In Douglas's arch 19th cat caper (after 2006's Cat in a Quicksilver Caper), feline sleuth Midnight Louie and his human companion, PR whiz Temple Barr, scramble to clear the name of their friend and landlady, Electra Lark, when Electra's wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time makes her a murder suspect. Electra had volunteered for security at the Vegas convention of the Red Hat Sisterhood, an association of aging women determined to prove their pizzazz. The crime du jour occurs when Pink Lady Oleta Lark (an under-50 Red Hatter) is strangled with a purple scarf that Electra earlier happened to help her tie. And the common last name? Oleta was another ex-wife of Electra's third ex-husband, Elmore Lark. Eager to prove Electra's innocence, Temple and Midnight Louie swing into action with the help of Electra's fellow Red Hatters and some clever cats. Douglas's humor and keen plot twists keep this long-running series purring. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

"The hefty feline sleuth Midnight Louie and his human partner, Temple Barr (whom Louie refers to as a grown-up Nancy Drew on killer spikes ), accompany Temple's outrageous landlady, Electra Lark, to a Red Hat Sisterhood convention. Trouble ensues when Electra is accused of murder, and it's up to Louie and Temple to get her out of the jam. The most likely suspect is another one of the convention attendees, or could it be any of the protesting Black Hat Brotherhood? Leave it to Louie to solve this mystery in his usual cunning manner. For readers who can tolerate over-the-top, crime-solving kitties who act like people, Louie is the name of the game."--"Wilkens, Mary Frances" Copyright 2007 Booklist

When the Red Hat Society holds its convention in Las Vegas, murder is an uninvited guest. Noir cat Midnight Louie and his housemate, Temple Barr, are knee-deep in red, purple and murder. Temple's landlady Electra Lark becomes a suspect when a strangled Red Hat lady turns out to be her ex-husband's ex-wife. So Temple dons the pink of the younger Red Hat set and goes undercover at the convention. Though she's just become unofficially engaged to ex-priest and radio-show host Matt Devine, she's still attached to her vanished ex-lover, magician/secret agent Max Kinsella, and wants to reveal her engagement up-close and personal. Meanwhile, Midnight Louie's daughter, Midnight Louise, has taken over the duties of house detective at the incredibly sexy Fontana brothers' Crystal Phoenix hotel, the convention headquarters. Staking out Max's empty home, Louise witnesses a murder attempt on Lt. Molina, who, convinced Max has been stalking her, is still hot on his trail. As the hotel's flack, Temple has access to all the goings-on. When her Aunt Kit, who's dating a Fontana, almost becomes the next victim, the Fontana brothers pitch in to help close the case. Catnip for Louie's devoted fans, though the unwary who haven't read his first 17 adventures (Cat in a Quicksilver Caper, 2006, etc.) will struggle to make sense of the relationships in this convoluted tale. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.