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Midnight Louie #28
Cat in an Alphabet Endgame
New York Times Notable Book of the Year author Carole Nelson Douglas's cast of four human crime solvers must not only stop a massive Las Vegas conspiracy involving international terrorism and the FBI, but feline sleuth Midnight Louie's roommate, PR powerhouse Temple Barr, is contemplating marriage. Will syndicated radio counselor and ex-priest Matt Devine's inside track lose out to the return of that wily dark horse, magician Max Kinsella? The suspense is killing somebody. Meanwhile, a Strip-wide resurgence: the long-vanquished Las Vegas mob could have Temple in search of an undertaker rather than a Justice of the Peace. Luckily, Midnight Louie and the Las Vegas Cat Pack are planning their finest moments to bring down the baddies. But no one can help Temple find which direction her wayward heart must go.
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First published August 23, 2016
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About the author
Carole Nelson Douglas
153Ìýbooks562ÌýfollowersCarole Nelson Douglas is the author of sixty-four award-winning novels in contemporary and historical mystery/suspense and romance, high and urban fantasy and science fiction genres. She is best known for two popular mystery series, the Irene Adler Sherlockian historical suspense series (she was the first woman to spin-off a series from the Holmes stories) and the multi-award-winning alphabetically titled Midnight Louie contemporary mystery series. From Cat in an Alphabet Soup #1 to Cat in an Alphabet Endgame #28.
Delilah Street, PI (Paranormal Investigator), headlines Carole's noir Urban Fantasy series: Dancing With Werewolves, Brimstone Kiss, Vampire Sunrise, Silver Zombie, and Virtual Virgin. Now Delilah has moved from her paranormal Vegas to Midnight Louie, feline PI's "Slightly surreal" Vegas to solve crimes in the first book of the new Cafe Noir series, Absinthe Without Leave. Next in 2020, Brandi Alexander on the Rocks.
Once Upon a Midnight Noir is out in eBook and trade paperback versions. This author-designed and illustrated collection of three mystery stories with a paranormal twist and a touch of romance features two award-winning stories featuring Midnight Louie, feline PI and Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator in a supernatural-run Las Vegas. A third story completes the last unfinished story fragment of Edgar Allan Poe, as a Midnight Louie Past Life adventure set in 1790 Norland on a isolated island lighthouse. Louie is a soldier of fortune, a la Puss in Boots.
Next out are Midnight Louie's Cat in an Alphabet Endgame in hardcover, trade paperback and eBook Aug. 23, 2016.
All the Irene Adler novels, the first to feature a woman from the Sherlock Holmes Canon as a crime solver, are now available in eBook.
Carole was a college theater and English literature major. She was accepted for grad school in Theater at the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University, and could have worked as an editorial assistant at Vogue magazine (a la The Devil Wears Prada) but wanted a job closer to home. She worked as a newspaper reporter and then editor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. During her time there, she discovered a long, expensive classified advertisement offering a black cat named Midnight Louey to the "right" home for one dollar and wrote a feature story on the plucky survival artist, putting it into the cat's point of view. The cat found a country home, but its name was revived for her feline PI mystery series many years later. Some of the Midnight Louie series entries include the dedication "For the real and original Midnight Louie. Nine lives were not enough." Midnight Louie has now had 32 novelistic lives and features in several short stories as well.
Hollywood and Broadway director, playwright, screenwriter and novelist Garson Kanin took Carole's first novel to his publisher on the basis of an interview/article she'd done with him five years earlier. "My friend Phil Silvers," he wrote, "would say he'd never won an interview yet, but he had never had the luck of you."
Carole is a "literary chameleon" who's had novels published in many genres, and often mixes such genre elements as mystery and suspense, fantasy and science fiction, romance with mainstream issues, especially the roles of women.
Delilah Street, PI (Paranormal Investigator), headlines Carole's noir Urban Fantasy series: Dancing With Werewolves, Brimstone Kiss, Vampire Sunrise, Silver Zombie, and Virtual Virgin. Now Delilah has moved from her paranormal Vegas to Midnight Louie, feline PI's "Slightly surreal" Vegas to solve crimes in the first book of the new Cafe Noir series, Absinthe Without Leave. Next in 2020, Brandi Alexander on the Rocks.
