Review by Frank Plowright

Miss Cat is a private detective and has taken on some strange cases in the past, but The Gnome’s Nightmare supplies an impossible task. Gnorman the gnome’s dreams always come true, and he’s dreamed of a terrible storm that floods the entire city enabling the pirate Captain Whitewhale to take control. Gnorman wants Miss Cat to stop his dream coming true.

It’s a case that sets Miss Cat on the trail of reclusive author Jo Hø Hø, has her meet a man in a dog suit and learn Captain Whitewhale is actually a character in a book. The back cover describes the series as splendidly silly, and that’s certainly the mood Jean-Luc Fromental aims for as Miss Cat meets even more eccentric people, all charmingly drawn by Joëlle Jolivet. The ridiculousness of the cover transmits the series mood, which is silly, but never overplayed. For the characters themselves everything is real.

Miss Cat herself is a noir pastiche, only ever seen with the barest hint of a smile on her lips, hanging out at the milk bar, and heading everywhere on her bicycle rather than a battered old car. She ties the entire story together, tenaciously following the clues wherever they might lead, and never mind how ridiculous they might appear to be. The wonder of Fromental’s story is it’s intelligently plotted to incorporate every ridiculous aspect, yet it all makes sense in the end. Well, almost, as Gnorman’s dreams always come true, remember, except this time it doesn’t. Extremely heavy rain is the worst effect, which makes for some nice art. Most importantly, Miss Cat puts it all together.

The Case of the Curious Canary was extremely good, and so is this. Creative, funny and an absolute delight, in fact. The Mystery of the Melting Snow can’t come along soon enough.