Episode 19 - The Cat Who Said Cheese

 Episode 19 - The Cat Who Said Cheese

After years of complaining about their substandard restaurants, Pickaxe is finally welcoming new tastes and celebrating them with the first Food Explo!  There is also a mystery woman checked into the New Pickaxe Hotel (Last remodeled in 1935) who is causing lots of gossip - and in Pickaxe, that’s saying something!  Also, it was really hard to summarize because it is ALL. ABOUT. FOOD. and I kept getting hungry!

Listen to the Podcast here: The Cat Who Said Cheese

Because I love it, I am sharing Qwill's poem about cheese: 

I think that I shall never see

A better Cheese than one called Brie.

My brother goes for Danish Blue;

My boss is made for Port du Salut.

Some Folks in Pickaxe all declare

The tops in cheese is Camembert.

To each his own, but as for me,

I cast my vote for Creamy Brie.

New(ish) faces - Lenny Inchpot, Lois’s son, J. Willard Carmichael, the new president of the bank and his young flashy wife Danielle, who was a nightclub entertainer back in Baltimore before she married money.. We’ve also got Jill Headly who moved from Lockmaster to work for the Something as a reporter (she was introduced in the last book but didn’t make the plot cut). Sarah Plensdorf, the office manager at the Something and head of the Qwilleran Fan Club. 

The last few books have featured a “Qwill is admired because” section, to remind the reader of His down to earth nature and of course that he’s the richest man for miles around. Earlier books had something a little better incorporated, but now it’s like the baby sitters club where they remind you of the club and everyone's personality in the second chapter…

There are some more call backs to earlier books - the Dimsdale men’s gossip section, the proliferation of Blue Pickups in Moose County. Most notable is that J. Willard Carmichael and his wife have bought one of the Fitch houses, who were also bankers...Now to see if they have better luck than the Fitches!!  Also, sadly the Hot Spot is still in business, and it’s awarded as the dinner prize to the father of one of the auctioned dates (Jennifer Olson, who took over Lady M from Melinda Goodwinter). Also, while preparing for the black tie cheese tasting at the barn, Qwill and Hixie reminisce about a cheese tasting Down Below at the Hotel Stilton and Hixie’s hat decorated with vegetables (Cat Who Saw Red). 

An annoyance - Junior Goodwinter observes that Onoosh left without checking out of the hotel… yeah, because A BOMB WENT OFF IN HER ROOM AND SHE’S RUNNING FROM HER STALKER.  Cut the woman some slack!

Polly - Poly’s recovery is going well, and she likes living on Pleasant Street, but her sister-in-law is constantly there, annoying and frustrating Qwill, who just wants some alone time with Polly now that she’s feeling better. She is also being flattered by the new college president, Dr. Prelligate, who has sent her flowers (mums) and Qwill things he is trying to talk her out of moving out of her old apartment which is now on the college grounds… She’s also on a pretty strict diet per the hospital, so Qwill sends a set of Sri Lankan Masks as “Kitchen Deities” that he names as Lo Phat and Lo Psalt.  Culturally insensitive, oh yes, but the spirit of the gift is sweet. 

Once again - Homer Tibbet’s flask of decaf coffee and brandy is mentioned… I’m trying to decide now if LJB really did forget that she put it in there, or if she decided he’s screwing with people and only claiming to have brandy in his coffee. 

Wild and cheesy - the cheese book will not die.  Qwill leaves it outside, buries it, and finally puts it in a plastic bucket for Mr. O’Dell to dispose of. He does however have a wild moment of fancy where he imagines mailing the book to his former in-laws. 

Oops - Busy arrives to attempt to photograph the cats and looks at Qwill’s bookshelf like he’s never seen it before, which feels off for his normally observant character.  (“Gee, you’ve got a lot of plays Mister!  Do you really read all this stuff?)  Seriously???

I’m with Qwill on mums - I don’t find them to be attractive flowers at all, but they’re everywhere!!! Though fortunately, rarely in  Vintage Burgundy, aka the color of dried blood. 

Qwill writes a column about his hatred of turnips and in response, someone sends him an unmarked package.  After reporting it to the bomb squad, who attempt to diffuse it with a firehouse, it turns out to be the largest turnip ever grown in Moose County!

Sign of the times - so many people pay for their hotel stays in cash!! Plus answering machines, and having to go back out after you get home because there's a message on the answering machine.

Cats will be cats - Bushy attempts again to photograph Koko and Yum Yum, and fails spectacularly again. Bootsie takes advantage of the tablecloths at the Pleasant Street House and ambushes Qwill whenever possible. Qwill brings home a cheese basket, which is immediately commandeered by Yum Yum for naps until she gets her head caught in one of the holes, causing Qwill to have to break the basket to free her.   Per Lori Bamba, Qwill counts the Siamese’s whiskers and has Polly do the same for Bootsie.  Normal cats like Bootsie and Yum Yum apparently have 24 on each side, which super cat Koko has 30!

Paws - Four Paws up on this one - the mystery and the town are well integrated, the mystery is solved well and even if the villain’s death is by accident, it’s still satisfying. Also, this book it is to blame for so many of my food obsessions.