Once Upon a Midnight Noir is out in eBook and trade paperback versions. This author-designed and illustrated collection of three mystery stories with a paranormal twist and a touch of romance features two award-winning stories featuring Midnight Louie, feline PI and Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator in a supernatural-run Las Vegas. A third story completes the last unfinished story fragment of Edgar Allan Poe, as a Midnight Louie Past Life adventure set in 1790 Norland on a isolated island lighthouse. Louie is a soldier of fortune, a la Puss in Boots.
Next out are Midnight Louie's Cat in an Alphabet Endgame in hardcover, trade paperback and eBook Aug. 23, 2016.
All the Irene Adler novels, the first to feature a woman from the Sherlock Holmes Canon as a crime solver, are now available in eBook.
Carole was a college theater and English literature major. She was accepted for grad school in Theater at the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University, and could have worked as an editorial assistant at Vogue magazine (a la The Devil Wears Prada) but wanted a job closer to home. She worked as a newspaper reporter and then editor in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. During her time there, she discovered a long, expensive classified advertisement offering a black cat named Midnight Louey to the "right" home for one dollar and wrote a feature story on the plucky survival artist, putting it into the cat's point of view. The cat found a country home, but its name was revived for her feline PI mystery series many years later. Some of the Midnight Louie series entries include the dedication "For the real and original Midnight Louie. Nine lives were not enough." Midnight Louie has now had 32 novelistic lives and features in several short stories as well.
Hollywood and Broadway director, playwright, screenwriter and novelist Garson Kanin took Carole's first novel to his publisher on the basis of an interview/article she'd done with him five years earlier. "My friend Phil Silvers," he wrote, "would say he'd never won an interview yet, but he had never had the luck of you."
Carole is a "literary chameleon" who's had novels published in many genres, and often mixes such genre elements as mystery and suspense, fantasy and science fiction, romance with mainstream issues, especially the roles of women.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 6, 2016
Princess Fuzzypants here:
I have been a fan of Midnight Louie since the very first book. He was the character that got me into cat mysteries and it has been a love affair ever since. This outing, his last in the Alpha series, ties up all the loose story ends and brings the characters to a resolution. Temple finally marries her man-and for those who haven't followed the series, I will not reveal which one, as there was quite a heated competition going in past stories.
The mystery is very much secondary in this tale, almost lost in the translation. It does not reduce the pleasure of the book. This is the ultimate pay-off for those of us who have been long time followers. It should not be your first foray into the series. I can highly recommend that if you have yet to meet Louie, you go back to the beginning and follow his adventures on the mean streets of Las Vegas.
The hairy Sam Spade with shivs has the film noir snappy banter down pat. It is sheer joy reading his exploits. I am so glad Louie is not going into retirement. The literary world would be less bright if we had to say goodbye.
I give this one a whole hearted five purrs and two paws up.
I have been a fan of Midnight Louie since the very first book. He was the character that got me into cat mysteries and it has been a love affair ever since. This outing, his last in the Alpha series, ties up all the loose story ends and brings the characters to a resolution. Temple finally marries her man-and for those who haven't followed the series, I will not reveal which one, as there was quite a heated competition going in past stories.
The mystery is very much secondary in this tale, almost lost in the translation. It does not reduce the pleasure of the book. This is the ultimate pay-off for those of us who have been long time followers. It should not be your first foray into the series. I can highly recommend that if you have yet to meet Louie, you go back to the beginning and follow his adventures on the mean streets of Las Vegas.
The hairy Sam Spade with shivs has the film noir snappy banter down pat. It is sheer joy reading his exploits. I am so glad Louie is not going into retirement. The literary world would be less bright if we had to say goodbye.
I give this one a whole hearted five purrs and two paws up.
June 15, 2017
The author spent at least a third of the beginning of the book playing catch-up so that everyone could be on the same page. There were so many loose ends to tie up that it didn't leave much time to do so. Some of the conclusions were so abrupt it wasn't really evident how the solution came about. Twice, we were suddenly in a new venue and it was a mystery as to how we got there. I have really loved the rest of this series in which each event was covered well. There were so many characters and loose ends I felt that each could easily have been a book unto themselves. (sigh) In fact, Douglas could easily take up any of the characters and start a new series. There were also numerous typos which was distracting. All of the previous books in the series deserved a five star rating. This one didn't.
