In the 27th Cat Who.. book, Lilian Jackson Braun once again allows fans of the series to spend some time with our literary friends, Qwilleran, Koko, and YumYum. It may be morbid, but I’m always fearful that each book may be the last, as Ms. Braun is getting on in her years. I remember being introduced to the series by the librarian in our town library one summer. I started with The Cat Who Went Underground and then caught up and have been hooked ever since. Over the years, the murder mystery element of the stories have become less prominent, and the books feel more like visiting friends. Pickax and its inhabitants are always fun to drop in and see once or twice a year.
I finally laid book two to rest a few nights ago. The recommendation for New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith came from Lisa. This book was the first in a series of mysteries set in New Orleans, with a heroine named Skip Langdon. Its a standard murder mystery that is wound around the intricacies of the social hierarchy of NOLA. I liked the main character of Skip, but the characterization seemed a bit uneven at times for the supporting cast, but it was the first story I have read by this author. And the storyline seemed to drag on at times. Or maybe that two weeks before Mardi Gras when I can’t go isn’t the best time to be reading about a murder that happens during the Rex parade. Maybe that’s just me. Though it was delightful (or is that torturous) to read about places in NOLA I’ve been. I think one of my favorite lines was STTEO: “Tipitina’s was not an ideal place to conduct an interview.”
In a matter of minutes, I was able to order the exact bits to raise my bed the little bit I need to get my underbed containers to fit again AND order a pizza. And my new ink cartridges arrived today. I hadn’t bought new ink in way over a year, but now that I have the AirPort Express and am actually using my printer again, my old, dried-up cartridges finally gave up their ghosts. This bitterly cold weather makes me really appreciate being able to “order in” even more.
