This review of The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun is part of Book Reviews with Amber, the Cat Book Connoisseur at the Mewton-Clawson Library. Scroll to read.
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✨ This Week’s Intro ~ 74% Back‑in‑the‑Rhythm Energy, 18% Post‑Clean Confidence, 8% Glitter That Still Won’t Leave ✨
Hello again, my furbulous library guests
and
Welcome back to the Mewton‑Clawson Library at BBHQ, where the atmosphere this week has shifted once more, not chaotic, not lemon‑polished, not festival‑fogged, but something wonderfully familiar:
The library has found its rhythm again.
Yes, my furiends, the Clean Era has settled in meautifully. The sparkle has mellowed, and the shelves have stopped posing. Even the mice have stopped marching around like tiny cleaning inspectors (mostly). And everything feels… normal, but in that freshly‑reset, quietly smug way.
The mice are back to their usual routines, nibbling, sorting, whispering about cheese‑related conspiracies but with an unmistakable air of “we did something extraordinary.” A few still wear their “Orderly Whiskers Committee” bandanas, but now it’s less “professional look” and more “fashion statement.”
The fax machine has returned to its regular programming, humming in a relaxed, post‑spa baritone. It’s printing gentle reminders like:
“Hydrate.”
“Stretch.”
“Do not reorganise the stationery again.”
Aisle P looks lived‑in again, not messy, not chaotic, just comfortably used. The bunting is still folded neatly, but somepawdy (Melvyn! MOL) has placed a single sparkly star on the shelf “for ambience.”
Clive the Paperclip has taken to strolling around the library like a retired hero, occasionally tapping his broom (now purely ceremonial) as if reminding everypawdy of his legacy.
The thesaurus has calmed down too, whispering synonyms for “balanced” and “harmonious” in a tone that suggests it is now in its philosophical era.
And Velvet? She’s back, pink rosette jaunty as ever, observing everything with her soft, shy gaze, the quiet guardian of the library’s restored rhythm.
The whole space feels warm, steady, and gently glowing, as if the library has exhaled, stretched, and settled back into itself.
The Clean Era is no longer new. It’s simply… life at BBHQ.
And we’re ready for another week of magic.
📚 A Morning of Rhythm & Reassurance
Me: “Melvyn, sweetie… why does Aisle P sound like it’s humming?”
Melvyn: “Because it’s found its rhythm again.”
Me: “It’s lovely. Everything feels… balanced.”
Melvyn: “Lumie’s reading aloud. Velvet’s writing. Clive’s inspecting. The pens are glowing. It’s all very harmonious.”
Me: “And the fax machine?”
Melvyn: “It’s printing affirmations again. Today’s says: ‘Back in the rhythm. Breathe. Begin again.’”
Me: “That’s rather poetic.”
Melvyn: “It’s been taking creative writing lessons from Velvet.”
Me: “Of course it has. And Lumie?”
Melvyn: “She’s on the ladder, reading about cheese metaphors. She says it’s ‘research.’”
Me: “I adore her dedication.”
Melvyn: “She’s beige brilliance with a purple bow. The library’s new muse.”
Me: “And Clive?”
Melvyn: “Still patrolling. He says the broom is now ‘a symbol of continuity.’”
Me: “Continuity of what?”
Melvyn: “Tidiness. And possibly mild smugness.”
Me: “Understandable.”
Melvyn: “The Clean Era isn’t over, mew know.”
Me: “No?”
Melvyn: “It’s just… quieter now. Like a well‑polished heartbeat.”
Me: “That’s meautiful.”
Melvyn: “It’s Aisle P. Everything’s meautiful here.”
📚 General Library Status Update ~ Back‑In‑The‑Rhythm Edition
Shelves aligned with relaxed confidence, tidy, but no longer trying to win awards
Bunting folded neatly, now lounging in its “off‑duty but still furbulous” phase
Calmness Tracker pens glowing in steady chartreuse, aqua, and pink pulses
Velvet settled at her little desk, pink rosette soft and serene as she writes
Lumie perched on her ladder, beige fur glowing, purple bow perfectly poised
Clive patrolling Aisle P with his ceremonial broom, pointing at things with great authority
Fax machine humming like a tiny zen guru, printing gentle reminders to breathe
In short:
The library is calm.
Comfortably calm.
Calm with the quiet assurance of a space that has found its rhythm again.
And honestly? We’re all leaning into it.
✨ Calmness Tracker 3000 Recalibration
The pens have issued their latest communiqué (via fax, naturally):
“Recalibration at 78%.
Ambient serenity stable.”
They refuse to elaborate. They say it’s “classified.” We respect their process.
Now, with everything in purrfect flow…let’s wander gently toward the review.
1. My plans for June include ____________ and ____________________.
2. __________________ is the bravest thing I have ever done.
