Killing at the Cat: The First Lexy Hyatt Mystery [Paperback]

Carlene Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

A woman is murdered at the Cat, reporter Lexy Hyatt's favorite lesbian bar. With her community of friends and her bar at risk Lexy pleads with her editor for exclusive coverage. When to her dismay, her own ex-lover looks like a prime suspect, Lexy loses her objectivity. A hot new love interest adds to her emotional quandary as one by one she eliminates suspects from her list. But can she bear the truth?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Killing at The Cat is a brisk, sexy read with a large cast of characters. --ForeWord

The author keeper her cards well hidden. -- Bear Rowell

..... Miller's debut is steeped in the details of lesbian culture and romance. -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Author Carlene Miller taught English for many years and has now retired to the east coast of Florida to write mystery novels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: New Victoria Publishers (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934678952
• ISBN-13: 978-0934678957
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,609,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully perplexing and entertaining mystery, February 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Killing at the Cat: The First Lexy Hyatt Mystery (Paperback)

Carlene Miller's book is a breakthrough -- a wonderful mystery with well-developed characters I feel as if I now know. I particularly enjoyed reading first person account of Lexy Hyatt, former english teacher turned newspaper reporter, who went above and beyond the call of duty to help track down the murderer. Ms. Miller did an astounding job of revealing just enough detail to keep the reader guessing to the very end.

Why a breakthrough? Not only did Carlene Miller write a great mystery, but she wrote from inside the circle of a gay (lesbian) community. I recommend the book to anyone who possesses an open mind and a passion for mysteries no matter what their sexual orientation may be. Be warned...it's pretty steamy! ;-)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cat Purrs, October 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Killing at the Cat: The First Lexy Hyatt Mystery (Paperback)

Ms. Miller's debut mystery novel is a sensually riveting romp through a kaleidoscope of characters. Lexy Hyatt is our central feline. This complex woman has turned to reporting after inner pressures boil over while teaching. And her first criminal assignment hits very close to home indeed.

Lesbian sexual scenes are purr-fectly written--leaving us smiling with just a trace of lust in more than our hearts. The mystery of who killed the purple suited woman at the busy lesbian bar, The Cat, almost becomes a non-sequitar whilst the reader becomes deeply attached to people we want to invite over for late night latte's and bold truths.

There is the Leather bar, the Billet, the meeting of Wren (who is brought out more in the sequel), soft touches on subjects of parental anguish over gay children, how to overcome deaths of loved ones...and of course the solving of the murder. Somehow Ms. Miller comforts us with love, lust, meanings of friendship, vivid descriptions of antique fairs, softball games and quiet moments in Florida rains.

A tantalizing novel which meanders through one's mind long after the cover is closed & 'til the sequel--Mayhem At The Marina is opened.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sizzling In The Cat, January 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Killing at the Cat: The First Lexy Hyatt Mystery (Paperback)

Oh, my. Oh, my. Despite the truth that most adults over a certain age have sex, the child's mind exempts certain persons, including, in this case, one's high school english teacher, from that group. No more. Oh, my. Carlene Miller's Killing at The Cat sizzles unmercifully. And yes, she was my high school english teacher. Oh, my.

Of course, hers is masterfully crafted sizzle, like a rare steak arranged perfectly on fine china and garnished with coddled baby vegetables. Her characters are intriguing, her plot is engaging, and her ending is satisfyingly surprising, alongside all that sizzling.

As I told our local librarian as I ordered a copy for the library, "there are a few lesbian characters in this book." Remember, the Bible defines "a few" as ten or more. And a few classic gay themes emerge briefly and powerfully, themes such as the awkwardness of coming out to parents, the pain of discovering sexual identity in adolescence, and the heartbreak of hiding one's soul in the workplace. But for me, what was most impressive was the literary magnetism with which Miss Miller drew even this straight, preferably non-fiction, reader into her characters and scenery. Ample evidence was found in these pages that the power of words can transcend apparent differences in thought, in emotion, in spirit.

As I recall, a really good english teacher once taught me that.

Sara Ann Conkling