CAT IN A VEGAS GOLD VENDETTA

Petite PR powerhouse Temple Barr joins her noir cat Midnight Louie to solve some long-simmering crimes.

Temple is engaged to priest-turned–radio advice person Matt Devine. But when she gets a phone call from her former lover, the Mystifying Max, she can’t turn down his request for help. Max, presumed dead after a long involvement in fighting terrorism, has actually been in Europe recovering from injuries sustained when he and has mentor were attacked by their nemesis, Kitty the Cutter. Surviving with little memory of the past, he returns to Vegas looking for answers. In the meantime, Temple has been hired by Savannah Ashleigh to investigate the death of her aunt Violet’s handyman. The dying Violet is surrounded by her beloved cats along with human vultures looking for choice pickings. Temple and Max are also helping Lt. Carmen Molina, who’s anxious to find the Barbie Doll serial killer, a slayer who may have her own daughter in his sights. Molina even suspects her daughter’s father and an undercover cop in the dastardly deaths of teen girls. Temple’s investigation turns up so many surprising connections that it’ll certainly take all of Louie’s many skills to get her through this adventure with her hide intact.

The 22nd title in Douglas' alphabetical series (Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme, 2010, etc.) will delight her fans by tying up a lot of loose ends, even if newcomers find it hard to keep up.