Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The Cat who Went Bananas
Lilian Jackson Braun · 2004
65/100
👎 Skip It
Entry 27 in a beloved series, and it shows in the ways that both reassure and frustrate. The Qwilleran-Koko-Yum Yum trio remains charming, the Pickax community is as cozy as ever, and the theater-and-bookstore setting is a nice touch for readers who love both cats and culture. But the mystery does not resolve cleanly, and even devoted fans consider this one of the weaker late entries. Series veterans will still enjoy it; newcomers should start much earlier.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
📚 Buy the book ↗📱 Read on Kindle ↗🎧 Listen on Audible ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety90
substance58
craft62
originality50
accuracy72
hype65
age-fit75
human-eye60
Penny’s verdict65
Cross-pollinate