February 4, 2018
Loved my final installation of Louie's adventures. I found the ending a bit underwhelming.... Yet I'm not at all sure what a good ending would be for such long running wonderful series. I just don't feel finished with Temple and Max.
February 9, 2017
This book was written too fast and is in need of clarifying. I have loved all these books until this one. Better editing would have improved it immensely.
August 25, 2017
I felt she rushed tying up the ends of the mysteries, but I loved the way she tied up the loose ends of the relationships. Even a certain notorious villain got a happy ending.
December 30, 2016
I finished this book in less than three days, so that gives you some idea as to how interested I was in the story. While I did enjoy reading it, there were several things about this last installment in the series that I did not like.
First, the typos. The author addresses the typo situation in the acknowledgments, so at least she realizes they are there. I don't remember so many typos in earlier books in the series so I'm not sure what happened this time around, but they do disrupt the flow of the story. Second, the solving of the cases seemed rushed to me. I understand that all the loose ends had to be wrapped up in this book, but it was difficult to follow how the characters arrived at the conclusions that they did in order to solve the cases. And third, the last chapter. What was that? I thought it would have made for a more meaningful/satisfying ending if the book would have ended with the second to last chapter and Louie's adventure with his collar. I don't understand why the author chose to end the series as she did, except that maybe that last chapter was an intro to a future Midnight Louie book. After all, the author did say that the alphabet series is ending, and not Midnight Louie's adventures.
On the plus side, I was happy to read that Temple chose a modest wedding dress to wear. No strapless gown for her! I was also glad to read that Max, Sean, the Kinsellas, and the Kellys are one big happy family again thanks to the help of Temple and Matt.
Overall I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. I think that overall the positives outweigh the negatives, but it's not one of my favorites in the series.
First, the typos. The author addresses the typo situation in the acknowledgments, so at least she realizes they are there. I don't remember so many typos in earlier books in the series so I'm not sure what happened this time around, but they do disrupt the flow of the story. Second, the solving of the cases seemed rushed to me. I understand that all the loose ends had to be wrapped up in this book, but it was difficult to follow how the characters arrived at the conclusions that they did in order to solve the cases. And third, the last chapter. What was that? I thought it would have made for a more meaningful/satisfying ending if the book would have ended with the second to last chapter and Louie's adventure with his collar. I don't understand why the author chose to end the series as she did, except that maybe that last chapter was an intro to a future Midnight Louie book. After all, the author did say that the alphabet series is ending, and not Midnight Louie's adventures.
On the plus side, I was happy to read that Temple chose a modest wedding dress to wear. No strapless gown for her! I was also glad to read that Max, Sean, the Kinsellas, and the Kellys are one big happy family again thanks to the help of Temple and Matt.
Overall I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. I think that overall the positives outweigh the negatives, but it's not one of my favorites in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
I confess, I put off reading this as long as I possibly could, so long I'm really embarrassed but I just did NOT want to see the end of this series I love so much. I didn't want to know who Temple would marry, didn't want all the little loose ends tied up in neat bows. Midnight Louie is the alpha and omega of feline sleuths and I adore his hardboiled, attitudinous self and, even knowing he was going to continue in different adventures sometime in the future, letting go was so very hard. But...I eventually had to give in and, of course, I enjoyed this book as much as all the others. Temple is distracted by thoughts of saying yes to one guy or the other, the mob has reared its ugly head, there are hints of terrorism and Louie and his Cat Pack are on the case(s). When it's all said and done, Louie leaves us---and multitudes of Las Vegas felines---with a rousing speech and an offer of appetizers. Ah, Louie, Temple and the rest, I'm going to miss you (until you show up again).
December 25, 2016
This was a disappointing end to a series that started out good but has seriously declined over the last few books. One of the things that attracted me to the series was her witty dialogue between characters, especially Temple and Matt. The dialogue in this book was absolutely lame and out of character in some cases. Basically, Douglas tied up loose ends; yes, there was a wedding. But as for the mystery she's been dragging out over the last few books, she seemed to totally lose her focus and just came up with garbage to produce an ending. Thank goodness this series is over. I have no intention of reading anything else by this author.
September 1, 2016
An end to Midnight Louis's escapades?
