Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
28th out of 34 books
—
6 voters
The Cat Who Wasn't There (Cat Who... #14)
Qwill's on his way to Scotland--and on his way to solving another purr-plexing mystery. But this time Koko's nowhere the scene of the crime. He and Yum Yum are back in Pickax being coddled by a catsitter...but Koko won't sit still once Qwill's traveling party returns--minus one member. He's behaving oddly, and Qwill knows what that means: Koko may have been miles away from...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
June 1st 1993
by Jove
(first published 1992)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Like all the other books in the series, this book held me in suspense. It is about yet another of Jim Qwilleran's mysteries, in which this one was how the leader of the Bonnie Scotts Tour was murdered by one of the tourists. In the end, the answer was very surprising. Melinda Goodwinter really likes Qwilleran, but he doesn't really like her that much. But the reason she likes him is because she hopes to marry him into the Klingshoen fortune. She notices that he doesn't like her that much, and do...more
I was due for a straight who-dunnit mystery and I also needed to read a shorter novel after just completing the lengthy "The Seventh Scroll". This book is the 15th in the "Cat Who..." series and although I haven't read all of them up to this point I would guess I have completed about 10-11 of them. I confess to not having read them in order, something I normally never do, but that is due to the nature of how I acquire them. You see I received several as gifts, years ago and I knew my mother had...more
Qwilleran and the gang leave Pickax (400 miles north of everywhere) for a trip to Scotland. However, the holiday is marred by murder. This is one of the Cat Who... books I have not read often. In fact, this is only my second reading of the book. It brings back Melinda Goodwinter, QWills first girlfriend in Pickax, the aggressive Dr. Melinda still has her hooks out for Pickax's leading citizen, but Qwill isn't interested.
It's not one of my favorite Cat Who.. books. However, it was the first one...more
It's not one of my favorite Cat Who.. books. However, it was the first one...more
Qwill's lady-friend Polly lets him know about about a group trip planned to Scotland and invites him to go along. Polly's friend Irma, who reportedly has connections in Scotland, is organizing the trip and will serve as tour guide. The first few days of the tour are a blur of riding through the countryside listening to Irma tell stories about the area. Tragedy strikes Day Six of the trip when Irma dies in the night from an apparent heart attack. Several people abandon the trip at that point, wi...more
Jan 04, 2012
Kirsti
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Cat lovers, Mystery lovers, Animal detective fans
I have to say, I miss the part of the book where Koko wasn't there, although he was making his presence felt. You come to depend on his Yows and Yargles signalling clues, and he is giving them, you just don't realize it.
Qwill has been persuaded to look into his Scottish heritage by joining a Pickaxe tour group. While there, Irma Hasselreich dies mysteriously. The truth comes out after Koko's obsession with Melinda Goodwinter and pink pills. It was odd seeing Melinda portrayed as she was, so mone...more
Qwill has been persuaded to look into his Scottish heritage by joining a Pickaxe tour group. While there, Irma Hasselreich dies mysteriously. The truth comes out after Koko's obsession with Melinda Goodwinter and pink pills. It was odd seeing Melinda portrayed as she was, so mone...more
What a terrific book this one was. Qwill is on his way to Scotland with the Bonnie Scots Tour, without his KOKO or YUM YUM, but this does not matter as KOKO is still on the case. The story starts "In late August, sixteen residents of Moose County, a remote part of the United States 400 miles north of everywhere, traveled to Scotland for a tour of the Western Isles and Highlands, lochs and moors, castles and crofts, firths and straths, burns and braes, fens and bens and glens. Only fifteen of the...more
Koko who wasn't "there" when the unfortunate incident happened halfway around the world, but he just knew. Qwill has been persuaded to travel to Scotland. While there, he got an opportunity to look into his Scottish family heritage and history which I appreciated to learn something about Scotland. Koko's attempt to communicate in Yows was one of the clues to Qwill who slowly figured out at end of the story.
It is another "The Cat Who..." that can be easily reading in one or two sittings. Most of...more
It is another "The Cat Who..." that can be easily reading in one or two sittings. Most of...more
As with #13, this is one of the best I've read in this series. The mystery of this book was briefly introduced in the previous, which made me anxious to read it. The mystery was well written and Braun tied up all the loose ends that I noticed. I thought the ending was quite sad (and I was disappointed that Qwill and the readers) weren't able to read the note, but it seemed appropriate.
Qwill and his beloved cats have really grown on me. I recommend all my friends give this series a try. I've read...more
Qwill and his beloved cats have really grown on me. I recommend all my friends give this series a try. I've read...more
BOTTOM LINE: Qwill visits Scotland and, of course, bad things happen. This 14th in the long series has a comfortable, and rather satisfying plot (if a wee bit too coincidental), but while the latest stories were unbearably "cute!!", at this point they're still well-plotted, and worthwhile.
Polly’s got a stalker, the lovely Melinda is back in town (and pushing for marriage), and somebody steals YumYum - seems Qwill just doesn’t have any luck with the females in his life, unless it’s bad. And on a...more
Polly’s got a stalker, the lovely Melinda is back in town (and pushing for marriage), and somebody steals YumYum - seems Qwill just doesn’t have any luck with the females in his life, unless it’s bad. And on a...more
Jan 10, 2008
Selena
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who needs a mental break
Shelves:
just-plain-fun
I'm only going to bother reviewing one of the "Cat Who..." books, so just consider this a general review of the whole series, I'm just using The Cat Who Wasn't There to do it because it was the first one I read. Since high school, these books have been my cheesy, fun, light-reading (yet with enough classical references to actually keep me occupied), something to do when I felt like reading, needed my mind occupied, but just didn't feel the energy needed to foucus on the new translation of Dante...more
This is a great series, especially if you are a cat lover, as I am. The characters are interesting, if eccentric, and the adventures aren't usually exciting, but fun to read. This book includes the trip to Scotland made by some of the residents of Pickax, a murder, the staging of MacBeth, plus a near kidnapping, an actual kidnapping, and a violent suicide. I discovered that I have another Cat book which I hadn't added to the list--more fun ahead.
