The Cat Who Went Bananas

Jim Qwilleran reviews the local play for the Moose County Something. Polly is busy with the grand opening of The Pirates Chest, a local bookstore funded by the K Fund. While going about with his daily life, one of the cast members of The Importance of Being Earnest is killed during a car accident. Rumors circulate after it is discovered Ronnie Dickson had a large amount of alcohol in his system. Jim has a sneaky suspicion over newcomer Alden Wade, a notorious ladies man. In order to get closer to Alden, Qwill writes a book about the Hibbard House, run by an eccentric Violet Hibbard. It's up to Qwill, Koko, and Yum-Yum to solve the mystery.

The Cat Who Went Bananas has been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews ("Fans will go bananas; others may go Wilde."),^[1] Publishers Weekly (".. lacks the charm of earlier adventures .."),^[2] and the Bristol Herald Courier ("This book is more about local color than the mystery. ... If you like light mysteries and love cats, this is a book for you.").^[3] The Booklist gave the book a positive review, remarking that, despite being the 27th book in the series, "[w]hat keeps readers flocking back to Braun's books is her stellar cast of characters", which is still present in The Cat Who Went Bananas.^[4] Writing for the Library Journal, Rasmussen criticizes the weak plot, commenting on the lack of a solution to the mystery and the sudden ending, and concludes by saying that "[o]nly Braun's most devoted fans will enjoy this".^[5]