Alley Kat Blues (Kat Colorado Mysteries) [Paperback]

Karen Kijewski (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kat Colorado Mysteries | Publication Date: April 1, 1996

She's a hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved, and one special cop named Hank.  Her name is Kat Colorado, and in her business curiosity can be more than an occupational hazard--it can be murder.

Kat Colorado knows the dangers of letting a case get too big a piece of your soul.  But some cases don't give you a choice, like the death of twenty-two-year-old Courtney Dillard.  Kat found her battered body on a dark Sacramento freeway, an apparent hit-and-run victim.  Courtney's mother is convinced her death was no accident, and hires Kat to find the truth.  As sweet and good-hearted as she was, Courtney had no shortage of enemies, Kat learns. And they make no secret of their belief in blood vengeance.

Kat's also looking for the truth about her relationship with Hank, who's wrestling with his own soul-eating case.  A serial killer is stalking the Vegas Strip, and Hank's investigation is taking him over the line.  His obsession could cost him both Kat and his career--while Kat's could cost her her life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kat Colorado, Kijewski's chatty, no-nonsense Sacramento PI, is, like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, flatly unromantic about her profession even as she's tickled pink by it. In this, her sixth case (after Kat Walk), she's often on the road between Sacramento, where she's investigating a suspicious hit-and-run, and Las Vegas, where she's investigating why Hank, her policeman beau, isn't returning her calls. Courtney Dillard, the young woman killed in the apparent hit-and-run, had left her Mormon family and her church because she felt stifled by their views on the role of women. Her mother believes she was murdered, and Kat, inclined to agree, suspects Courtney's former boyfriend. Meanwhile, back in Vegas, Hank (who still hasn't allayed Kat's suspicions of infidelity) becomes obsessed with the case of a serial killer called the Strip Stalker. Kijewski, winner of the Shamus and Anthony awards, sure-handedly builds up suspense, deftly moving Kat between California and Nevada, contrasting the excesses of religion and the excesses of Sin City.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?Kat Colorado, feisty investigator and girlfriend of Las Vegas cop Hank Parker, becomes embroiled in a family controversy and murder investigation when she discovers a young girl's mangled body, an apparent hit-and-run victim. The girl's mother begs Kat to look into her daughter's death but her religious husband refuses to cooperate. To add to Kat's problem, Hank is involved with a murder investigation of his own. He is pursuing a brutal serial killer and becomes romantically attached to an exotic dancer. Kat's heart is touched by both murders but her sense of humor and fair play remain intact. Kijewski improves her heroine with each novel; Alley Kat Blues is her best effort yet.?Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Crimeline (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553573152
• ISBN-13: 978-0553573152
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,205,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kijewski never disappoints..., April 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Alley Kat Blues (Kat Colorado Mysteries) (Paperback)

Karen Kijewski never fails to entertain me with gutsy, bold characters confronting too-true situations. Patricia Cornwell she is not, but an interesting read nonetheless. Kat Colorado's spunk keeps me coming back for more, eagerly searching for Kat's latest 'project', anxiously awaiting the day when all ends well, and of course, it never does. 'Alley Cat Blues' is set in the familiar stomping grounds of Kat and her sometimes boyfriend, Hank. While Hank, a gritty but soft-hearted cop,is preoccupied with a Las Vegas skirt and a series of murders, Kat desperately tries solve her own hit-and-run case,assist Hank, and salvage their relationship. One or two gaps in the story line, but no major complaints. A definite 'recommend' for mystery lovers, a 'must' for Kijewski fans

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alley Kat Blues... a good read, June 15, 2005

By 

Tanya T. Smith "mysterygirl" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alley Kat Blues (Hardcover)

Karen Kijewski is a marvelous author! I've read half of her books and will continue to finish up her Kat Colorado series. Although her portrayal of the Mormon family in this book is extreme and does not reflect all Mormons, obviously, I was intrigued by the accurate portrayal of the victim's struggle between a strict religious upbringing and a more liberal adult acknowledgment of gray areas in many decisions. In this aspect, Kijewski's work is very accurate, and very intriguing. There still are polygamists (though the Mormon church does not associate themselves with them). And, Mormons have a hard time talking about sexual abuse/rape, for sure. If nothing else, read the book for a good mystery, because it is.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better books in the series, April 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Alley Kat Blues (Kat Colorado Mysteries) (Paperback)

This was a hard-to-put-down book, exploring both the professional and personal sides of Kat's life. She must solve a heinous murder and resolve a roadblock in her relationship with her cop lover, Hank. Great characters in a compelling story. From other reviews that seemed to concentrate on the Mormon aspects of the plot, it appears that the word went out to Mormons to disparage the book, unfairly so, I believe. "Alley Kat Blues" is a fine addition to a series that gets better with every book. If you like gutsy female PIs and a gripping read, this book's for you.