Alicia

I am only about half way through the book, but in reading it, I noticed something odd. There are quite a lot of references to past Cat Who. . . books in The Cat Who Robbed a Bank, specifically the last couple Ms. Braun has written. I realize that in earlier books, she would reference to past situations other than the main plot of the last book, but she would do so discreetly, causing only those who have read the entire series "get" what she was saying without totally confusing a first time reader. However, in Robbed a Bank, these references were bluntly and painfully obvious to the loyal Cat Who reader. Now I am not saying that this was a poorly written book; it is not bad, this was just something that stood out in my mind.

Greg

Cat Who Robbed a Bank to me is one of the worst books in the series! I'm sorry to say that I think LJB has lost her touch, the characters are no longer convincing, the plots get weaker with every book, and there seem to be too many characters introduced only to kill them off or ignore them for the rest of the book! This will be the last one that I pick up in harcover, I will wait for the paperbacks from here on in. I'm hoping that LJB will hand the series over to another writer who can bring them back to their former glory.

Loreli

For my review of The Cat Who Robbed A Bank I have to say there's not enough cats and too much Polly. It also seems to me that Ms. Braun has been listening to the fans who don't like Polly because she's too jealous and is making Qwill the jealous one. As for me it's not her jealousy that makes me dislike Polly. I just don't like her character and I wouldn't want to spend five minutes with her. As far as her being charming I don't get it. I hope in the next book she goes off to Canada with Kip Nightingale and stays there. I was enjoying Qwill's jealousy of that guy and hoping it would be justified and then it turned around with Qwill liking the guy. This was a major disappointment to me. I did enjoy the book just not as much as some of the others. Hopefully next time there will be more Koko and Yum Yum.

Karen

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as I have all of her books. I am so afraid they will end. I like light murders. I wonder what Qwilleran will find out about Nightingale, and what about the mayoral race, and when did the Something become a daily paper? Did I miss something? (Maintainer's Note (seem to be a lot of them lately): If Karen's missed something, then I have too. Once again: readers?) I personally think Miss Lilian is a delightful writer.

Anastasia

I loved The Cat Who Robbed A Bank! I have been reading these books for a long time, and I thought that this was one of the best! It left me wanting to read the next one right away! Sorry for all the !!! but I really loved the book. (Mandatory Maintainer's Note: No problem, we love "!!!"'s here!) I'm just wondering why no one else has mentioned all the information regarding Qwill's past that came up in this book? I was sad when he burned the letters, who knows what else he could have discoverd. The cats could have been in it more, but all in all I thought it was a wonderful book, and I hope she keeps writing them for a long time. Both my mother and I love this series.

WENHOL81

I loved the latest Lilian Braun book on The Cat Who Robbed a Bank. It intrigues the reader and leaves her in suspense as to the next book. The antique book collector's future must be in that book. Will he be the next victim, the murderer, or an ongoing character in Lilian's next few books. Hope she keeps writing forever.

Adam

Overall I thought that the latest Cat Who was over all a good book. I have to agree with other comments though that there were flaws in it. Qwilleran swore up and down he would never buy a kilt then buys one, the cats get next to no screen time and seem less intelligent. He destroyed those letters from his mother because they reminded him of his own alcohol abuse without considering how important familly history is. Other than that it was all right.

Mandy

Wonderful! I loved this latest book, particularly the bit with the letters from Qwill's Mother. It was a shame when he burnt them, but I could understand his character doing that. I didn't think there were any flaws in the book big enough to effect my enjoyment of the mystery and I'm already looking forward to the next one. I'm sure Nightingale's going to stir up some trouble!

screenname

I agree with Anastasia. Although it is a great book, there is too much of the big people and not enough cats. Koko and Yum Yum are sort of just put in the book, and Koko does not seem to be as big a part. In every other respect, it's a wonderful book, and those who have not read it, should.

Shirley

I like all of LJB's books but this last one didn't hold my attention as much as the others did. I think there should have been more of Koko and Yum Yum in this one. I too am sorry Qwill burned the letters from his past. I have the books in hardback and I will continue to collect them in hardback.....as long as they keep being written and published.

Eileen

I just finished reading "The Cat Who Robbed A Bank," and consider it to be a step or two up from the disastrous "Saw Stars." It still, however, isn't up to the level of the earlier books for three main reasons. First, Qwilleran is no longer an investigator. He is an observer, drifting around Moose County with a too-large set of supporting characters, dabbling a little in everything that is taking place but not too involved with anything, especially the murder mystery. Even during the climactic scene at the shaft house, a highly reluctant Qwilleran is dragged along by the distraught Lenny Inchpot. The scene in which Qwilleran poses as a security guard for Delacamp's tea party is played only for comic relief. Although I consider it to be one of the best written parts of the book, it had potential that it did not fulfill. In the old days, Qwilleran would have seen or heard something at the gathering that would have turned out to be a vital clue in the solution of the mystery.
Second, if Qwilleran is no longer an investigator, the cats are no longer characters at all; they have become barn ornaments on a level with the fireplace cube. They are mentioned in passing in scenes in which Qwilleran is at home, but very little interaction is portrayed between them and Qwilleran, each other, or anybody else. In this book I remember them most for taking naps on Qwill's new bar stools. Finally, the author (Braun or the speculated ghost writer) has fallen into a habit of summarizing, which is one of the quickest ways to undermine a work of fiction. A really good fiction writer does not tell readers what happened; the writer shows the readers what is happening. In "Robbed A Bank," as in the other recent books, too much telling-what-happened takes place.
I have a few questions, too, about this book in particular: Throughout the series, Qwilleran has referred to the unique spelling of his name as Scottish; why is it now said to be Danish? In "Saw Red," Qwill hears someone outdoors humming a tune, and fondly remembers that it was his father's favorite song. If the father died before Qwill was born, how would Qwill know what his father's favorite song was, much less feel sentimental about it? Finally, if Andy Brodie is scheduled to come to Qwill's barn at 10:00, how can he possibly pick up his wife at that hour?

