Customer Reviews

Cat in a Red Hot Rage (Midnight Louie Mysteries)

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

 

 

Premise: This the 19th book in the Midnight Louie Mystery series. This volume brings into play the Red Hat Sisterhood - an organization for women over 50 that encourages freedom, fun, and that life is not lost once that benchmark is reached. For PR wiz Temple Barr, this gig should have been a piece of cake - that is until murder enters the scene and Electra Lark, Temple's fun loving landlady is the prime suspect.

Review: For those of you still screaming from the cliff hanger in book 18, you will still be screaming. Aside from some very subtle hints, we still don't know what exactly has happened to Max after the piece of sabotage at the Neon Nightmare club. But there is still plenty going on to keep our minds occupied and away from the happenings with Mr. Max Kinsela. Things continue to heat up between Temple and Matt. Lines have been drawn and crossed! We get info on Electra Lark's past and even get to meet her ex (or is he?). Louie has his own problems, as now that Electra has been fingered for possible murder, it wrecks his plans to get the crew of stray cats (and his Mom) taken in and fed by the neighbors. His daughter (though never proven and he will never admit it), Midnight Louise, harps on him about needing to find out what has happened to Max Kinsela and is not happy Louie's attentions are being split to the Red Hat Murders at hand. And let's not forget Lieutenant Molina, who makes a late but definite flashy entrance as she too continues on her own Max hunt and gets bit as she once more crosses the line of the law. Carole Nelson Douglas once more takes us an a fun ride of all that is Las Vegas and sets us up nicely for what else is soon to come.

Oh, dear, one must not snerk.

This is the nineteenth book in a series. The author has described the set of books as episodes in a three-season drama. The prior book, Cat in a Quicksilver Caper, was the culmination of "season two," so some very dramatic events occurred involving the major ongoing characters (Temple Barr, Matt Devine, Max Kinsella, and Midnight Louie the feline detective).

This one sets up the situation for "season three," so it has fewer dramatic developments and astonishing turnabouts, but provides a lot of teasers for the future, as well as giving the landlady of Temple and Matt (and, once upon a time, Max), Ms. Electra Lark, a book of her own. Electra is of an age to be fully eligible for the over-fifty Red Hat Society.

Temple is back at work at her old venue, the "classy" Crystal Phoenix owned by Nicky Fontana and his wife Van von Rhine, doing PR work for them in the midst of a Red Hat Society convention held at the hotel (and jointly at the Goliath, from which the Mystifying Max vanished so long before). The Fontana brothers are out in force.

I take notes on this series of books, trying to spot the planted clues about future developments. So far, I have several pages of notes on Cat in a Red Hot Rage.

Moreover, if you like puns, the one involving Max and the Scarlet Pimpernel is worth the price of the book all by itself.

If you have not read any of the Midnight Louie Books by author Carole Nelson Douglas, you are missing out on an entertaining, and incredible series. Louie is a crime solving master along with his partner and self proclaimed long loast daughter Louise.. He takes care of a cast of characters that always seem to find trouble in their hometown of Las Vegas. There is mystery,magic,intrigue,sex and love. One is held spellbound by the mysteries that unfold as told by the master crime solver of all time, Mr. Midnight Louie. Here's the best part...Louie has black fur and four legs and he can out-think and out-smart any human on this planet. This is witty,clever and heartwarming for any cat lover who loves mysteries as well as anyone looking for some clever twists and turns to keep them guessing about "Who Done It."

Louie; I don't know what I'd do without you...keep on rocking!!

I love Louie, and his kit, Louise. However, the human characters in these stories are so unreal, that I find myself skipping through the book so I can read Louie's monologs. Somehow the fun fantasy that comes through in, for example, Rita Mae Brown's books just doesn't work here, at least not for me. This one is about the same as all the others... The books are about 90% human chapters, and 10% cats...They'd be much improved by reversing the percentage.

As usual, Midnight Louie is the best...a real cat's meow. Carole Nelson Douglas has the right feel for cat characterization...whether Louie, Louise, Karma or Ma. Somehow they seem less anthropomorphic than you'd expect. The big leopards invariably come off a little dense...and so do the Fontana brothers...but then all the big guys seem to be of the same mold.

However I do get annoyed with Temple...just how unaware of mid-life can a 30 year old be? And Matt is like no priest or ex-priest...well, that I've known. Then there's Max...personally I think, for all the improbability of his "profession", his character seems the most human.

Still...all in all...the Midnight Louie mysteries are like potato chips: you can't devour just one. I look forward to each new "episode", wondering how all the twists and turns will merge in the end. Actually 26 letters in the alphabet aren't enough.

In Las Vegas, Electra Lark volunteers to work security at the Red Hat Sisterhood convention. However, someone proves to have too much zest when an under fifty Red Hat apprentice Pink Lady Oleta Lark is strangled with a purple scarf. The police suspect Electra killed her as witnesses claim she helped the victim set her scarf just right and the women were ex-wives of Elmore Lark.

Electra begs her tenant public relations specialist and renowned amateur sleuth extraordinaire Temple Barr to prove her innocence. With Temple's feline owner Midnight Louie and his Midnight, Inc partner Midnight Louise leading the way, the trio investigates the Red Hat Sisterhood to determine who killed the Pink Lady.

The latest Midnight Louie whodunit is a terrific tale of the fur as, the two cat sleuths work the murder investigation and keep Temple safe. The story line is fast-paced and amusing as the heroes aided by an assortment of cats and people seek to prove Electra's innocence by uncovering the identity of the killer among a horde of aggressive middle age red hatted females and felines. However, as always in Carole Nelson Douglas' cat capers that feline Noir Midnight Louie owns the story.

Harriet Klausner

I've read this series since it started and still enjoy every one of them. The story stays fresh and entertaining even as the core cast of characters stays the same. That takes talent! I can't wait for the next book to come out!

I am so happy that Matt and Temple have finally gotten together. I loved having all the Fontanna brothers back. You won't be disapointed by this book.

Great book! I love this author and have read all her books, waiting not so patiently for the next one to come out.

If you've enjoyed the previous books in the series, this will be fun reading too. Just don't expect many final wrap-ups.