Cat Who Saw Stars Book Review

Working in a public library, I find that books cross my path or fall into my lap at interesting times. For example, just as I started blogging, I noticed a Lillian Jackson Braun book from a few years ago with a ball of yarn and a knitting needle on the cover. I just had to investigate! Sure enough, the "knitting craze" features prominently in the novel. I think it is interesting that we think of the current interest in knitting and crocheting as something new, but this novel was written in 1998, so apparently the "current" interest has been around for a while now.

I'm not sure I would recommend The Cat Who Saw Stars to anyone who is not a fan of the series, though. The cats (2 Siamese for the uninitiated) are adorable, and one of them does assist in the investigation. But the book meanders through its storyline without ever really accomplishing anything. By the end of the book, you know who killed the man who dies in the middle of the book, but the death of the first person to go missing is never explained. As far as knitting is concerned, there are no patterns or yarns discussed. Two of the characters do knit in the book, and one even makes money from her knitting (by selling items at a boutique in a summer resort town). She also figures prominently in the solving of the mystery.

So, my bottom line is that The Cat Who Saw Stars is a fun little read for summer, and the knitting theme is a pleasant added bonus. But if you are looking for a real murder mystery to sink your teeth into, look elsewhere than Lillian Jackson Braun.