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Search - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who...Bk 1)
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The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who...Bk 1) Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Hardcover
Book Description:
Braun introduces Jim Qwilleran, a prizewinning reporter who's been on the skids but is now coming back with a job as feature writer (mostly on the art scene) for the Daily Fluxion. George Bonifield Mountclemens, the paper's credentialed art critic, writes almost invariably scathing, hurtful reviews of local shows; delivers his pieces by messenger; lives with his all-knowing cat Koko in a lushly furnished house in a moldering neighborhood, and has a raft of enemies all over town. He offers the newcomer a tiny apartment in his building at a nominal rent, and Qwilleran grabs it, surmising the deal will involve lots of cat-sitting. Meanwhile, a gallery whose artists get happier treatment from Mountclemens is owned by Earl Lambreth. The acerbic critic has praised paintings there by a reclusive Italian named Scrano; the junk assemblages of Nino, who calls himself a ``Thingist,'' as well as works by Lambreth's attractive wife Zoe. It's Zoe who, one night past closing, finds her husband stabbed to death in the vandalized gallery. Days later, Qwilleran, guided by an insistent Koko, finds Mountclemens's knifed corpse on the patio behind his house. It takes a while to put the meandering pieces together and to uncover an overriding motive behind the mayhem, but the best things here are Qwilleran's low-keyed charisma and the author's well- aimed, often funny barbs at the pretensions of the contemporary art world--as on-target today as they were some 30 years ago. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Top Member Book Reviews
Heather M. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a cute little, easy to read series. It provided a nice break from the 400-500 page mysteries I usually read and I look forward to having a few on hand whenever I need a little light reading.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the first book in the series that introduces Qwillian and the Siamese Koko. Interesting and a good read beginning to end.
Patti S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
If your looking for another cozy mystery series to start reading then you have come to the right book....
In the first one of many we meet Qwill, an old crime reporter who is landed a new job learning about and writing about the local artist. From here we meet many new and crazy colorful characthers. Everything is going great for our reporter until he meets his future landlord(who everyone but a few dispise) and the murders start happening. From here we meet the famous cat Koko(named for the Cat Who....) who not only can read backwards, but helps solve the mystery. Without giving to much details and plot, this is one that you will have to pick up and find out for yourself.
If your definitely in the mood for some light, fun, and fast reading I would suggest giving this a try and then heading on to the next in the series, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern. I know I will.....
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the first in The Cat Who...series and I found it to be adorable. Rather light reading mystery that introduced the characters well and had some good twists and turns. It makes me want to read more by Lilian Jackson Braun.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The beginning of the series. Qwilleran, a down-on-his-luck reporter gets a job and is assigned to cover the art beat. But there is a murder, and he and his new cat have to solve it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
More than thirty years ago, Lilian Jackson Braun wrote The Cat Who Could Read Backwards and launched the phenomenally successful Cat Who... mystery series. In it we are introduced to the extraordinary detective team of prize-winning reporter Jim Qwilleran and Koko, the brilliant Siamese cat. Jim Qwilleran is somewhat disgruntled when his assignment for the Daily Fluxion is to cover the art beat. For a hard-nosed crime reporter it's like being put out to pasture. Little does he suspect that this "fluff" assignment will lead down the path to murder. A stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fall from a scaffold are not at all what Qwilleran expects. Even less, he could not possibly predict that the solution to these crimes wouldn't come from his newfound partner, Koko the Siamese with exceptional abilities for sniffing out clues.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The adventures of newspaperman James Qwilleran and his Siamese cat partner Koko, are a delight to read at any time. This is one of the earlier mysteries involving a stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings and a fatal fall from a scaffolding.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
First in the series of "The Cat Who..." bestselling mystery books...
"The captivating series featuring Mystery's most extraordinary detective team...Qwilleran--a prizewinning reporter with a nose for crime. Koko--a Siamese cat with extraordinary talents and a flair for mystery. The most unlikely, most unusual, and most delightful team in detective fiction."
If you've been wanting to read these books, here's where it all started...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The world of modern art is a mystery to many. But for Jim Qwilleran it turns into a mystery of another sort when his assignment to cover the art beat for the Daily Fluxion leads down the path to murder. A stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fall from a scaffolding-this is not at all what Qwilleran expects when he turns his reportorial talents to art. But now Qwilleran and his newly found partner, Koko, the brilliant Siamese, are back in their element-sniffing out clues and confounding criminals intent on mayhem and murder.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The world of modern art is a mystery to many. But for Jim Qwilleran it turns into a mystery of another sort when his assignment to cover the art beat for the Daily Fluxion leads down the path to murder. A stabbing in an art gallery, vandalized paintings, a fatal fall from a scaffolding--this is not at all what Qwilleran expects when he turns his reportorial talents to art. But now Qwilleran and his newly found partner, Koko the brilliant Siamese, are back in their element--sniffing out clues and confounding criminals intent on mayhem and murder.
Qwilleran--a prizewinning reporter with a nose for crime. Koko--a Siamese cat with extraordinary talents and a flair for mystery. The most unlikely, most unusual, and most delightful team in detective fiction.
Please Rate these Book Reviews
Tricia - Shakopee, MN wrote on 9/9/2009...The great start to the Cat Who dynasty!
This is the first of the "Cat Who" books and is really clever. Lilian Jackson Braun wrote the first three books in the 1960's and then didn't write again for almost twenty years. I have all the books and read them over and over again. Wonderfully entertaining and well written.
Slightly entertaining story of a man solving a series of murders and the cat who clues him in on some important facts.
Great as always. Quilleran and his cats and Moose County and the people, all fun and entertaining. Mysteries written with clean language and good humor.
Darling light mystery. This is the one where Quilleran first meets Koko the cat.
Another great tale of Koko and Yum Yum solving a mystery - I love these books and have read every one!
I enjoyed this book very much. It is the first in the series. He does not have any cats at the begining of the book but he meets KoKo during the story and ends up adopting him by the end of the book.
The second cat Yum Yum is not in this book.
The first in the series. It was a good read. A bit dated though.
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