Ms. Douglas nicely tidies the many strands of the previous 27 tomes making up the series. It's a huge accomplishment! While I'd like to say it was a five star effort, with so much going on, ending the whole shebang in one book made the storyline seem a bit rushed and sort of crammed into the final chapters. However, I love these characters and the Midnight Louie series. I hope Ms. Douglas won't keep these folk in mothballs for very long.
Ms. Douglas nicely tidies the many strands of the previous 27 tomes making up the series. It's a huge accomplishment! While I'd like to say it was a five star effort, with so much going on, ending the whole shebang in one book made the storyline seem a bit rushed and sort of crammed into the final chapters. However, I love these characters and the Midnight Louie series. I hope Ms. Douglas won't keep these folk in mothballs for very long.
November 7, 2016
I have loved all the Midnight Louie books. I couldn't get into this one as much. It seemed that Douglas was trying too hard to tie up all the ends before ending the series. All tied up except for Max, who knows what he will do now? Maybe he will open his own espionage group from the Magic Mountain?
September 2, 2016
I have rarely been so disappointed by a book. I have LOVED this series, but this one sucked. All she did was tie up loose ends without any rhyme or reason. I skimmed a lot of crap that just didn't matter. Very sad ending to a cool series.
October 17, 2016
This one kind of left me hanging - and I can't decide if that's good or bad.
May 14, 2018
Having read all the other books in the series, I had a vested interest in how it all turned out. I wasn't disappointed, but I'll miss Midnight Louie.
August 19, 2020
I found this one to be a bit boring and confusing.
September 6, 2016
Cat in an Alphabet Endgame, Midnight Louie #28
by Carole Nelson Douglas
WARNING: Some spoilers.
Bidding goodbye to characters that almost seem "friends" is always hard. Three of my other much-loved series met their end with the real-life end of the author, meaning that there was no tying up of loose ends, no seeing the characters off into the sunset, so I suppose the endgame in this instance was definitely more satisfying. Thankfully in Louie's case, this was not so, and Douglas gets a 5-star rating for that, if for nothing else.
There were things I loved about this novel, and there were certainly things that made me less than happy.
I continue to love Louie's snark and his devotion to not only his furred family, but to those lucky furless humans with whom he has forged strong relationships. Obviously, Temple Barr tops that list. I continue to love the series characters' manner of speaking, which is replete with song lyrics and pop culture near quotes. From the very start of the novel, there were spots that ignited the imagination, such as the description of Karma contrasted with the description of Ma Barker at 283 on my Kindle. At 308 there is the serious fun of street-wise Ma Barker's response to her more sophisticated son's statement ("I agree that something wicked this way comes."): "What is 'this way comes'? Did I not teach you proper grammar? It is 'comes this way'."
Plays on words were also in evidence, such as this in reference, again, to Louie's mother, at 382: "...before she makes like an oleander bush and leaves."
References to pop culture of the 21st century, as well as to that of the 20th century were in evidence too, such as at 592 when Matt's caller makes this 1969 reference: "The Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Two crooners, an actor-in-law to President Kennedy, a comic and a singin', dancin' dude like two Jumpin' Jack Robinsons, ..."
And, of course, references to the extremely complicated connections -- familial and friend -- of the characters who have populated these 28 novels. Matt's family is probably the most convoluted, as evidenced by his statement here, at 721: ("... It's a strain on me, and my mother, knowing I'm her new husband's brother's secret son. You can't even say that without wondering where to put the apostrophes. ..." (BTW, that quote is also where I found one of the only proofing errors in the novel, as it was written like this in the Kindle edition, at least: "...without wondering where to the put the apostrophes.")
And, there were things I didn't like, too.
On a strictly personal level, I hated, to the point of putting the book down and not reading for over one full day, that Temple actually marries Matt. Not that I hated the Matt Devine character, I didn't. In fact, I quite liked him. I just didn't see him as someone who a) a woman like Temple Barr would be interested in on more than a physical level, or b) one who would be able to make her happy in the long run. Yes, I was on Team Kinsella from the very start and hated this 'ending' to the who-will-she-choose saga. I'm sure other readers will be happier with the outcome. (Just an IRL aside, there is a Matt Devine on the Police Department here in my hometown. I've often wondered if he knew of his literary double.)
