Cat in a Kiwi Con [Mass Market Paperback]

Carole Nelson Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2001

Midnight Louie, the purring P.I., is a jet-black sleuth making his twelfth outing in Carole Nelson Douglas's Cat in a Kiwi Con. While his human partner, public relations whiz Temple Barr, and her significant other, ex-magician Max Kinsella, are bespelled by murder most magical on a Las Vegas university campus, Louie has followed the lethal and lovely Siamese, Hyacinth, into the world's largest science fiction and fantasy convention, GigantiCon.

They're all there: Hercules and Xena, elves and aliens, captains and crew, and Godzillions of fans--both in costume and out. When a prominent player is killed, not only is the method of death perplexing, but the suspects in this case are a very unusual cast of thousands. Soon it becomes clear that none of the investigators are safe in an atmosphere that provides cover not only for an unknown murderer, but for an antagonist in an alien guise who is after the hides of each and every one of them.

Joining in the fantasy-in-progress may be their only hope.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even diehard fans may have trouble keeping the various narrative voices and story strands straight in Nelson's 11th mystery to feature Las Vegas's Temple Barr and her gumshoe cat, Midnight Louie. When homicide detective Carmen Molina asks former priest Matt Devine to take her daughter Mariah to the TitaniCon, a science fiction convention, little does she know she's putting her only child in the middle of a murder investigation. When Louie finds a dead man on a catwalk at the con, he tries to make the man's murder apparent by pushing the body to the ground, but the police consider the death accidental. Only after the star of Khatlord, a popular SF TV show, is electrocuted by falling into a neon sign do Molina and her men work to catch a killer amid the bizarrely costumed convention attendees. Some green-dyed kiwis give Louie a valuable tip. Meanwhile, the stabbing death of a professor who studies magicians leads to a search for the prototype of the ornate knife worn in replica by the futuristic Khatlord warriors as part of their body armor. Readers picking up this volume will be understandably confused and mystified by many of the references, which have their roots in past books. The professor's murder, for those who care, presumably awaits a solution in a future Midnight Louie mystery.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Las Vegas feline "private investigator" Midnight Louie and his human partner, Temple Barr, face a daunting prospect. Murder strikes during the world's largest sf convention, providing the pair with multitudinous disguised suspects. For cat mystery fans.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812584252
• ISBN-13: 978-0812584257
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With her home office a Twilight Zone landscape of mannequins in vintage dress, no wonder award-winning ex-journalist and novelist Carole Nelson Douglas's 55 novels range from historical and contemporary mystery and romance to science fiction thrillers to high and urban fantasy. They include two Las Vegas-set series: the Midnight Louie, feline PI, mysteries partially narrated by a "Sam Spade with hairballs" and the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator, noir urban fantasies of werewolf mobsters and Silver Screen zombies in a paranormal Vegas.

Douglas was the first author of a Sherlockian series with a female protagonist, diva-detective Irene Alder, the only woman to outwit Holmes, debuting with the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Good Night, Mr. Holmes. Rachel McAdams plays Irene in the Dec. 25 film with Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock. Douglas says if she has a literary muse, it's definitely feline: mysterious, wise, playful, and packing sharp shivs in velvet gloves.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This series and this author is great, April 21, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat in a Kiwi Con: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Hardcover)

This year's TitaniCom, the world's largest science fiction and fantasy convention, is being held at the Las Vegas New Millennium Hotel and Casino. Mariah, daughter of police lieutenant C.R. Molina wants to attend. Former priest Matt Devine is willing to escort the young girl because he needs to get away from his troubling thoughts involving his first date with police sketch artist Janice Flanders. Also attending the convention is publicist Temple Barr's cat Midnight Louie who seeks the individuals who kidnapped and neutered him.

Ex-spy and retired magician Max Kinsella gives Temple a sketch of a man he plans to watch, who is allegedly staying at the hotel. He wants Temple to locate the man for him. Always eager to help her lover, Temple visits the New Millennium where she meets Matt, Mariah, and Louie. The group stumbles upon the murdered corpse of a conventioneer, which should not surprise anyone since there is a high correlation between dead bodies and Temple. Once again, the cast seeks to solve a murder.

There is no finer amateur sleuth than Midnight Louie, the feline equivalent to Spencer (or perhaps Hawk). Carole Nelson Douglas infuses humor throughout her story line, which keeps readers alternating between grinning and laughing. Told from the various perspectives of the major players, a dangerous technique for a lesser talent, the plot contains snappy insight into the thinking of several charcaters, which in turn leads to multiple surprises. Enthusiasts will realize that CAT IN A KIWI CON is one of the better works in this long running series which is filled with superb novels. With his charm and appeal still reaching out towards the reader, Midnight Louie continues to steal readers' hearts.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but enough of the Science Fiction references, May 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cat in a Kiwi Con: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Hardcover)

The book started off alright but quickly became dragged down. There was not enough of Louie and too many Buffy references. This is a mystery/comedy novel. To many plot lines that need to be connected and finished. Unfortunately if you are a big fan, which I am, you will need to read this book to catch up on the many different trains of thought Temple/Max/Matt/Molina/Louie have before reading "...Leopard Spot".

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Almost Didn't Finish this One!, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cat in a Kiwi Con: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Hardcover)

I have read all the books in this series, and found myself wishing that ONE of the loose ends would please be tied up in this one....but nope, just a new loose end and more cat babbling. I enjoy books with animals....talking and otherwise, but this cat "talks" too much! I heartily enjoyed the first books in this series, but the neverending Max/Matt campaign is wearing thin. The fun part of the book is the science fiction convention, but it is not enough to engage a casual reader. My stubborness to finish the book was really the only reason I did finish it! Maybe the next one will wrap up some plot lines.... we can only hope!