Welcome back to the world of Koko, Yum Yum, and Qwill. There was a long hiatus between the third book and this one. This book is one of my favorites. Like Qwill, I love food but need to lose weight. Fortunately, my little dog doesn't put his paws on the scale, unlike Koko "assistance" with Qwill.

The mystery was good and played fair with the reader -- we had the chance to solve the mystery along with Qwill. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. While it can be read as a stand-alone, as with most cozy mysteries, more background is gained by reading the earlier books first. ( )

Former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran starts a new diet just before he's made the newspaper's first ever gourmet reporter. In typical Qwill fashion, he immerses himself in the culture by moving into a boarding house where the owner is a gourmet chef and requires all boarders to have some sort of connection to food. Part of the reason for moving there (okay, maybe most of the reason) is that Qwill's old flame lives there, and when she disappears, he starts to question if foul play is involved. Still, she's always been flighty, as Qwill knows well enough. Then a houseboy vanishes, and Qwill kicks his investigation into high gear.

My experience with this book is probably a bit tainted by the fact that I've read it before, many years ago. It's actually one I remember most from whichever ones of this series I read when I was younger. So that being said, I really liked the story and the mystery, even though I was pretty sure I knew what was going on the entire time. Because even with that past experience, I couldn't quite decide for sure if my theory was correct or not. In the end, the mystery was interesting and maybe even a bit more sensational than normal for this series.

I always enjoy the antics that the cats get up to, and this book was no exception for me. Qwill even has a bit of a scare involving them, and it's very touching to see his reaction. One particular side character amused me quite a bit too, even down to a comical description of the car that he drives. I only wish there would have been more of him. Overall, this was an entertaining read that I do believe beat out the previous to be my favorite in the series so far. I would recommend this book for fans of the classic whodunit & cozy mystery genres. ( )

This book has a delightful twist: the murderer is easy to uncover; it's the proof that's difficult to come by! I'd figured out everything early on, including the modus operandi, but still enjoyed this light read. Koko and Yum Yum are fast becoming favourite characters of mine!
This book is among the early ones in the story and it lacks some of the finesse of other books, but Qwill is becoming a clear star and coming into form. I definitely enjoyed the incursion into the pottery and gourmet worlds!
It's a refreshing read, perfect for relaxing. ( )

Easy read, but enjoyed the light reading. ( )

not up to even her usual standards ( )