Here are some other things that made me stop and go "huh?":
At 329, as Louie and Ma Barker converse after leaving the Circle Ritz penthouse: "...She leans near enough to lick the inside of my ear, which was very pleasant when I was a kit and remains so. I lean away as she resumes her tale." I was stopped at the "I lean away" part, wondering which of the following was what the author meant: a) he leaned away because Ma Barker stopped licking his ear and started talking again, or b) he leaned away because the word "pleasant" in the former sentence should have been "unpleasant," as in being on the receiving end of a "wet willy."
Just a bit later, at 349, in the conversation between same two characters, who still are in the bushes ringing the parking lot of the Circle Ritz, having left its occupant, Karma, back in the penthouse, comes the strange mention of this: "The purring behind us has been strengthening and now it is a full-bodied Oooom, which is a common syllable used in Eastern-style human meditation." So, Karma's purring is loud enough to be heard outside, at the parking lot, when she is inside the penthouse? Even my purr-perfect housemates aren't that talented.
Another proofing error -- or I assume a proofing error -- occurs at 605. Matt has been talking with a caller (perhaps Elvis?) and thinks this: "Pore out, Matt thought. Right, It's all right, Mama." Pore? Just a couple of sentences earlier the caller said "Once they don't see you sweat, they don't love you anymore. You've got to let it pour out." So was Matt making a silent pun on the two words? Whatever, it stopped me, made me re-read, and still left me wondering. I hate that.
Again, another personal note at 3070: "Do parents ever remember those horrors? ... No. They had forgotten their own childhood fears." This was in reference to a fear of dank, dark basements, the kind with open riser stairs. First of all, just NO. Parents do not forget their own childhood fears, they simply learn to overcome them. I grew up in a home with a vast dark and dank basement, the entry to which was a pull-up door and a descent into a hole. It scared me beyond imagining to have to go down there. I now live in a very old house with what can only be described as a cellar, as it certainly doesn't rise to the level of a basement in today's terms. It has open riser stairs and, as cellars are, is dank and dark, and I hate going down there and cannot come up those stairs without feeling that something will reach through and grab my ankle. The fears don't go away. You just learn to deal with them.
But, for the most part, this was a classic Douglas delivery featuring good pacing, well-defined and interesting characters and enough twists and turns to delight any mystery reader. As it was the last of a series (but hopefully not the last of Midnight Louie's adventures), it tied up loose ends nicely for even the thorn-in-the-side villainess, Kathleen. It solved the mystery of the hidden IRA stash and the mystery of the hidden mobster millions, it re-united Sean, the lost cousin, with his family, and Max, the prodigal son, with his. Did it end as I hoped, or even with my second choice of ending? No. It didn't. Yes. I was sorely disappointed. But I recognize good writing when I read it, and this book delivered that in spades (no reference to Louie's first short series intended).
So, Carole Nelson Douglas, I am awaiting what direction you will take in any new Midnight Louie adventures. Certainly, more must be in your plan, as evidenced by Louie's final "The End. (for now)"
by Carole Nelson Douglas
WARNING: Some spoilers.
Bidding goodbye to characters that almost seem "friends" is always hard. Three of my other much-loved series met their end with the real-life end of the author, meaning that there was no tying up of loose ends, no seeing the characters off into the sunset, so I suppose the endgame in this instance was definitely more satisfying. Thankfully in Louie's case, this was not so, and Douglas gets a 5-star rating for that, if for nothing else.
There were things I loved about this novel, and there were certainly things that made me less than happy.
I continue to love Louie's snark and his devotion to not only his furred family, but to those lucky furless humans with whom he has forged strong relationships. Obviously, Temple Barr tops that list. I continue to love the series characters' manner of speaking, which is replete with song lyrics and pop culture near quotes. From the very start of the novel, there were spots that ignited the imagination, such as the description of Karma contrasted with the description of Ma Barker at 283 on my Kindle. At 308 there is the serious fun of street-wise Ma Barker's response to her more sophisticated son's statement ("I agree that something wicked this way comes."): "What is 'this way comes'? Did I not teach you proper grammar? It is 'comes this way'."
Plays on words were also in evidence, such as this in reference, again, to Louie's mother, at 382: "...before she makes like an oleander bush and leaves."
