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Four-hundred miles north of everywhere, in Moose County, lives a pair of exceptional Siamese cats, Yum Yum and Koko. Known by his many fans as "Cool Koko," the male Siamese is owned by James Qwilleran. Koko has certain unique skills, like being able to predict accidents and even deaths, and possesses a sixth sense about people who are dishonest or have criminal intentions.
Qwill believes that Koko's special powers come from the fact that he has 60 whiskers, more than a normal cat would possess. A noted local celebrity, Qwill writes a twice-weekly column for the local newspaper, which features interviews and information about native citizens of interest in Moose County.
A retired newspaperman from "Down Below" (anywhere south of Moose County), Qwill moved here when he inherited his aunt's fortune. Renovating a huge apple barn and creating a philanthropic fund in his aunt's name (the K Fund) to support local causes, Qwill settled in to a comfortable life. For years he dated Polly Duncan, the local bookshop manager and former town librarian. Together, they frequented local clubs, organizations, events and restaurants, and created several of their own customs. When Polly received an invitation to go to Paris, France, with a friend, she was subsequently offered a position there. Qwill is both confused and concerned when Polly writes to him that she intends to stay in Paris.
For a rural community, Moose County has more than its share of crimes and shifty characters, almost all of whom come from "Down Below." Murder and mayhem, clues and mysterious circumstances run rampant in any Cat Who mystery, but are more frequent in THE CAT WHO HAD 60 WHISKERS. Lilian Jackson Braun has a delicate sense of balance in her novels. Her characters are just interesting enough to be memorable from book to book. Qwill is a charming mix of hero and sometimes bully, coming to the aid of citizens in need while establishing a presence of authority. With his magnificent mustache, he has been known to sport a kilt for special Scottish festivals, rides his recumbent bike through town and drink Squunk, a locally produced spring water. Every night he sets aside time to read aloud to his two pesky Siamese cats.
THE CAT WHO HAD 60 WHISKERS provides the reader with several interesting but somewhat unresolved scenarios. Loyal readers will presume, and hope, that Braun is setting the stage for future Cat Who stories. The art work within the book is whimsical and charming. At the beginning of each chapter is a darling drawing of a cat face, a Koko lookalike with a heavy-whiskered upper lip. Throughout the book, on the lefthand side of certain new paragraphs, there are drawings of a cat paw. These serve to remind the audience that Koko and Yum Yum are the real stars of the series, as they provide an interesting and creative leitmotif for the reader's enjoyment.
--- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher
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