3. I swear by _________ as a cure for _________.
4. As if _________ wasn’t bad enough, _________.
The P.A.'s answers are...
My plans for June include getting the veggie garden sorted out a bit more, and there's also a lot of general weeding that needs doing, not one of my favourite jobs, but so it goes! If I want a pretty garden, there's no way around it.
One of the bravest things I've ever done was exercising racehorses for an old chap in the village at weekends. He had two grooms, and when they had a day off, I'd ride the horses out. At 17.2 & 18.2 hands high, they were a long way up and an even longer way down! They were bursting with energy and incredibly strong. After a mile of steady cantering, my arms felt like they were about to drop off! LOL
I swear by zinc, vitamin C, and royal jelly supplements whenever I feel a cold coming on.
As if the weeds in the garden borders weren't bad enough, they've now sprung up all over the courtyard after last week's heatwave. Yet another job for the weekend! LOL
Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts
The Cat Who… Mysteries, Book 10
by
Lilian Jackson Braun
Today I'm back with more from the original The Cat Who series; there are 29 in total. I got an urge to reread this epic series earlier this year, for the first time since 2007.
Twelve down, including today's review, and ONLY seventeen to go! MOL
Here are the previous reviews.
🐾 This Week’s Paw‑Approved Pick: The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts
Dahlings, gather close and fluff your tails, because this week’s reread took me right back to 2007, and let me tell mew, it hits just as hard the second (or third… or tenth) time around.
This is one of the more emotional entries in the series, blending cozy mystery with a gentle brush of the supurrnatural. And yes, Koko is in full dramatic‑Siamese mode, as he should be.
❓ What’s the Vibe?
Think:
✨ cozy mystery with a ghostly whisper
✨ late‑night phone calls
✨ a museum full of secrets
✨ Koko acting like he’s seen something mew haven’t
✨ Yum Yum being adorable as emotional support
It’s atmospheric, a little eerie, and deeply comforting in that classic Cat Who... way.
🐾 What’s the Story?
Late one night, Qwilleran is jolted awake by a frantic phone call from Iris Cobb, his former landlady and now the resident manager of the Goodwinter Farm Museum. She’s distressed, frightened, and before Qwill can get the full story… the line goes dead.
He rushes to the museum, only to find Iris collapsed on the kitchen floor. At first glance, it looks like natural causes. But Koko’s behaviour says otherwise. And if Koko says something’s wrong? Something’s wrong.
As Qwill digs deeper, he uncovers:
🏚 strange happenings at the museum
📜 whispers of ghosts and old tragedies
🕯 Iris’s final days filled with fear
🧩 clues hidden in the museum’s history
🐾 and Koko reacting to unseen forces with alarming intensity
Is it a haunting or a murder? Or is it both?
Qwill, Koko, and Yum Yum must unravel the truth before the past reaches out again.
⚔️ What I Loved
😸 Koko’s Ghostly Sensitivity: He’s yowling at walls, staring into corners, and acting like he’s communicating with the beyond. Classic Koko, dramatic, brilliant, and always right.
🐈⬛ Yum Yum: Soft, sweet, and the emotional anchor of the trio. Her presence adds warmth to an otherwise eerie tale.
🧔 Qwilleran’s Grief: His reaction to Iris’s death is tender and genuine. It's handled with surprising emotional depth.
🏛 The Goodwinter Farm Museum: Creaky floors, old artefacts, family secrets, the purrfect setting for a ghost‑tinged mystery.
🔍 The Mystery: A blend of history, heartbreak, and hidden motives. It’s one of the more layered plots in the series.
✨ Tone & Style
cozy with a supernatural shimmer
gently suspenseful
emotionally resonant
character‑driven
pawesome for reading with a blanket, a catnip cuppa, my preference, of course, and a cat who may or may not be staring at invisible things.
📖 Final Thoughts
This instalment is a standout in the series, heartfelt, atmospheric, and full of that magical Koko intuition we all adore. It’s a cozy mystery with emotional weight, a touch of the uncanny, and a deep love for its characters.
If mew enjoy your mysteries with a hint of ghostly intrigue and a whole lot of feline brilliance, this is a purrfect pick.
🪄 Summed Up in One Sentence
🐾 A tender, eerie, and meautifully crafted mystery where Koko’s uncanny instincts guide Qwill through grief, ghosts, and hidden truths. 🐾
A Top Paw Read!
My Ratings Scale
Rating of:
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts
Overall Enjoyment
Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today
Do enjoy the book if mew decide to read it.
It's time for me to say BFN or bye-for-now as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time, and I'll be back next week with another specially paw-picked book just for mew, and don't forget that all my previous reviews can be found on my Book Review page.
Until next time...
Keep calm and read more books
Amber
The Cat Book Connoisseur
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