KATAPULT

by Karen Kijewski ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 27, 1990

Kat Colorado, the California p.i. who debuted in Katwalk (1989), now appears in a much more impressively written, at times droll, family caper that finds Kat responding to her honorary grandmother's plea to solve the murder of her ""courtesy cousin,"" Johnny, stabbed to death in the parking lot of the Homestead Cafe. Soon, however, Granny is harassed, Kat's shot at, her cat's executed, and Johnny's sister Michaela, who left home years ago under dubious circumstances, is being threatened. Meanwhile, Johnny and Michaela's dad Walter, about to remarry, has charge of their trust funds, which he insists are intact. But are they? Banker Dave Everett, in land speculation with Walter, says yes, but Kat suspects real-estate shenanigans. After eliminating nasty animal-rights activist Gil Jones as a suspect, as well as Johnny's roommate Ned and his mysterious and exotic new love Bella, she focuses on the men as Johnny's killers--with painful, almost lethal, results--but it'll be up to Michaela to pull the rug from beneath dear old Dad's feet during his wedding ceremony with a revelation concerning his own ""grandchild."" Cantankerous, hard-drinking, popcorn-eating grandmother Alma is a treasure. And street-girls Lindy et al. are amusingly tawdry. Good characters, strong family ties, and only slightly melodramatic plotting make this good fun.

Pub Date: Nov. 27, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1990

Categories: FICTION