Book Review: The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lillian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who Turned On and Off
Author:  Lillian Jackson Braun
Publisher: Jove Books a division of The Berkley Publishing Group
Copyright:  1968
Pages:  186
Edition:  Paperback
ISBN 0-515-08794-7
Source:  My personal copy

From the back cover:  "The Cat Who Turned On and Off.  The team of Koko, the brilliant Siamese cat, and Qwilleran, the reporter with the perceptive moustache, is back in action -- with an adorable female Siamese, Yum Yum, added to the household.

When Qwilleran decided to do a feature series on Junktown, he gets more than he bargained for.  No the dope den he anticipated, Junktown is a haven for antique dealers and collectors -- as strange a lot as the crafty reporter has ever encountered.  When a mysterious fall end the career -- and the life -- of one of Junktown's leading citizens, Qwilleran is convinced it was no accident.  But, as usual, it takes Koko to prove he's right.

Qwilleran -- a prize-winning reporter with a nose for crime.  Koko -- a Siamese cat with a flair for mystery.  Yum Yum -- a lovable Siamese adored by her two male companions.  The most unlikely, most unusual, most delightful team in detective fiction!"

The Cat Who Turned On and Off is another brilliant cozy mystery by Lillian Jackson Braun, starring Qwilleran (journalist and cat owner), Ko Ko and Yum Yum.  Christmas is nigh and Qwilleran is assigned to write a feel-good story about Junktown, the antiques and oddities section of town.  He soon finds lodging in a two-story old Victorian, above an antiques store.  He's not even settled in when he learns of the "accidental" death of a fellow antiquer under very curious circumstances.  So curious, in fact, that Qwill cannot resist investigating.  All those years of writing of crime prod him onwards, poking and prying, towards dangerous grounds.

This is my second "The Cat Who..." mystery and I loved every minute of it.  This one kept me guessing just a bit more than my previous read,  The Cat Who Moved a Mountain, with well fleshed out characters and a plot that entertains the inquisitive mind.  Lillian Jackson Braun's style never ceases to enthrall her audience.

Definitely a 4.5/5, maybe even a 5/5.    I'll be looking for more of Lillian Jackson Braun's mysteries.