References to pop culture of the 21st century, as well as to that of the 20th century were in evidence too, such as at 592 when Matt's caller makes this 1969 reference: "The Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Two crooners, an actor-in-law to President Kennedy, a comic and a singin', dancin' dude like two Jumpin' Jack Robinsons, ..."
And, of course, references to the extremely complicated connections -- familial and friend -- of the characters who have populated these 28 novels. Matt's family is probably the most convoluted, as evidenced by his statement here, at 721: ("... It's a strain on me, and my mother, knowing I'm her new husband's brother's secret son. You can't even say that without wondering where to put the apostrophes. ..." (BTW, that quote is also where I found one of the only proofing errors in the novel, as it was written like this in the Kindle edition, at least: "...without wondering where to the put the apostrophes.")
And, there were things I didn't like, too.
On a strictly personal level, I hated, to the point of putting the book down and not reading for over one full day, that Temple actually marries Matt. Not that I hated the Matt Devine character, I didn't. In fact, I quite liked him. I just didn't see him as someone who a) a woman like Temple Barr would be interested in on more than a physical level, or b) one who would be able to make her happy in the long run. Yes, I was on Team Kinsella from the very start and hated this 'ending' to the who-will-she-choose saga. I'm sure other readers will be happier with the outcome. (Just an IRL aside, there is a Matt Devine on the Police Department here in my hometown. I've often wondered if he knew of his literary double.)
Here are some other things that made me stop and go "huh?":
At 329, as Louie and Ma Barker converse after leaving the Circle Ritz penthouse: "...She leans near enough to lick the inside of my ear, which was very pleasant when I was a kit and remains so. I lean away as she resumes her tale." I was stopped at the "I lean away" part, wondering which of the following was what the author meant: a) he leaned away because Ma Barker stopped licking his ear and started talking again, or b) he leaned away because the word "pleasant" in the former sentence should have been "unpleasant," as in being on the receiving end of a "wet willy."
Just a bit later, at 349, in the conversation between same two characters, who still are in the bushes ringing the parking lot of the Circle Ritz, having left its occupant, Karma, back in the penthouse, comes the strange mention of this: "The purring behind us has been strengthening and now it is a full-bodied Oooom, which is a common syllable used in Eastern-style human meditation." So, Karma's purring is loud enough to be heard outside, at the parking lot, when she is inside the penthouse? Even my purr-perfect housemates aren't that talented.
Another proofing error -- or I assume a proofing error -- occurs at 605. Matt has been talking with a caller (perhaps Elvis?) and thinks this: "Pore out, Matt thought. Right, It's all right, Mama." Pore? Just a couple of sentences earlier the caller said "Once they don't see you sweat, they don't love you anymore. You've got to let it pour out." So was Matt making a silent pun on the two words? Whatever, it stopped me, made me re-read, and still left me wondering. I hate that.
Again, another personal note at 3070: "Do parents ever remember those horrors? ... No. They had forgotten their own childhood fears." This was in reference to a fear of dank, dark basements, the kind with open riser stairs. First of all, just NO. Parents do not forget their own childhood fears, they simply learn to overcome them. I grew up in a home with a vast dark and dank basement, the entry to which was a pull-up door and a descent into a hole. It scared me beyond imagining to have to go down there. I now live in a very old house with what can only be described as a cellar, as it certainly doesn't rise to the level of a basement in today's terms. It has open riser stairs and, as cellars are, is dank and dark, and I hate going down there and cannot come up those stairs without feeling that something will reach through and grab my ankle. The fears don't go away. You just learn to deal with them.
But, for the most part, this was a classic Douglas delivery featuring good pacing, well-defined and interesting characters and enough twists and turns to delight any mystery reader. As it was the last of a series (but hopefully not the last of Midnight Louie's adventures), it tied up loose ends nicely for even the thorn-in-the-side villainess, Kathleen. It solved the mystery of the hidden IRA stash and the mystery of the hidden mobster millions, it re-united Sean, the lost cousin, with his family, and Max, the prodigal son, with his. Did it end as I hoped, or even with my second choice of ending? No. It didn't. Yes. I was sorely disappointed. But I recognize good writing when I read it, and this book delivered that in spades (no reference to Louie's first short series intended).
