I listened to this book on tape yesterday. I had not read it in several years. It is really a transition book between the "old style" LJB writing and the "newer books". We are introduced to several new characters. Maude Coggins, the victim, Chester Ramsbottom and his bartender, the villans. Another sub plot victim, Phoebe, the pharmacy owner's daugther. A parrot. We will see parrots again later in "The Cat Who Brought Down the House". We get to know Rollo, Boyd and Culvert who is one of the few children Qwill genuinely likes.
The "thrown away" library kittens appear and are named Mac and Katie, and this book has the funny scene where library patrons stage a demonstration and burn their library cards in protest of computers. It is a great little book, but begins LJB new style of less mystery and introducing alot of new characters. We first see Ronald Frobnitz and meet Beverly Farfar! Such names! Maybe some of our fan fiction could bring Beverly back, or include some funny Ronald Frobnitz! Another idea would be to involve Culvert in a myster, now that he is surely a teenager.

I thought that spelling contest was really great and took a lot of creative thought to pull it off! Ms. Braun's command of the English language is outstanding.