Customer Reviews

Cat in a Quilksilver Caper: A Midnight Louie Mystery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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!)

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!

The series has been going since 1992. I've been reading it since then and may be more bothered than most that in the early volumes Matt grew up on a farm and in later ones in Chicago; that in the early volumes Temple has older brothers and sisters, while in the later ones only older brothers. Ah, well. Not everyone is a historian. Someday, perhaps, a continuity specialist can take a hand before there are new reprints.

The recent volumes have been pleasant entertainment. This one is more. It's worth the price of the whole book just for the chapter in which Temple, who has managed the unlikely achievement of "falling away" from Unitarian Universalism simply by dint of not going to church feels a need to consult a "religious professional" and hies herself off to the Las Vegas strip mall storefront incarnation of the denomination. It is priceless social commentary.

In other words, there's a lot more substance to this book than to the several prior ones in the series. It makes me very anxious to see what will be occuring in the remaining nine volumes (cat in r through z).

I would remark to Ms. Douglas that since I'm past retirement age, I would appreciate it if the next nine could appear on a schedule that permits me to read them before it's too late :)

We've made it up to "Q" and the word this time is "Quicksilver." That, and Max, as the Max character is very visible in this book.

The plot in this book focuses around Temple getting a major new PR assignment at the New Millennium Hotel. A major exhibition is there featuring valuable Russian treasures, the most major bieng a priceless Czar Alexander scepter. It seems that it's a target for theft, but there are those that have more than theft on their minds.


Also featured pretty heavily in this book are Shangri-La and her "poisonous Siamese cat, Hyacinth. And the plot with Matt Devine is really heating up as well.

I agree that some elements of the story are becoming a bit soap-operaish and I really didn't think much of the last book in the series. Still, I found this one a reasonably decent read and so I'll be continuing with the series. "Cat on a Red Romp" maybe? :)

In this caper, Midnight Louie meets up with an old foe, a stunt double, and lots of backstage smoke and mirrors. Temple is working to get her freelance reputation back on track and get everyone to take her "new" blonde personna seriously when Max, Matt, and an exhibit of Russian art treasures collide in a wonderfully whirlwind story.

Nah, more like Agatha Christie clad in a snazzy pair of Stuart Weitzman stilettos ...

Another classic romp through the Strip with Temple and Louie! From the Max/Matt question to Molina's stalker, the ongoing "myth-arc" elements of the book are fun as always; the mystery du jour is a little lighter than normal but look for a classic whodunit moment.

My one issue: Temple, you are not meant to be a blonde!

This latest episode in the Midnight Louie series is the VS. Book.
Red vs. White
Red Head vs. Platinum Blonde
Matt vs. Max
Good vs. Evil
Truth vs. Convenience

The mystery surrounding the murder this time around was thinner than normal and went by very fast (though it has threads tied into it leading to many many questions!), but there is more than enough meat on other subjects to more than make up for it.

Molina continues her war against Max, and it seems that someone is trying to help her along, making her dig a hole that may break her in the long run. Louie seeks advice from the female of the species as he attempts to figure out how to help Temple and himself with concerns on the ongoing love triangle. Temple has to deal with aging, love, wants, needs, the future. The last bit of the book takes off on a rocket taking us along and leaves you with the desire to prod Mrs. Douglas along to hurry up and give us the next book! (Can we say cliffhanger? :P)

Overall the usual great ride we've come to expect from Midnight Louie!

This is the latest chapter in the author's ambitious Midnight Louie uber-novel, which began with 'Catnap'. Public-relations specialist and amateur detective Temple Barr continues to navigate the minefield of her emotional life (and occasionally stepping on a mine!) while investigating mysteries that threaten her loved ones or her PR clients. In this edition Temple tangles with members of the Russian mob while absent beau Max pursues a mysterious cabal of possibly-deadly magicians.
The series continues to absorb and entertain with the characters' all-too human emotional entanglements and crack-ups enriching the story.

First of all let me say that I have enjoyed this series immensely. I own all of the books published to date but this is going to be the last one I buy.

I am getting sick and tired of authors who are too lazy to keep track of their story lines and their characters and who assume that their readers will continue to buy whatever is printed.

In this series the Circle Ritz started out clad in white marble; then in later books it turned into black marble. Temple originally resided on the third floor. Later she is depicted as living on the second floor. In the earlier books Max owned the Orson Wells house and let Gandolph live in it; later, Gandolph owned the house and let Max live in it. Now, in Quicksilver Caper, comes the last straw. Matt is meeting once again with the group of ex-priests and among the group is Damien. This incredibly lazy author has apparently forgotten that Damien was the killer in one of the earlier books and would undoubtedly be serving a life sentence in some Nevada maximum security institution and would not be free to attend ex-priest meetings.

The reason these details are important is because, as we read, we form pictures of what is going on in the story - somewhat like watching a movie unfold. And in a multi-volume series, like this one, it is very disruptive to the smooth flow of the action when details in the picture change.

There is no excuse for this sloppy craftsmanship. If I were writing a long, multi-volume series such as this I would have a huge board in front of my writing area on which I would keep track of all my characters; I would keep track of settings and of descriptions so that one thing didn't change into another. It is insulting to her readers for this author to be so lazy; she does not deserve any more of my money. This is the last book that I will buy in this series.