So, Carole Nelson Douglas, I am awaiting what direction you will take in any new Midnight Louie adventures. Certainly, more must be in your plan, as evidenced by Louie's final "The End. (for now)"
April 21, 2022
I had to finish the series and find out what happened to the characters and this book did a good job of wrapping things up. It was sometimes too cute in doing that task. Temple Barr was definitely too cute; maybe she always was. Anyhow, 28 books is an accomplishment for Midnight Louie, the author and me.!
September 10, 2018
Nice to have loose ends tied up. Going to miss all the characters but def good to go out on a high note.
July 14, 2019
Last but not least!!!
April 27, 2021
So glad I pushed on and read the entire 28 book series! It was great, ended well and all questions have been answered.
October 8, 2021
Always sad to get to the end of a series, and yet this one ends where it should.
November 13, 2022
The ending is ok. Wish there was more to it. Read/listened to this book via Hoopla via the library. Sad the series is over but glad Louis will be in more books. Going back to read the first one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2019
Have read before request filled. Oop! Worth putting time in - no matter the format - if you have followed series.
February 6, 2017
I started reading the Midnight Louie series around the time "Cat in a Midnight Choir" came out -- for those following, that was about mid-way through. I went back and read all the previous chapters (Catnap, Pussyfoot, and then became the alphabet with "Blue Monday"). In the years since, they've renamed the first two to fit into the Alphabet game ("Catnap" became "Cat in an Alphabet Soup" and "Pussyfoot" became "Cat in an Aqua Storm"), and Las Vegas went through nearly thirty years of changes in the approximately three or so years of "book time." (When your main character is a cat, book time sadly can't move identically to real time.)
I'm not unhappy with this final wrapup of the whole story. There were some great twists and turns, some harrowing adventures, and everything wrapped with a more or less happy ending.
But there were problems, as happens with a series like this - deadlines are tight, and books are automated now. So without the eyes of a real line editor on the proofs, there was at least one point where "Macho Mario Fontana" became "Macho Maria" (oops). At one point, Matt's stepbrother is referred to as his half-brother (also oops). And of course, perhaps Temple doesn't know this, but the High Roller at the Linq in Vegas is not a ferris-wheel ride, but rather more like a moving hotel room. No swaying at all! (Still, probably not for those afraid of heights.)
Also, really, Temple Barr doesn't catch a "Man of La Mancha" reference?
I've actually been up to Vegas roughly twice a year, every year, since I started reading the series. I was able to point out a few things and mourn a few others as I read - of course, when Matt & Temple had their first date the "New York New York" hotel was brand-new -- now it's one of the venerable oldsters. And now that she's put the constellation of Ophiuchus over the Strip, I can at last figure out where the Circle Ritz is!
Some of the things enshrined in the books are gone now - the amusement park at MGM (and the lions); the pirate show at Treasure Island (TI); Fred Leighton at Bellagio - but in all, it remains Las Vegas, and an appropriate beat for the fancy shivs and padded tootsies of Midnight Louie's paws.
I think I'll miss them.
I'm not unhappy with this final wrapup of the whole story. There were some great twists and turns, some harrowing adventures, and everything wrapped with a more or less happy ending.
But there were problems, as happens with a series like this - deadlines are tight, and books are automated now. So without the eyes of a real line editor on the proofs, there was at least one point where "Macho Mario Fontana" became "Macho Maria" (oops). At one point, Matt's stepbrother is referred to as his half-brother (also oops). And of course, perhaps Temple doesn't know this, but the High Roller at the Linq in Vegas is not a ferris-wheel ride, but rather more like a moving hotel room. No swaying at all! (Still, probably not for those afraid of heights.)
Also, really, Temple Barr doesn't catch a "Man of La Mancha" reference?
I've actually been up to Vegas roughly twice a year, every year, since I started reading the series. I was able to point out a few things and mourn a few others as I read - of course, when Matt & Temple had their first date the "New York New York" hotel was brand-new -- now it's one of the venerable oldsters. And now that she's put the constellation of Ophiuchus over the Strip, I can at last figure out where the Circle Ritz is!
Some of the things enshrined in the books are gone now - the amusement park at MGM (and the lions); the pirate show at Treasure Island (TI); Fred Leighton at Bellagio - but in all, it remains Las Vegas, and an appropriate beat for the fancy shivs and padded tootsies of Midnight Louie's paws.
