Rating: 
Summary: A novel that pulls you along to the very end!
Review: Lilian Jackson Braun's book, The Cat Who Went Up The Creek, is the 24th book in a 26 book series. Braun provides a mystery that is easy to follow yet entertaining to the reader. This book captures the hearts of cat lovers and mystery fans everywhere. The Cat Who Went Up The Creak involves a columnist for a small town newspaper named Jim Qwilleran. Qwill, as the locals call him, decides to spend two weeks in the historic Nutcracker Inn in order to help the Nutcracker's owner pinpoint just what is causing the "dark cloud" to hang over the Inn. During Qwill's short stay of just two weeks, he meets interesting people and is faced with some extremely suspicious happenings that will keep you guessing.
If you are planning on reading through the entire series, then buying this book may be to your advantage. With so many books in the series, it would be nice to look back and refresh your memory on certain events. I would suggest starting with the first book in the series so you understand exactly what is going on and who the characters are. I'm confident that after reading a few of these fascinating books you will choose your favorite and want to read it over and over again!
Rating: 
Summary: The Cat Who Disappointed
Review: Being a long time fan of Lilian Jackson Braun's work, I waited eagerly to own this, the newest addition to her "Cat Who..." series. What did I get?The plot is based on the "dark vibes" coming from the Nutcracker Inn, owned by Qwill's friends the Bambas. Well, as fiction, it's EXTREMELY bad. Why does she include information on the mosquitoes and go absolutely nowhere with it? Koko's eccentricities even got on my nerves halfway through. What happened to all Koko's helpfulness in this one, anyway? As a mystery, it's possibly worse than it is as a fiction. From the first murder, it's quite obvious who the perpetrator is (to me, anyway). While Qwilleran should be investigating these crimes, he prefers to spend his long days without his love interest Polly Duncan watching bad school plays, poor reenactments and drab operas. Is this a true crime reporter? Did Qwill lose every aspect of his old personality? Well, the book has a lot of loose ends and an extremely poor plot. (Why do we include the walnut furniture if it has nothing to do with anything?) I got the feeling, the entire time I was reading this, that it wasn't even a Lilian Jackson Braun novel. This would disappoint any prospective fan of her work, I'd suggest to new readers that they get my personal favorite "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern" (her first one). THAT was an excellent mystery. Sorry Ms. Braun, but I'm going to have to agree with the masses: You've gotten yourself a ghost writer to do these! Better luck next time to whoever DID write this.
Rating:
Summary: Almost no mystery at all in recent weak
Review: Managed expectations will help regular mystery readers enjoy Braun's now 24-book "Cat Who" series more than they might. Don't expect a heavy plot or any chasing of whodunits; and we don't at all miss sex, profanity, or violence for a change. Expect leading man Jim Qwilleran, a now wealthy newspaper journalist, who writes witty and folksy little "local color" columns for the county rag mostly for his own amusement, to entertain his friends to dinner, sniff about for column ideas, and generally play the role of bon vivant. His cats Yum-Yum and Koko are featured throughout, with details of their meals and other antics; and Koko specializes in "assisting" with any ongoing mystery investigations, mostly through timely and clairvoyant yowling. "Creek" is no exception, but if anything, downplays the mystery plot more than usual, almost to the point of oblivion. We suspect little more than 10 pages out of the 226 were devoted to the crimes (two murders) and their "solution" (we use the word loosely), most of that coming right at the end. In between, Qwill goes to see plays, hosts dinners, reads disappointing postcards from his traveling girlfriend Polly, and uses his inherited money to solve minor problems. While a few humorous events and interesting characters come to light, this novel is really little more than interconnected little tales, with Siamese cat antics and an almost non-existent plot thrown in for diversion. We don't mind a light read once in a while, but there's more meat on the cat plates than you'll find on yours! This is our third "Cat Who", but there's certainly nothing about this weak entree in the series to encourage us to continue with Braun.
