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The Cat Who Brought Down the House
Lilian Jackson Braun Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Cat Who Brought Down the House
"

Putnam, Jan 2003, 23.95, 240 pp.
ISBN 0399149422

In Moose County, the residents of the small town of Pickax like to think of themselves as four hundred miles north of everywhere. The town is made up of colorful characters including Jim Qwilleran, the richest man in the northeast central United States. Jim has donated much of his money to a foundation so that it could be put it to good use. He also writes a humor column twice a week for the Moose County Something and contentedly lives with his two Siamese cats Koko and Yum-Yum.

When Thelma Thackery returns home after a fifty-five year absence, Qwill welcomes her back. Koko, who spot villains and knows when a death occurs, takes an instant dislike to Thelma's nephew Dick. Thelma opens a cabaret movie theater starring old movies and she puts Dick in charge, hoping he'll finally make something of himself. When she catches him in wrong doing, she knows he'll never account for anything so she takes the law into her own hands.

This is the twenty-fifth life in the Cat Who series and it is every bit as good as the other twenty-four lives. Quill still collects anecdotes for the book he is writing SHORT & TALL TALES, which by the way is available now at the local bookstores in all the towns four hundred miles south and further south of Moose County. His loving relationship with his Siamese cats is only one of the reasons that explain why readers truly love him. Lilian Jackson Braun's fan base rightfully grows with every book she writes.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Cat Who Brought Down the House
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - dog/cat investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in small town
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Cat Who Brought Down the House
Wolf Tracks by Ann Campbell
Catch As Cat Can by Rita Mae Brown
The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lilian Jackson Braun
Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris
The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun


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