Review of "Cat in a Neon Nightmare" by Carole Nelson Douglas, Carole Douglas

For those of us who are ardent fans of that clever Las Vegas cat named Midnight Louie, this book is a treat. That's because we fans know all about the clever black cat and his petite friend Temple Barr. Temple is a freelance PR person and both she and Louie are also very smart detectives.

This time there is a tragic death in one of the hotels in town. A call girl who has just left the room of Matt Devine goes over a ledge and falls to her death on a mass of neon lights. Go to work, Temple and Louie!

Matt Devine is a former priest who lives in the same complex as Temple. He is a virgin and in love with Temple. Matt also has a night radio show where he gives advice. Very popular stuff, too.

Midnight Louie has a daughter who is also black and is now his assistant. She is called Midnight Louise. There are more characters that inhabit all of the Douglas cattails. They weave in an out of every story and if you are not familiar with the past tales about them, you could be lost here. For example, the police detective is a tough woman cop who doubles at night as a blues singer in a local nightclub. Matt loves Temple, but Temple loves the ever-mysterious Max, who is a magician and former spy of some kind. Now you see Max, and now you don't. It's magic after all. There are many more colorful characters to meet and discover their history. This is not the best way to meet all of them. Too much and too many, with not enough background.

In the end, Midnight Louie and Temple Barr solve and cure and protect until all is well. You might want to back up and read some of the many earlier tales of the black cat. I like them all.