Author
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Translator: Shizuko Hata

Evaluation by the five star & Comment
Complexity of Mystery: two stars
Originality: two stars
Quality of Writing: two stars
Final Recommendation: two stars
Since the cats are the main attraction...the mystery isn't much of an issue.

Short Review
(Synopsis)
Stuck for an idea for an interesting, potentially prize-winning special story, Qwilleran decides to investigate Junktown, a part of town frequented by drug addicts. When he goes to look into Junktown, his discovers his initial perceptions were incorrect; the town is actually a street lined with antique shops - and Qwilleran has an inherent distaste for antiques. Left with no other options, though, Qwilleran decides to take in an auction to kill time. There, he learns that one of the ornamentals up for sale was involved in a recent accidental death - a fact in which Qwilleran and his Siamese cats take an unusual interest... The fourth volume (published out-of-order) of the series that has been a must-read for cat lovers young and old, Eastern and Western, male and female...
I don't know why I read this series . To try to articulate my reasons, I think the books appeal to my own personal interests. I think they overdose on charm, however. Koko and Yum Yum are always so cute all the time, and there are too many kittycat antics. Also, this might be just me, but the "evidence" that comes to be considered clues to the crime's solution is too circumstantial . If these books wind up getting read only on these merits, they must be horribly bewitching... Cat lover or not, you probably won't find these books short on excitement, and I guess I was fairly satisfied. Me, I guess I want to read the day-to-day exploits of heroic cats .