Mystery Annotation

Synopsis of The Cat Who Went Bananas

Jim Qwilleran is the columnist for the Moosehead County Something and lives in Pickax City with his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. There is a lot going on in this 27th book in the The Cat Who... series; the Pickax Theater Club is performing The Importance of Being Earnest starring a newcomer Alden Wade, Jim's longtime girl Polly is opening a new bookstore on an old landmark, and the heiress of the Hibbard House returns to the town. Several mysterious events occur during the story: Ronnie Dickson, who is playing in The Importance of Being Earnest, dies in a car crash supposedly under the influence of drugs even though people who know him say he never took drugs. Jim finds out that Alden Wade was accused of killing his first wife who died because she was shot by a sniper, a very valuable book is stolen from Polly's shop, the heiress suddenly marries Alden and much more... Koko provides clues by leaving banana peels.

Mystery Characteristics of The Cat Who Went Bananas

• This is a mystery featuring an amateur detective
• It is a Cozy
• It is constructed around several puzzling occurrences (described in the synopsis)
• A crime is committed - Aldens wife was shot, a valuable book is stolen...
• The amateur detective asks questions- pursuing clues
  Appeal Terms
• It is a Cozy mysteries and a Gentle reads
• Leisurely paced
• The tone is amusing and heartwarming
• There is a very strong sense of place
• Very strong characterization in the life of Jim Qwilleran
  Title Read-alikes
  Double-Booked for Death by Ali Brandon
  Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton
  What the Cat Dragged In by G. Morris
  Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
  Personal Note

I had never read any of The Cat Who... mysteries until this one. This is the 27th in the series (this is great for mystery lovers who like series) and according to one review I read, not at all as good as some of the earlier ones. "There should be a murder and an investigation, not to mention a body, for a title to qualify as a Mystery" (Saricks, 2009, p.197) Quite honestly, I was confused when I was reading because that wasn't happening. I got down to just a few pages and I was thinking, "Now how is someone going to die mysteriously and the mystery be solved in just these few pages?" It just never happened. In that regard it was a very odd book. Several unexplained and sort of unrelated things happened and Jim wondered about some of it, asked a few questions, but never really investigated and nothing was resolved. It was very odd actually. However Saricks said, "We may think of Mysteries as dark and dangerous, but Amateur Detective stories are frequently light-hearted and even gentle in their approach to crime. " ((p.202) This one was definitely gentle. Strangely though, I enjoyed the book. I had a stressful week and as mentioned above it is a Cozy and a Gentle read. The tone is amusing. It made for a very light-hearted read. I was starting to really get into the sense of place and all the different characters in Pickax. Jim seemed to be constantly having drinks or dinner with someone different. I can definitely see how people could keep reading these for the cozy sense of place, strong characterization offered in the details of Jim Qwilleran's life and amusing presence of cats throughout. It was fun to participate..."in the lives of the investigators. In fact, the character of the investigator often determines the appeal of the Mystery to the reader..." (p.199) "Many tell us they read as much to see what is happening in the characters' lives as to appreciate the clever Mystery plot." (p.199) There was also appeal because of the hobby of the main character: books! So there really wasn't much deep mystery or danger but there was charm and a feeling of personally knowing the town Pickax, it's inhabitants and especially  the mannerisms of Qwilleran, Yum Yum and Koko. So, while not terrible mysterious it was enjoyable.