6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
purrfect Midnight Louie feline sleuth, July 5, 2006
Midnight Louie wants his human pet Vegas public relations specialist Temple Barr's two lovers, former magician turned something Max Kinsella and former priest turned radio host Matt Devine, to limit their stay in his home especially his bed. It is bad enough she has two duds and one stud in her life, Louie wonders how a flaming fireball redhead became a bleached blonde though he appreciate that Temple has stayed out of trouble enabling Louie to investigate female felines.
However, Louie should have known better as trouble is defined as Temple. She prepares the publicity for the White Russian Czarist art exhibition at the New Millennium Hotel; however, nothing goes smooth as the pre-show publicity is not about the art, but instead a puzzling death. The publicity fails to improve when a deadly accident occurs during the opening. Besides the deaths that look suspicious to Louie, someone steals the prime exhibit item, the priceless Czar Alexander's scepter. Louie searches for the scepter and a killer as he believes the accident was a homicide while Matt proposes to Temple and LVPD Detective Carmen Molina claims Max is stalking her. All is normal even with evil Synth magicians plotting a nefarious sleight of the paw - it is Louie's memoirs.
Though he has gone through his second set of nine lives, Midnight Louie's latest cat-escapades are brisk fun as his companion lands them in several capers including bedroom visitors. The story line is fast-paced as Temple learns that blondes have more fun might be misleading with murder, theft, and the Synth to deal with. Fans of the series will appreciate Louie's usual on target asides re the foibles of humans and his efforts to keep Temple safe. CAT IN A QUICKSILVER CAPER is a purrfect Midnight Louie feline sleuth extraordinaire.
Harriet Klausner
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery and wily detective felines on the Vegas Strip, August 9, 2006
I have to admit, I'm reading this series more as one gigantic, 27-chapter book rather than as a bunch of individual books. It makes waiting for the next chapter a real pain in the neck. Still, as long as Ms. Douglas keeps me interested, I'll keep devouring each chapter as long as she keeps writing them (in the case of the last three books, that's meant buying them as soon as they hit the shelves - or even pre-ordering them).
Yes, it is a gigantic romance novel, cleverly disguised as a series of mystery novels; but there is overall mystery in the "romance" part of the deal, as well. Douglas has gotten us deeper and deeper into both, with murders and mayhem intertwined with the main characters so that each chapter can be enjoyed on its own, but OH, it's so much better when one has read every chapter so far!
In this chapter, intrepid PR rep Temple Barr has taken on a brand-new job as the public relations represenative to the newest, flashiest Strip attraction, the opening of the museum at the New Millenium Hotel, where the jewels of the last Czars will be on display, along with an aerial magic show featuring both foes and friends (or, at least, neutral acquaintances). Temple's still being pulled in many ways by love interests Max (the somewhat shady but heroic former magician, the counterterrorist who is trying to infiltrate the insidious guild of magicians, the Sith) and Matt (former Catholic priest who is now ready to take the dive into the sexual, secular world - and will do so with no one but Temple); but she always has the impressive short, dark, and handsome Midnight Louie, her steady feline friend, who always watches her back and makes sure she - and those around her - stay safe.
Louie has his own problems this time out. He's still dealing with his maybe-daughter Louise, his partner in Midnight Inc. Investigations, and the curare-clawed Siamese Hyacinth. Now Hyacinth has a lovely Siamese body double with eyes for Louie (fortunately for Louie, his own Persian girlfriend the Divine Yvette is not on the scene this book), plus the Big Cat buddies in the magic show. Louie has plenty to keep him busy, right down to life-saving of friend and foe alike.
I think, though, Ms. Douglas needs to take a vacation to Vegas to update herself. She has done an admirable job of starting the series in 1992 and, while only about two years of book time have gone by, Vegas has flexed and grown and changed around the characters so it is the Vegas of 2006 - and the way Vegas changes, that does take some work. However, in this book mention is made of how the Cloaked Conjurer, the fictional character Douglas based loosely on similar masked "magician revealers" in this world, is the only magician working with big cats in Vegas since Siegfried & Roy went dark. That's not true - both Dirk Arthur at the Tropicana and Rick Thomas at the Stardust do their magic show with big cats (including those distinctive white tigers). Also, the last two books have made a big deal about how "everything" at the Bellagio requires a second mortgage in order to dine - also out of date. The Bellagio is still pretty snazzy, but there are several restaurants the "common man" can eat at for a reasonable-to-moderately expensive price (it's the Wynn you need to sell your children to eat at, now).
But despite my own love of Vegas, and occasional problems with the desert descriptions (I'm a Southwest native), I still love the stories, and I really enjoyed the heck out of this current chapter. I can't give away the shocks and surprises, of course, but I will say the final chapters had me almost screaming aloud in amazement. But I've followed these characters through thick and thin; I'll still be around NINE years from now when we finally see "Z." ("Cat in a Zebra Stripe"? Who knows!)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I want to haunt the author to find out what's next!, July 27, 2006
I have always been a fan of Midnight Louie and his red-headed, spike-heeled assistent Temple Barr - but my favorite book in the series have a certain unbeatable combination.
First, of course, is a great mystery, which Temple and Louie must work together to solve, with the help and or hindrance of a cast of colorful, intriguing characters.
Second is watching the almost impossible-to-decide love triangle between Temple, Matt Devine and the mystifying Max Kinsella.
Finally it must have a plot which allows Louie to play a big part in solving the mystery and having a few capers of his own.
And Cat in A Quicksilver Caper does all of this. It's, in my opinion, one of the best Louie books in a while )and Ihave loved them all.) Lots of Louie, lots of a love triangle that seems more impossible to resoove than ever, a great mystery, lots of undercover magic and mystery - and a cliffhanger so shocking that I wanted to haunt the author to hurry up and tell us more. So shocking that I sat with my mouth open turning pages back and forth thinking I must have misread.
Trust me - this one is a must!
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