The Cat Who Went Bananas
Book #27
by Lilian Jackson Braun

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Cozy mystery

The death of an actor from a neighboring county and the sudden, unusual marriage of a wealthy local woman invite intrigue during the excitement surrounding the opening of a new book store in Pickax. Former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats are on the case.

After the last few books in this series greatly disappointed me with lackluster mysteries, I enjoyed most of this book a lot more. Though there were still some repetitive sections that could have been edited out, Qwilleran was more involved in investigating. I appreciated the remembrance of the late bookseller that once recurred in the series, and I took note of a special moment in which Qwilleran gets recognition for something other than his twice-weekly column, questionable books he’s published since moving to Moose County, or simply being a wealthy philanthropist.

Sadly, though, the book ends without the mystery really being solved. Multiple deaths and even a robbery have potential solutions, but nothing is solidly stated. Qwilleran muses over his suspicions at the end of the book, but, for some reason, the author isn’t willing to give us any real closure. I still have my doubts about the series using a ghostwriter at this point, because some specific points of Braun’s style are still intact. I suppose a good ghostwriter could mimic style, but I just don’t buy it. Whatever the situation, though, I don’t anticipate the last 2 books of the series being any better than this one, but I will definitely still give them a try.

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