Preview of The Cat Who Turned On and Off Summary:

As in much mystery fiction, the primary theme is appearance versus reality. Qwill quickly learns that Junktown is not the slum area that it seems to be. Although the buildings are old, the antique dealers are maintaining them well, and a viable community is built around these shops, along with Lombardo's Grocery and Papa Popopopoulous' Fruit, Cigars, Work Gloves, and Sundries. In addition, Qwill's status as an outsider allows him a relatively clear perspective on the community; because he does not share the presuppositions of other Junktown residents, he can recognize that people and events are not as they appear.

Thus, he is suspicious, not only of Andrew Glanz's "accident," but also of Ben Nicholas' horse brasses and Hollis Pranz's "tech-tiques." Unlike most of Junktown, Qwill is able to see through Mary Duckworth's "ice maiden" pose, and he realizes that Glanz was not the nice young novelist that...