FROM OUR EDITORS

Lilian Jackson Braun readers have been eagerly anticipating James Mackintosh Qwilleran's collection of tales ever since the protagonist of the bestselling The Cat Who￯﾿ﾽ series announced (in 1997's The Cat Who Tailed a Thief) that he planned to write a book showcasing the many strange and wonderful legends of Moose County.

We've seen samples of these tales throughout the series, and now the fruits of "Qwill's" efforts have been collected in a charming volume. These 27 eclectic stories -- recounting strange happenings, mysterious occurrences, good works, chicanery, ghostly visitations, crooks, and heroes -- share some classic anecdotes (each introduced by Qwilleran and told with varying degrees of embellishment) from Moose County history. Readers may miss tales of Qwill's own feline companions, Koko and Yum Yum (understandably absent from this volume since, like Qwill, the cats are not natives of Moose County), but all cat lovers may rest assured that Qwill has not failed to pay tribute to the role of cats in local history.

We asked Lilian Jackson Braun to talk about her The Cat Who￯﾿ﾽ mysteries, James Qwilleran's perspective on Moose County history, and this delightful collection of Short and Tall Tales. Find out what she had to say in our exclusive author essay.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Fictional columnist James Qwilleran has finally completed his book showcasing the stories related to him by residents of Moose County, that famous region four hundred miles north of everywhere." Lilian Jackson Braun introduces readers to James Mackintosh Qwilleran and recounts how he collected the stories. Qwill provides a preface for each, describing the teller and the circumstances. And the tales themselves entertain, and reveal the offbeat "history" of Moose County.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Fans of Lilian Jackson Braun's Cat Who... series won't want to miss Short and Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran. In the voice of Qwill, her beloved fictional journalist, Braun presents 27 amusing yarns, from "The True(?) History of Squunk Water" to "Those Pushy Moose County Blueberries."

Library Journal