I think I'll miss them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2016
I had fallen away from this series when the plot became too complicated and dark in the last 5 or so books, but I was glad I finally read the 28th final book in this Midnight Louie Series so I could find out how all the various plot threads and relationships turned out. There were some charming and funny bits here and there, but I found so much time was spent tying up many, many loose ends, so for me the story did not have the charm or as much of the engaging heart energy that drew me to the series in the first 10 stories.
Warning - major spoiler alerts ahead: I was on Team Matt so I was delighted at outcome and I was pleased the author appeared to have Max still experiencing amnesia so he does not remember his life or love for Temple so he is not heartbroken - that would have been a gut-wrenching ending for me and I was happy the story left openings for Max to start a new life and find new love.
Ok ending to series. I finished the story not unhappy, but not savouring the read and wanting to go back and re-read again.
Warning - major spoiler alerts ahead: I was on Team Matt so I was delighted at outcome and I was pleased the author appeared to have Max still experiencing amnesia so he does not remember his life or love for Temple so he is not heartbroken - that would have been a gut-wrenching ending for me and I was happy the story left openings for Max to start a new life and find new love.
Ok ending to series. I finished the story not unhappy, but not savouring the read and wanting to go back and re-read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2016
A twist of James Bond, a soupçon of Sex in the City, a dash of Jane Austen, a large helping of Dashiell Hammett, and a glimpse of The Graduate -- and there you have the finale of the Midnight Louie alpha-cat series. But Louie and his books are also completely original - and delightful. I'm happy to see all the strands wound up, but also sorry to leave these interesting characters. Best fishes, Louie!
February 19, 2019
When I need a light escape, feline Midnight Louie is just the ticket. Great audiobook readers, and fun characters and plot.
August 26, 2016
Good book
I have really enjoyed this series and can't wait to see where it goes next. I thought the path for Kathleen was fitting and exactly right!
I have really enjoyed this series and can't wait to see where it goes next. I thought the path for Kathleen was fitting and exactly right!
September 10, 2016
Final book in the Midnight Louie series. Nicely wraps up all the story lines.
April 9, 2017
An excellent conclusion of this series of 28 books over the past 24 years.
Will miss Temple and Midnight Louie.
Will miss Temple and Midnight Louie.
April 16, 2017
SPOILER ALERT
*SIGH!* Kudos to Ms. Douglas for so neatly closing the loops and answering all the hanging questions in this alphabet series. It's been a long and wonderful romp through 28 books. The only consolation is that Loue's true fans - those who have been with him from the beginning - have no doubt that Louie will return in a series of new adventures in Sin City with his "roommates", Temple Barr and Matt Devine.
Matt and Temple finally tied the knot and are on their way to stardom as media darlings with their own nationally syndicated talk show. Louie is also set for stardom in a series of commercials, along with his Ms. Temple, for a fancy cat food. The missing IRA funds and guns were found and returned to where they belong. Max still doesn't have all of his memory back, but like a cat, you know he will land on his feet.
Special kudos go to Ms. Douglas for the way she progressed the characters, environment and technology throughout the series. The first book (Catnap - since renamed Cat in an Alphabet Soup) was published in 1994, before the rise of laptop computers and smartphones. While the true story line was to take place over a much smaller time span of two to three years, Carole always kept the characters and environs fresh by reflecting current events, trends and technology.
*SIGH!* Kudos to Ms. Douglas for so neatly closing the loops and answering all the hanging questions in this alphabet series. It's been a long and wonderful romp through 28 books. The only consolation is that Loue's true fans - those who have been with him from the beginning - have no doubt that Louie will return in a series of new adventures in Sin City with his "roommates", Temple Barr and Matt Devine.
Matt and Temple finally tied the knot and are on their way to stardom as media darlings with their own nationally syndicated talk show. Louie is also set for stardom in a series of commercials, along with his Ms. Temple, for a fancy cat food. The missing IRA funds and guns were found and returned to where they belong. Max still doesn't have all of his memory back, but like a cat, you know he will land on his feet.
Special kudos go to Ms. Douglas for the way she progressed the characters, environment and technology throughout the series. The first book (Catnap - since renamed Cat in an Alphabet Soup) was published in 1994, before the rise of laptop computers and smartphones. While the true story line was to take place over a much smaller time span of two to three years, Carole always kept the characters and environs fresh by reflecting current events, trends and technology.
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