"The Cat Who Sniffed Glue," by Lilian Jackson Braun
Welcome back to The Blue Mojito Book Reviews. If Tuesday’s video — Anna Maynard’s Dancing with Bees — left you marveling at the quiet intelligence of the hive, then today’s book pick feels like a natural companion. Because sometimes the sharpest detectives have four legs, extraordinary whiskers, and an inexplicable fixation with something they probably shouldn’t be sniffing.
Today’s review is: The Cat Who Sniffed Glue by Lilian Jackson Braun
Lilian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who Sniffed Glue is the eighth installment in her beloved Cat Who series, published in 1988 — and it remains one of the most charming entries in a series that, even thirty-seven years later, refuses to go stale. If you have never spent time in the small town of Pickax with retired journalist Jim Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, this is an entirely wonderful place to begin.
The Story (Spoiler-Light)
Pickax is the kind of town where nothing much is supposed to happen — which is, of course, exactly the kind of town where everything does happen. When Harley Fitch, the vice president of the local bank, and his wife are found shot to death in what authorities are quick to call a robbery gone wrong, the case appears closed almost before it opens. Three suspects from a neighboring town die in a car accident, and the police are satisfied. Jim Qwilleran is not.
Neither, apparently, is Koko. The Siamese have developed a strange and persistent habit: sniffing glue. Old glue, specifically — the kind used on envelopes, in furniture, in the craft projects of a local artist who may or may not know more than he is letting on. Qwilleran, a man who has learned to trust his cat’s instincts in ways that defy easy explanation, begins pulling at threads. What unravels is a web of small-town secrets, suppressed histories, and a truth far stickier than anyone anticipated.
What Makes This Series So Enduring
The Cat Who series has sold tens of millions of copies across nearly three decades, and readers who discover it tend to ask the same question: why did it take me so long to find these books? The answer lies in Braun’s particular gift for creating a world that feels genuinely lived-in. Pickax is not a backdrop; it is a community, complete with gossip and grudges and the specific rhythms of a town where everyone knows everyone — and watches them accordingly.
Qwilleran himself is a rare thing in mystery fiction: a middle-aged protagonist who is neither world-weary nor aggressively eccentric. He is simply observant, decent, and quietly funny. And then there are the cats. Koko and Yum Yum operate somewhere between pet and partner, and Braun never quite tips her hand about how much Koko actually knows. That ambiguity is part of the pleasure. The series has been called catnip for readers who like both crime and cats — and that is exactly right. Exactly right down my lane.
About Lilian Jackson Braun
Braun’s own story carries the appeal of a good mystery. She published her first three Cat Who novels between 1966 and 1968 to strong reviews — the New York Times named her the new detective of the year in 1966 — and then, for reasons she never fully explained, vanished from publishing entirely. She did not return until 1986, when Berkley Publishing Group reintroduced her with a new paperback original. Within two years she had four new novels out and her earlier titles back in print. The series went on to span twenty-nine books and find an entirely new generation of devoted readers. Braun passed away in 2011 at the age of ninety-seven.
There is something quietly fitting about a writer who disappeared and came back. It gives her work the quality of a secret finally shared.
Why It Belongs in August
August is a month made for cozy mysteries. The days are long and slow, the heat invites stillness, and there is something deeply satisfying about settling in with a book that asks you to pay attention to small details — a cat’s odd behavior, a neighbor’s evasive answer, the faint smell of something that does not quite belong. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue rewards exactly that kind of attention.
And in the spirit of National Honey Bee Awareness Month, we would simply note: bees and cats have more in common than you might think. Both are meticulous. Both communicate in ways humans are still working to fully understand. And both, given the right conditions, will lead you somewhere unexpected.
Thursday’s Fun Bee Fact: Did You Know?
Honey bees make decisions collectively. When a colony needs to find a new home, scout bees fan out to explore potential sites and then return to the hive to perform their waggle dances — each scout dancing for the location she has found. Other bees evaluate the performances and visit the sites themselves. Through this competitive, democratic process, the colony gradually reaches consensus, with more scouts joining the winning dance until the group moves together. No single bee is in charge. The hive decides.
Check out this interesting video on Honeybee Decision Making Video
A new bee fact every Tuesday in August. Pass them along.
Coming Tuesday
Join us next Tuesday for a special feature highlighting Black-owned bookstores, Black publishers, and influential literary voices. We’ll also share tips on how you can champion Black literary spaces throughout the year. See you then!
Blue Mojito Book Reviews · Published Every Tuesday and Thursday
National Honey Bee Awareness Month — August 2026
Comments