CAT IN AN ULTRAMARINE SCHEME

Wily noir feline detective Midnight Louie and his publicist roommate investigate a murder with roots in the days when the mob ruled Las Vegas.  

Although she works freelance, Temple Barr’s biggest client is the Crystal Phoenix Hotel and Casino, home of her companion Louie’s daughter Midnight Louise. Two of Temple’s clients, Nicky Fontana and Van von Rhine, are researching a project proposed by an ambitious South American—to use a “Chunnel of Crime,” a Disneyesque underground thrill ride, to link the Phoenix and the nearby Gangsters Hotel. Since her fiancé, radio personality and former priest Matt Devine, is off in Chicago, Temple might seem to have plenty of time to concentrate on the new project. But there’s more. Midnight Louie’s father has discovered some remains encased in concrete in the disappearing waters of Lake Mead. Temple’s lost love Max Kinsella is over in Ireland with his mentor Gandolph trying to recover his memory and avoid being killed by enemies from his past. Further bodies that turn up in Vegas involve Temple and the cat pack in solving the mystery and saving their skins. Will the tangled web of old crimes and new stretching from Ireland to Vegas prove too much for Temple, Max and the felines to handle?

Despite the opening synopsis of Louie’s 20 previous adventures (Cat in a Topaz Tango, 2009, etc.), newcomers may find it difficult to navigate this long, complicated tale, laced with intriguing characters in search of a coherent plot. Fans, however, will be rolling in catnip.