Rating:
Summary: A Shadow of Its Former Glory
Review: While I always like to have a brief reunion with Qwill and his cats, it seems to me that the series has flatlined in the last several outings. Yes, I've read the whole series, but stopped buying the books several years ago when I realized they had become doorstops that I would never reread. Where's the mystery? What's with the cats?? Their involvement has gotten less and less, to the point where Yum Yum does absolutely nothing and Koko just howls once in a while and knocks things over. THIS is supposed to display his famous intelligence? The writing style has changed for the worse, too. Ms. Braun's (if indeed that's who is writing the books) favorite punctuation mark has become the exclamation point. It's everywhere! Even if Qwill is just having breakfast! No event is so small that it doesn't deserve an exclamation! Of some sort! In the latest "...Up the Creek" installment, a dead body barely intrudes on Qwill's stay at the Nutcracker Inn. After he discovers it floating down the creek and he calls 911, he apparently totally puts it out of his mind and proceeds to charm a neighbor and make a dinner date with her. No one seems to care too much about the dead guy, which I understand 'cause I didn't either. I did give the book two stars because there are a few humorous parts and it's always nice to peek in on Moose County and its local characters. For the next "Cat Who..." book, may I suggest having Qwill and the K Fund lose everything in the stock market crash. He was more interesting when he was poor. Have the cats become more involved. And lose the omnipresent exclamation points! Unless the story really warrants them!!
Rating: 
Summary: Time for another visit to Moose County
Review: This is the 24th installment of the continuing adventures of Qwill and friends. The action again is in Moose County, this time centering for most of the book on the newly opened Nutcracker Inn out on Black Creek. The mysteries and bodies begin pile up until Koko once again points Qwill in the right direction. As always with this series the mysteries are secondary to the characters. Qwill and his cats are like old friends to fans of the series. His on-going relationships with Polly and other friends in Moose County are what keep people looking for the next book. By now most fans could draw a map of Moose county and describe many of its residents. This book, like the others in the series, is not meant to be a challenging puzzle to figure out but is instead and pleasant read for a quiet weekend. There is no profanity, 'adult situations', or graphic violence.
Rating: 
Summary: What happened?
Review: For 17 years, I had a beloved Siamese cat, also by the name of Koko, who was very intelligent and perceptive. It was because of her that I was quickly drawn to the mystery-solving Koko (Kao K'o-Kung) and all the "Cat Who" books. Many of the older books in this series are actually very entertaining mysteries written skillfully with characters and plots that have depth. I will forever be a fan. Having said that, the last several books have been quite disappointing, and it appears to have gotten worse with "The Cat Who Went Up The Creek". The author seems to be just going through the motions with bland and uninspired writing. Qwill suddenly appears to be disinterested in solving a murder. Instead, he spends his time gathering quaint little stories for his newspaper column and throwing "K Fund" money around to solve everyone's problems. Oddly enough, he still managed to have all the answers and solve the murder mystery at the end . . . . he must have been sleuthing around for clues when I wasn't looking. There is no mystery here, no suspense, no character development and no great Koko moments. If you are a cat lover and enjoy good mysteries, you will for sure be entertained by many of the previous books in this series, but please don't start here. Instead, start from the beginning with "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards".
