Cat Who Went Up the Creek

Rating:
Summary: Feeling a little lost...
Review: I truly have unconditional love for this series but can not help but feel unsatisfied with the last couple of books. Well, actually since "Stars" came out. There have been some new characters introduced that go nowhere. Some central old characters are being ignored (Does no one else think that the cute new Inn Manager and Fran Brodie would be perfect for each other?). The mysteries are too predictable. I do not mean to be gruesome, but everyone being knocked off is someone from down below... I had to immediately go re-read an older book just to get a "Qwill" fix. What's happened?

Rating:
Summary: Something is missing here
Review: When I finished this book, I was left with such a sad feeling! My first thought was that Ms. Braun had passed on, and someone else wrote this book. The mystery at the end was never really solved, Quill just assumed who the culprit was. The story line of Polly and Walter was left hanging. The whole book revolved around Quill's vacation and the social happenings at Black Creek, rather than focusing on the mystery. Even the cats played a small role this time. All of the new characters introduced were not well fleshed out, and the old favorites just made some cameo appearances (Arch and Mildred, for example). Whomever wrote this (and I don't believe it was Ms. Braun) should go back and read the previous titles. Something is missing here.

Rating:
Summary: Another Outstanding Installment To The Series
Review: Fans of 'THE CAT WHO,' series will not be disappointed by the
latest installment to the series. Lillian Jackson Braun delivers
another fresh interesting well crafted installment refrained in both language and tone. Fans of the series will see that James
Quillean and the cats are on top of their game. Another five star mystery that relied on a cat as a central figure is 'MURDER
DOESN'T FIGURE' by Fred Yorg. I recommend both books to all lovers of cozys.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Recent Cat Who - Wonderful!
Review: I personally thought this was one of the better ones, though they are all great! Qwill leaves home with Koko and Yum Yum for Lori and Nick Bamba's new Nutcracker Inn, believed to be haunted. As usual, murder strikes, but who could the killler be? Check it out in... The Cat Who Went Up the Creek

Rating:
Summary: die hard fans will be disappointed...
Review: First let me say that I've read every book in this series several times, and have been a long time fan. There are people who will give these books 5 stars no matter what they contain. I will probably always follow the series but I'm not going to lie - this book is terrible. Why? Moose County has lost its soul.

For those who doubted that Lillian Jackson Braun was still writing the books, this installment holds the proof. The new author has not only abandoned several old locations (what ever happened to his cabin on the lake and places like Tipsy's?) and key points (gone are descriptions about Qwill's mustache, his "Squunk" water habit, his gruffness, and the cats' overall intelligence), s/he uses a bizarre grammatical style full of exclamation points and "...". Also, Polly suddenly has another sister that she immediately goes off to visit when the book begins and several returning characters are shadows of their old selves.

If you are the type that reads the books for their familiarity, you will not enjoy this. It's a good mystery, not a bad book overall, but there's no way this was written by the same author who lovingly crafted the series about 10 years ago. I wish they'd just fess up about the ghost authors (I'm thinking this is the third or fourth) instead of trying desperately to hold on to a profitable series. OR, they could call one of Jackson Braun's legions of fans, who know Pickax, the Apple Barn, the cats, and the characters like their own families, to continue the series as it deserves to be written.

People not familiar with the series will probably enjoy this book. It's not badly written, contains good descriptive elements, and has a mystery at its heart. Those somewhat familiar with the series will probably enjoy the return to Moose County and have no problems with it. But people who have read the series several times and are really interested in the inhabitants of Pickax and the surrounding towns will be sadly disappointed. It's hard not to notice missing details and the absence of favorite people when you've spent so much time with them.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable!
Review: Overall, I was pleased with this book. It wasn't the best of all the "Cat Who.." books, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. It was nice getting back into Pickax and all of it's unique characters. I personally enjoy all the "side" stories. I think Ms. Braun has a wonderful imagination, and I think this book is a good read.

Rating:
Summary: The Cat Who Went Up The Creek
Review: I'm not sorry I bought it,although it was definately my least favorite of all "The Cat Who" books.
It was a very short book, read it in a day.I did not like the ending at all.I thought it left you somewhat hanging.
I have come to really enjoy the characters ms.braun has created and will look forward to her next and hope that it is better than this one.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As a fan of Ms. Braun's Cat Who books I always look forward to each new chapter. But The Cat Who Went Up A Creek is a far cry from her usual entertaining fare. After 27 episodes featuring the cats, she has finally hit a wall. Without revealing any of the details of the mystery (and there are only a couple)this book relies too heavily on the local characters and Mr. Q's ability to have dinner with each of them. This book spends more time on social events surrounding Moose County than on even pretending there is a mystery. If this series is going to survive (and I hope it does) Ms. Braun needs to relocate Mr. Q and the cats to a different location, Moose County has become stale.

Rating:
Summary: Ho-Hum
Review: The newest Cat Who book has its charming moments, but just like the last few books, it's mostly about the old days of Moose County and very little about a mystery. The mystery in Cat Up the Creek is secondary and feels rushed. I keep hoping the author will write these books as she did the earlier ones, in which Qwill and the cats dominated the stories and there was no Polly. The Cat Who Saw Red is one of my favorites; also the Cat Who Played Post Office where Qwill got into an accident while riding his bicycle. And how about The Cat Who Lived High, an interesting departure for Qwill and the cats into the world of a rundown hotel. Ah, those were the days - and the books - that made the Cat Who series so great.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best in the series, but still fun for the fans
Review: I don't remember how I got involved in "The Cat Who..." series, but "The Cat Who Went up the Creek" provides more fun for those of us who find Koko, Yum Yum and Qwill part of our family. You won't find autopsy reports in these books, nor well developed murder plots, like a Kinsey Milhone mystery. But, I always learn something new, like doll making, the antique business, the sport of curling, taxidermy, and other arts, and enjoy the company of Qwill and his friends at a variety of cafes and eateries.

I'm a fan, so take my review with that in mind. New readers to the Braun series are usually warned to start with the original three (...read backwards, ...Danish Modern, ...on and off) which breaks the basic commandment, as I understand it, of reviewing: You review the book that you are reviewing. But, with Braun's series there are several fully populated towns and cities, a wealth of side characters and a host of animals to keep track of in each book.

I find I have to read books from this series in one sitting (if possible) and then go back and read the book or two before...but, that is never a chore. These are easy reading mysteries...albeit some real tough vocabulary words tossed in each text...and can be read painlessly on a typical airplane trip.

So, I certainly would recommend this book to fans; newcombers might want to hit the library and start with the original books. Like Brother Cadfael books, the atmosphere of Moose County takes a few chapters to understand the geography and population. "The Cat Who Went up the Creek" assumes much for the reader concerning these issues.

Fans: enjoy this book and, like me, look forward to the next chapter.