ISBN: 0812555066 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
A playful continuation of the Midnight Louie mysteries, this novel combines two spunky narrators, and a suspenseful plot; and slightly overburdened by glimpses of the detectives' personal mysteries.
Reviewed by David on September 27, 1998
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth, Cat)
Synopsis: Temple Barr, a short, curious and energetic PR consultant for a Las Vegas casino, gets involved in yet another murder, this one is during a convention of romance writers. Her intimidating cat companion, Midnight Louie, does his not insignificant best to keep up with his roommate, and to preserve her life as well as her sanity, as she is beset by attempts on her life, confusing romantic interests, and intimidating police investigators.
Full Review: Carole Nelson Douglas is the author of several fantasy, science fiction and mysteries, including the pleasant series starting with Six of Swords, and Probe. This is her fifth Midnight Louie mystery, a book where Temple Barr and her tom cat alternate as the narrator. The series started with Catnap.
Luckily, Douglas escapes being too cute in this style, although not by much. The red-haired diminutive Barr, who loathes the adjective "cute" when applied to her person and part thereof, gets involved in yet another murder investigation, much to the almost resigned consternation of detective Molina, morbid curiosity of her exotic landlady Electra, and concern of her current beau, Matt. Unfortunately, her life is further complicated when her mysteriously disappeared lover, Max the magician, suddenly reappears in her life.
The investigation proceeds at a hectic pace, interleaved with Barr's romantic entanglements, the romance convention full of feuding authors and book-cover "hunks", sleazy reporters and the incomparable Louie himself. This does not even start to describe Barr's burden of shoe-fetish, as she embarks on a quest to find the elusive, cat-inscribed, crystal-encrusted slippers.
The novel is a bit overburdened by the many strands of "domestic" mysteries, including that of both of her boyfriends, not to mention the inspector Molina. Without the background of previous books, these snippets are more distracting than tantalizing. Therefore, I recommend reading the series in order, even though each murder investigation is self-contained.
The exotic location, combined with the hectic pace and humorous tone, make this an enjoyable and fun read.
Overall: 6.5; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 6.5; Style: 6; World-building: 5; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 1996, Tom Doherty Associates (Forge), February 1997, Mass market paperback
ISBN: 0812555066 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com