Customer Reviews

Alley Kat Blues

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I've read almost all of Kijewski's books and this is my favorite so far. There's a lot going on here -Kat is having personal as well as professional problems. Her boyfriend, Hank, is distant and preoccupied and Kat has been jittery about the relationship all along. I didn't put this book down until I finished it. I hope all readers found this book as absorbing as I did.

I love all of Ms Kijewski's books but I did find her a little hard on the Mormons in this particular book. Having spent the first 20 of my 50+ yrs as a Mormon, most of the things she talks about I have never been exposed too, especially about the men being Gods and having their own Heaven, where did that come from?? First of all, after leaving the Church, my family and friends were sad of course as they would be in any religion, but have always stood by and supported me in whatever I chose to do in life, and still do. As a Mormon female, we were always encouraged to obtain higher education, and strive to be the best at what we do. Don't know what type of Mormons she knew but goodness, you make them out to be worse than some other religions I won't name out of respect. Yes, we were discouraged from smoking and drinking caffinated drinks, but it was our choice to make weather we did or not, because, as we all know now, it's bad for you. OTHER WISE THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK WAS A GOOD ONE AS HER'S ALWAYS ARE. Looking forward to reading the next ones.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this author. Victim of the massive TBR pile.

Alley Kat Blues deals with two parallel cases--Kat's and her long-distance boyfriend's (he's a cop in Vegas)--an apparent hit & run that the victim's mother insists can't be, and a serial killer who hits too close to home for Hank.

There are also some real relationship difficulties in this one, honestly dealt with.

Its fun to read. Have collected all of Karen Kewjewski's series in paperback. Started with'Kat Scratch Fever", then went back and restarted from the first book. That way, I could see the characters developing. Much better that way.

This is a best book in the entire Kat Colorado mystery!
I really enjoyed it!

This is the first Kijewski book I've read and probably the last. The characters had no depth and were relentlessly one dimensional. The plot was totally predictable - within three paragraphs of the introduction of the killer, I knew he had done it! I was intrigued that several of the readers were offended by her portrayal of the mormon church, in particular its treatment of women. This was the one aspect of her plot and characterizations that I found to be interesting and believable.

Karen and I were in a writers group together shortly before she sold her first Kat Colorado book. We all adored her. She's a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. I'm LDS (Mormon) and a few weeks or so before Alley Kat Blues came out she called me to tell me the book might sound a bit prejudiced against Mormons. She was concerned I wouldn't like it. I told her she was certainly entitled to her opinion, but I was surprised she never asked me anything as she wrote it. When it was published, I read the book and felt terribly shocked and disappointed. I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one here on Amazon.com that realizes how little she knew about the LDS faith when she wrote the book. Still, she's an excellent writer and I highly recommend the other books in her Kat Colorado series!