I love anything to do with my Heritage and that would be "Scotland". Some of these books take place in or around Scotland. I just think these books are so much fun that you can get "lost" in another "place" and leave the real world behind for a while. This is a "fun and feel good" book that you'll want to sit down with your cuppa tea or coffee and enjoy it on a cold day while sitting next to the fireplace!! Love it! LOL
Qwill and Polly and a bunch of their friends from Pickax and Lockerby head to Scotland for a two week tour, guided by Irma Hasselrich. After about a week of touring, Irma is discovered dead of a heart attack, as diagnosed by Dr. Melinda Goodwinter. Qwill and Polly cut their trip short and head home to Pickax. Melinda Goodwinter was an old girlfriend of Qwill's, and she has just come back due to her father's death. She begins pestering him, making suggestive invitations, and finally tells him she...more
Who-done-its are not my favorite genre when I select books, but The Cat Who books had been recommended to me because I love cats. The plot held my interest because Scotland intrigues me, but so much of the details / events are convenient. The book is not a stand- alone volume - there is too much reference to previous cat adventures and not too much in this particular story to endear the cats' personalities.
This was a great book to get me in the mood for my upcoming summer in Scotland, and the first book of said summer.
I really liked it, but wasn't happy when YumYum got kidnapped. Luckily it only lasted three pages, but it did seem really abrupt and not completely necessary. That was the only thing I didn't like about this book.
As always I love Quilleran and the cats. Thank you Braun.
I really liked it, but wasn't happy when YumYum got kidnapped. Luckily it only lasted three pages, but it did seem really abrupt and not completely necessary. That was the only thing I didn't like about this book.
As always I love Quilleran and the cats. Thank you Braun.
This time Qwill leaves the cats while he goes for a trip to Scotland for a trip where the organiser dies. Koko still gets in on the act though. A whole series of things go wrong but the cats and Qwill sort it all out - still enjoying the series. Will keep for my daughter and then sister as we are reading the full series.
This is what I call a parlor mystery, and I like parlor mysteries. In other words, there is a murder, but their is no gore. Everything is nice and polite. I am a fan of Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat" books. I like to listen to them on my iPod so I can walk as I "read".
HA! this was the first Can Who... book I've read since middle school maybe? it was pretty bad, but serviceable enough for dog walks. yet another fabulous choice from the 'awesome' selection of Overdrive downloadable audiobooks available for the iphone app.....
Maybe I should have started with the first book in the series. Maybe this one was less than stellar because the cats were not involved in the whole story. Either way, reading this one is like coughing up hairballs, i.e. it takes a lot of effort and isn't very enjoyable.
Qwill is leaving for Scotland but the cats are back in Pickax. But, once Qwill comes back Koko knows that something is wrong and Qwill has to follow the lead of the cat to solve the mystery.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
This book in the Cat Who series is one I'd been looking forward to reading since noticing it in the series list. It has Qwill & several of his Pickax friends traveling to Scotland to tour together. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the book actually takes place in that country, but it was a good little mystery just the same.
These are charming and fun mysteries. I went through a binge of everything in the series when I was younger, but haven't touched them since. I remember really enjoying them, though, and both liking the main character and the twists to the stories.
What a superior book this was. Qwill's on his way to Scotland with the Bonnie Scots Tour,without his KO KO or YUM YUM, but this does not matter for KO KO is still on the case. The story starts "In late August, sixteen residents of Moose County, a remote part of the United States 400 miles north of everywhere, traveled to Scotland for a tour of the Western Isles and Highlands, lochs and moors, castles and crofts, firths and straths, burns and braes, fens and bens and glens. Only fifteen of them r...more
Qwilleran goes to Scotland. If I could tell a character that I don't care that his mother was a Macintosh, I would! I do enjoy the series though because they are a quick, easy read. I do plan on reading the whole series.
Randy likes these books so I got a cd to listen to on our Easter trip. Maybe it would help to start at the beginning of the series, but after 2 discs and tons of character introductions, I didn't care to continue.
It has been a few years since I read the series by Lillian Jackson Braun, but I still love them. I have read the novels and also picked up the books on CD from the library for long commutes. These books are fantastic.
I don't know why, but it was very hard for me to get into this book. I had attempted to read it when I was in high school and just couldn't do it, and I almost gave up this time too. I think it must be the writing style more than anything.
a trip to scotland in this one - an american view of the west coast! So the murder was carried out in a country on the other side of the world from the 'detective' cat!
I love these books--the main character is funny and really understands how cats think. I also enjoy these stories because they are mysteries, my favorite genre.
As always the cat who series is a delight to read. I like the main characters and the plots are fun to work out. This is the first book of this series that I knew who the murderer was before the final chapter. Will read more of the delightful series to hear more about Jim, Koko, Yum Yum, and the other characters of Down Below,
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Lilian Jackson Braun was an American writer. She is well-known for her light-hearted series of The Cat Who... mystery novels. The Cat Who books center around the life of former newspaper reporter James Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and Yum Yum in the fictitious small town of Pickax located in Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere." Although never formally stated in the books, th...more
More about Lilian Jackson Braun...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
