focusing on this one. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood.

Someone has burned up an old country woman in her rickety barn of a house, and Qwill soon learns of a scam that led the old lady to sell off a huge portion of
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her land for a fraction of its worth. This is all connected somehow to the new art gallery on the other side of the road, where a young, sad woman sits in a back room painting pictures of butterflies and keeping company with a rude, cursing parrot. When Qwill sees the bruises on her arms and suspects her bartender boyfriend with whom she lives, inexplicably, in the very expensive Indian Village condos, he feels for her and of course, gets that suspicious otherworldly tugging sensation in his mustache. Then the girl disappears, an turns up dead in the river. The bartender and a scheming local political / restauranteur get their comeuppance for the scam, the old lady’s death, and the girl’s death.

The title comes from – I guess – the fact that Koko chats animatedly with a small flock of birds every morning. Qwill likes to pack the cats and some goodies in a tote bag and take them out to the gazebo for lunch, which sounds really good right now…
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LibraryThing member FiberBabble
As always, a satisfying light read. There were a couple of continuity glitches in the book, but probably no one but I would notice them and they certainly did not take from the story.
LibraryThing member dukefan86
Another easy listener on the car. Not my favorite story line of the series, but it still had some pretty interesting things going on, like to new art center and the adult spelling bee.
LibraryThing member Greymowser
Another fun Quill and cats mystery.
LibraryThing member nx74defiant
Fun quick read. Love the quirky characters. The new art gallery opens up. I felt sorry for the poor "butterfly girl". Something was obviously wrong when she started wearing long sleeves.
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
Spring time and Qwill has had a screened-in gazebo built for Koko and Yum Yum to enjoy the wild life and the outdoors. It is also a great place to get some reading and writing done too. The birds are singing and so are the cats. May not be the best harmony but the cats don't care!

When a
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neighbouring house is vandalized with spray paint and then later is torched, killing the 94 year old owner in the blaze, things become very suspicious. Along with this comes strange happenings at the new Art Center that is across the intersection from the burnt house.

Koko starts his strange tricks, trying to give Qwill some clues. The problem is interpreting them.

Another fun read in "The Cat Who..." series. I enjoy these fast reads as a break. I've had a Siamese before and know what characters they can be, so it is no stretch of the imagination when I read about the antics of Koko and Yum Yum.
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LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader
As I've shared previously I love this series! If you love cats and cozy mysteries this series would be my first recommendation. If anyone has a desire to write cozy mysteries this series would also be first on my recommended reading list.

There's always a murder to be solved and I enjoy matching my
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interpretations with Qwill in deciphering Koko's clues. Yum-Yum the other Siamese that enjoys residence with Qwill and Koko provides her own unique expressions during every adventurous tale. I also enjoy the interactions between Qwill and Polly Duncan's cat Brutus (formerly known as Brutus*).

As winter is over, Qwill, Koko, and Yum-Yum have returned to residence in the reconverted apple barn. Koko and Yum-Yum are enjoying the new gazebo that gives them special viewing pleasures of other critters as much as Qwill enjoys the fresh air, reading, and entertaining guests.

For all who love the furry face characters in cozy mysteries there will be special joy in reading "The Cat Who Sang for the Birds" as three (3) new furry faces are introduced and due to their new residences are posed for frequent mention in the remaining novels of the series. I am certainly hopeful of the possibilities.

*If you're reading the series out of order, you can learn the timing and reason for Bootsie's name change in "The Cat Who Tailed a Thief."
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1998

Physical description

272 p.; 4.25 inches

ISBN

9780515124637

Barcode

1602311
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