Chuck

I did like the book, although I was a bit disappointed. Quite a bit of the "old" cast of characters were either missing or didn't get much page time, and I missed them. Qwill seemed to spend most of the book (as well as ....Stars) acting like a pompous busybody. Why wasn't he more suspicious of Delacamp? Did anyone really care that Delacamp was murdered? If I'm not mistaken we never actually "heard" him utter a word. I, like many others here, was disappointed that Qwill burned the letters from his mother. It may have been painful to read, but it is history. And finally, I would like to repeat that I did enjoy reading the book, but if I had to hear Barry Morghan say "Great!" one more time, I was going to scream!

Sue

My copy is still on order from my local book store, here in the SW Oregon "boonies." But judging from some of the comments, I will enjoy it - with reservations. I have thought that the past several books lacked the spontaneous interaction between Qwill and the cats, especially KoKo, which really made the earlier books so unique. Also, the Polly character is somewhat annoying. Qwill was, initially, presented as a strong personality, yet, once Polly became a large part of the books, he became a bit "wimpy" where she was concerned. And all the "dear"'s are just a little too sugary for my taste!
That said, I still expect to find TCW Robbed a Bank a "fun read" and will add it to my collection.

Amanda

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cat Who Robbed a Bank. I must admit, however, that the character Boze reminded me a little of Aubrey Scotten from the Cat Who Said Cheese. Do a little comparison, they have a lot in common. Otherwise, I thought it was fine. The fact that the cats didn't have as much of a role in this installment did not jump out at me until I read some of the other reviews, but I don't just enjoy reading about the cats and Qwill, I enjoy reading about the entire town. Every character in the series adds something unique to it, and the sense of interconnectedness and community is palpable in these books. I think it was wonderful that the reader was able to watch the New Pickax Hotel go from old and ugly (but clean) to bombed, and then through a huge renovation to modern day grandeur through a series of so many books.
LJB (or suggested ghost writer) has certainly not lost the gift of making the characters always move forward. Yes, Qwilleran is becoming more jealous of other men in Polly's life, but they have been together longer and have more of a history. The characters in all of The Cat Who books are not stagnant. They do not stay the same. Someone said Qwill had turned into a busybody. Well, he's been living in Pickax for quite a while, having money isn't new to him anymore, he's ajusted. He knows everyone in town and they all know and love him. It's the way his character has developed. Just as Yum Yum has not stayed a kitten, neither has Qwill stayed a citified newcomer, uncomfortable with his millions. Polly was around a lot in this book, but in other books, she has been absent for the entire duration. Which book was it that the only time we heard about her was when she sent postcards to Qwill? Just as people go in and out of our lives, so do they go in and out of Qwill's life. I think it makes the entire series more realistic. And each book seems to have a focus. In The Cat Who Saw Stars, the focus was on the extraterrestrial! And, incidentally, Polly doesn't even return to Pickax until chapter 16 of that book.
The Cat Who Robbed a Bank left me eager: for the Mark Twain Festival, to find out if Hixie Rice may have finally found a decent man in Barry Morghan, to see if Barry's brother and artist sister-in-law move up to Pickax, (which is still in need of a manager for the art center) and no doubt the new, glamorous hotel will be the backdrop for many an exciting happening.
Well, there's my two cents.

Tanis

I haven't read any of the other reviews yet, so my opinions are not being influenced by what others have written, so, here goes.
My overall impression is that this is a weak effort. It reads as though Ms. Braun "phoned it in". There is no detecting done by Qwill - he just sits back and people tell him what happened. The cats contribute nothing to the plot (what plot?). The supporting characters have no depth.
Specifically, the following jumped out at me: 1) Why are we just now hearing about "Bixby"? 2) Since when did the condo buildings at indian Village have names - they've always been Building 1, 2, 3, etc. 3) Where are the Bambas? Nick and Lori always make an appearance and Qwill has often claimed that they're his favourite young people? 4) Where is Liz Hart? She has figured prominently since "... Came to Breakfast". 5) Why on earth would Qwill call Polly after the bookmobile was wrecked to ask her if she had a heart attack? I just can't see him being so insensitive, given Polly's recent by-pass surgery.
There's much more, but this will serve to illustrate my general disappointment with this latest addition to the series. I really don't think that Ms. Braun's heart is in these books any longer. I would much rather see her write a rip-roaring finale and end the series than continue to produce such unworthy efforts. I've read each book several times and they are just getting weaker and weaker - but having said that, this one is an improvement over "... Saw Stars". (I really don't think LJB wrote that one).

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