Customer Reviews

Cat in a Diamond Dazzle: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries)

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With the return of her ex-lover, magician Max Kinsella to the Circle Ritz, home of her new beau, Matt Devine, ex-priest and hotline counselor, Temple Barr finds herself in need of a refuge. Accompanied by the colorful Electra Lark and Temple's aunt, romance novelist, Kit Carlson, Temple attends a romance writers convention at the Crylstal Phoenix. However, Temple once again finds herself embroiled in murder as entries in the Incredible Hunk contest begin turning up dead. That ever reliable feline, Midnight Louie springs to the assistance of his favorite roommmate as they work to uncover clues to the identity of the killer. Louie must contend with his spitfire daughter, Midnight Louise, who has little use for ther father, while Temple faces Lt. Carmen Molina who not only searches for the killer of the hunks, but continues her search for the elusive Kinsella, a suspect in yet another murder. All the while, Temple searches for the Midnight Louie shoe which promises its own reward for the high heeled heroin. With each novel, Douglas draws us further into the lives of her charachers and weaves internal mysteries that carry through from book to book. We await the next book to find out more about Matt Devine, Max Kinsella, and the rest of the human characters as well as Louie's romantic and family entanglements.

The title in this one is extremely apropos, as the dialogue sparkles and flashes without getting cutesy or self-concious. A large number of sly little asides add to the humor; I frequently found myself laughing at a bit of dialogue, or at Temple's internal thought proccesses. Louie himself is an elegant Greek chorus of one, while behaving at all times like a real live cat. Matt and Max are superb foils for each other in all aspects, and the supporting characters (Fontana Inc, Danny Dove) are delightful while avoiding two-dimensionality. All of her books give a quick, in-depth sketch of life in the real world of various trades or professions...people wanting to become published authors could do worse than to read this particular one.

A satisfying excursion in the "Midnight Louie" series, Douglas plays with a secret fantasy women sometimes have of being caught between two attractive (and mysterious) men, with a faithful tomcat for company. While the setting of a romance convention seems a bit similar to earlier plots, adding the subplots of the heroine's two suitors, a long-lost aunt, and the madcap search through Las Vegas for a pair of diamond-studded cat shoes livens the background. Even the mystery at the romance convention features some fascinating background tidbits about the industry, and a truly hissable villian. Another solid outing for the feline Sam Spade and his petite owner!

This book was simply fun to read.

This version of midnight louie features male strippers who die while stripping and feline romance. The worst part of this story at least for is Temple searching all over Las Vegas for a pair of crystal encrusted shoes. The best part, as always, is Louie who romances Yvette and solves the mystery who some help from Temple. Spoiler: Max, a magician, and his foe the dreaded Synth, also magicians will play a major role in stories from now on in my opinion making a story in which a cat solves mysteries, farfetched, even more farfetched to the point of utter ridiculous.

At least that's the most PR whiz Temple Barr thinks she's hunting when this story begins - a hidden pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes adorned with a black cat - the spitting image of Midnight Louie - done in Austrian crystals. If she can find the shoe, which has been hidden somewhere on the Vegas strip, she gets a pair of her very own. And who better to win twin portraits of Louie that will also raise her diminutive stature 3" or so than Temple? After all, the big black cat has brought a lot of excitement into Temple's life since he claimed her at a bookseller's conference - was it only a few short weeks ago?

And that's all Temple as in mind for the week - other than attending a Romance Writer's convention at the Crystal Pheonix with landlady Electra Lark. Things are a wee bit tense back at the Circle Ritz - and so the convention is a form of escape.

And all Louie has in mind is a bit of dalliance with his lady love - the Divine Yvette, a tiny silver shaded Persian with blue green eyes who has captivated is heart. Yvette will be there for the whole convention, because her mistress - airhead actress Savannah Ashleigh - is in town to give out the last night awards.

And the most popular awards category? Not the romance novels themselves, but something more action-packed - the Incredible Hunk contest, with competitors including the popular favorite, Fabrizio, and an old friend from Pussyfoot, Cheyenne.

But all too soon, death rears its head. Cheyenne makes an entrance even more dramatic than he planned to, when he enters the stage on a beautiful horse, sporting a small loincloth, a pouch of glittery crystals in a pouch around his neck and not much else - except an arrow protruding from his back.

The thing to keep in mind in this book is that all that glitters is not necessarily Austrian crystals. There is a lot of glitter in this gathering of the romance industry - and some dross as well. And so most thoughts of leisure depart, and Midnight Louie and Temple are at it again. (Not that Temple gives up her shoe quest, nor will Louie forego his reunions with Yvette - but they are still hot on the trail of Cheyenne's murderer.)

To complicate life a bit more, Temple's mystery man, Max Kinsella is back in town - and he and Temple's other romantic interest, Matt Devine, face each other warily. Temple has even seen the two of them haunting the Crystal Pheonix - together but not looking especially friendly.

Temple manages to pick up the odd clue by interviewing cast and crew and even while shoe-hunting - but gets the major key to things while taking part in a "pose down" - an onstage tableau like those seen on the typical bodice-ripper style of romance. And Louie - well, Louie will always be where Yvette may be - and that's usually backstage. Unnoticed - the advantage of being short and black - he's in a position to hear and see what escapes most two legged detectives, and excellent at communicating his finds to both Temple and the authorities.

Will Matt and Max reach some sort of truce? Will Louie ever get a chance to woo his Divine Yvette? Will Temple find her shoes? And did Louie, taking a cue from his old friend Archie the typing cockroach - paw out the romantic satire that is singled out at the awards banquet? Electra did see some strange files on Temple's computer that Temple claims no knowledge of. Or did it take so long for someone to claim it - anyone - because the airheaded Ashleigh so badly bungled the announcement.?

We needn't ask if she and Louie will find the murderer - only read avidly to discover how they arrive at their answers.

It is great fun reading this series beginning with the first Midnight Louie mystery, "Catnap" right through the alphabet. Otherwise fans may not realize that the action in this book begins only a day or so after Temple and Louie wrapped up the exciting "Cat in a Crimson Haze" mystery. The Midnight Louie series is actually a mega-novel, with each book constituting a very large, multi-part chapter. While each book stands on its own merit, one gets a greater appreciation for things - the developing relationships between Louie and Temple, Temple and Matt, and now Temple and Max and Max and Matt, for one; the chance to remember and enjoy the many minor characters who appear and reappear from book to book - as well as a better sense of just how fast things happen when Midnight Louie showed up and led Temple Barr into a life of crime-solving.