Rating: 
Summary: Another cozy read by Lilian Jackson Braun
Review: THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK by Lilian Jackson Braun THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK is the second book in the series by Lilian Jackson Braun. In this book, number twenty-four in the series, journalist/millionaire Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats Koko and YumYum are guests at the Nutcracker Inn located in the neighboring town of Black Creek. While he is there, he learns of a floating body in the creek, and soon he and the cats are on the prowl, trying to solve a mystery in the way no others can. Before the story ends, Jim discovers the hotel he is staying at is haunted, attends a showing of "The Pirates of Penzance", takes care of his friend Polly's cats while she is away on vacation, and gets to know his neighbors in the cabins that stand along the banks of Black Creek. Amongst all this are clues that will lead him to the murderer. As this is only my second book, I can't make a judgment on the entire series. But, from comparing this book and the previous one I had just read, it appears to me that her older works are better written, and worth reading if you are one that enjoys cozy mysteries. In other words, don't expect too much action. Expect cute antics by the two cats, and some amazing feats of sleuthing by the Siamese Koko, and a few witticisms by Jim and his friends. I have to admit that THE CAT WHO series are not my cup of tea, but I would recommend these books to those who can appreciate these types of cozy mysteries. The best advice is to start with the earlier written books, and wait till the very last to read the final books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Without a Paddle
Review: Hardcore mystery fans may find it a bit of a stretch, but if your taste runs to expertly written and very light fiction, you can't do better than Lillian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." series. Her detective, reporter James Qwilleran, investigates crimes with the aid of his Siamese cats--and the solutions to the crime rest more upon intuition than actual deduction. While the premise sounds farfetched, Braun's work is usually less fanciful than you might expect, and she presents her eccentric characters and stories with great charm. But with THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK, it becomes evident that Braun has finally written one "Cat Who..." novel too many--if indeed she wrote this one at all. In some ways, the book seems typical of Braun, for it holds close to the formula she has established: Qwilleran is invited to visit the Nutcracker Inn in the Black Creek community, and between coping with his cats, running into old friends, and engaging in community gossip, he becomes aware of mysterious doings re the nearby "Black Forrest" land conservancy. But for all that, the novel simply doesn't read like Braun. Braun typically has an even pace and tone; she endows her eccentric characters and their episodic adventures with tremendous charm; and although her plots are extremely light she inevitably brings them to a clear resolution. But none of that happens here. The first and final thirds of the book have an extremely awkward feel, the characters and events seem perfunctory, and while there is a resolution of sorts it completely lacks the tone one expects of her work. Judging from this, I would say that THE CAT WHO WENT UP THE CREEK was created by Braun in the sense that she developed the plot and outlined the highlights--but unless I'm truly off the mark, I'd have to opinion that the execution of this novel was either completely ghosted or significantly assisted by someone familiar with Braun's work but unable to duplicate the nuances of her style. I always look forward to a new Braun novel, but this may be the case of The Cat Who Needs To Retire. --GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--
Rating:
Summary: Not the best one of the series, by any means
Review: I have read several of "The Cat Who" series over the years. I personally liked them better before Qwill became a multi-millionaire and had money to answer every single problem that came up. The plots seemed to loose "creativity" when big bucks from the K Fund are ALWAYS the answer. In this particular volume I thought if I read one more reference to "Mother Earth" I was gonna just trash can the whole book. I managed to hang on to the very dissapointing end. I suppose if you are a liberal enviromentalist wacko you could appreciate the message in this book, but I did not. I am saddened to see a work of fiction with such a blatant liberal agenda behind it. I do not reccommend this book...
Rating:
Summary: The first ones were the best ones
Review: I've read most of the Cat Who...mysteries, but sort of dropped out at about the Cat Who Said Cheese, because I'd gotten tired of the characters and the simple plots. I was looking for something to take for my mother to read in the hospital, and since she enjoys these novels, I got her The Cat Who Went Up the Creek. In glancing through the book I realized that I rather missed the citizens of Moose County. Actually my mother now lives in an area so like Moose County, I almost wonder if Ms Braun doesn't live and write in the same vicinity! The plot is no more complicated than the others were-actually I like the earliest novels the best, since they have a little more edge to them-but the characters were entertaining. I was a little disappointed that a historic tale introduced into the story didn't come out a little spookier. The laid back ambiance, however, makes up for the lack of drama, and having been "raised" by a Siamese and lived with one ever since, I have a certain love of the felines who rule Jim Qwilleran's life with an iron paw! A pleasant read for an afternoon when you don't want to do much thinking or have your emotions put on a roller coaster!
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