The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (The Cat Who... Series #16) » (Unabridged)

For nearly four decades, cat lover Lilian Jackson Braun has been turning out mysteries in her The Cat Who...series, starring multifaceted sleuth Jim Qwilleran and his two helpful cats, Koko and Yum Yum. Wryly but tamely written, Braun's books prove that quaintness and crime need not be mutually exclusive.

Peaceful Pear Island is perfect for fishing, relaxing, boating - and committing murder. Jim Qwilleran, Koko, and Yum Yum get more than they bargained for when they begin to investigate several "accidents." The development of a major resort complex at the southern end of Pear Island, affectionately known as Breakfast Island, is turning the town upside down. Local residents, summer people, and mainland fishermen are all hopping mad that the peace of their retreat is being shattered. But who is angry enough to murder? When a cabin cruiser explosion in the marina sets off a series of "accidents," Qwilleran begins to wonder if sabotage is involved. But he has his work cut out for him. There are plenty of suspects, plenty of motives, and plenty more "accidents" occurring. Can Qwill and the cats uncover the murderer's identity before they become the victims of one of the many mishaps plaguing Breakfast Island? With Koko and Yum Yum on the scene, you can bet that the mysterious events on Breakfast Island will be exposed. But will it happen before someone else is killed?

Publishers Weekly

In the 16th Cat Who . . . adventure, Pickax City's Jim Qwilleran and his intuitive Siamese cats, Yum Yum and Koko, investigate odd accidents plaguing a glitzy resort recently built on a nearby island in Moose County, ``400 miles north of everywhere.'' As Breakfast Island undergoes development which highlights its possible pirate past, retired reporter Qwill and others bemoan the spoiling of its natural beauty. After an episode of food poisoning and an accidental drowning at the resort hotel, the owners of the Domino Inn, an already established bed-and-breakfast, ask Qwill to find out whether disgruntled locals are trying to discourage tourism. On the day that Qwill moves himself and the cats into one of the Inn's cottages, another guest is injured on the Inn's front steps and an explosion in the resort's marina kills a yacht owner. Questioning reticent natives and resort employees, Qwill enlists an informant to speak with witnesses of the accidents. He himself talks with the vague proprietor of a resort antique shop filled with overpriced items. But it is Yum Yum's domino playing that sets the former newsman on the right track. Braun ( The Cat Who Went into the Closet ) gives fans what they crave in this latest meandering tale about the skeptical, lovable Qwill on an island full of cats. Literary Guild alternate; Mystery Guild main selection. (Feb.)