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Customer Reviews (14)

No more purchases in this series
First of all let me say that I have enjoyed this series immensely.I own all of the books published to date but this is going to be the last one I buy.

I am getting sick and tired of authors who are too lazy to keep track of their story lines and their characters and who assume that their readers will continue to buy whatever is printed.

In this series the Circle Ritz started out clad in white marble; then in later books it turned into black marble.Temple originally resided on the third floor.Later she is depicted as living on the second floor.In the earlier books Max owned the Orson Wells house and letGandolph live in it; later, Gandolph owned the house and let Max live in it.Now, in Quicksilver Caper, comes the last straw.Matt is meeting once again with the group of ex-priests and among the group is Damien.This incredibly lazy author has apparently forgotten that Damien was the killer in one of the earlier books and would undoubtedly be serving a life sentence in some Nevada maximum security institution and would not be free to attend ex-priest meetings.

The reason these details are important is because, as we read, we form pictures of what is going on in the story - somewhat like watching a movie unfold.And in a multi-volume series, like this one, it is very disruptive to the smooth flow of the action when details in the picture change.

There is no excuse for this sloppy craftsmanship.If I were writing a long, multi-volume series such as this I would have a huge board in front of my writing area on which I would keep track of all my characters; I would keep track of settings and of descriptions so that one thing didn't change into another.It is insulting to her readers for this author to be so lazy; she does not deserve any more of my money.This is the last book that I will buy in this series.

Russian Treasures, Acrobats and Murder, OH MY
In this caper, Midnight Louie meets up with an old foe, a stunt double, and lots of backstage smoke and mirrors.Temple is working to get her freelance reputation back on track and get everyone to take her "new" blonde personna seriously when Max, Matt, and an exhibit of Russian art treasures collide in a wonderfully whirlwind story.

raises the emotional stakes
This is the 18th book in the Midnight Louie series. I'm not sure how I got behind on it--I absolutely love these books. But the good news is, now I'm not having to wait so long between books.

The mystery in this one really raises the emotional stakes. Magician Max, in his undercover work to infiltrate the Synth, has to steal a jeweled scepter on display in an exhibition for which Temple has been hired to do PR. Also, a dead body is found hanging at the site, and Max is the prime suspect, leading police Lt. Molina to renege on her promise to Temple to stop investigating Max.

Ex-priest Matt, meanwhile, sensing the rift between Max and Temple, gets serious about pursuing her, and just to keep things from being too easy, Temple's romance novelist aunt Kit moves in with her for a while... and, boggling Temple's mind, begins dating the oldest Fontana brother.

This series is one very long story, one I'm pretty sure will be wrapped up tidily by the time we get to Z, unlike some other series I won't mention.

The emotions in Cat in a Quicksilver Caper are even more intense than usual--or maybe they're just more of a focus here. Max is being torn horribly between his duty and his love for Temple. He feels very strongly the importance of his work, and fears, not unreasonably, that he may lose her before it's finished. Matt's dilemma is different, but no less intense. Since he left the priesthood but not the church, it's an important issue with him to do what's right. He has some insightful conversations on the subject; as does Temple, who also consults a religious professional for advice on dealing with him.

The mystery also tugs at the emotions, particularly the second death, which Max tries, but is unable to prevent. So add some extra guilt in there as well.

And of course, there's Midnight Louie, working with his daughter Midnight Louise, the Cloaked Conjuror's big cats, and Shangri-La's sinister Siamese Hyacinth, who has a friendly body double.

And oh, yeah. Molina has a stalker, and she thinks it's Max.

One thing that's had Carole Nelson Douglas on my must-buy list for almost 10 years is that she writes in such different styles, but they're all wonderful.

Gift item
This was on a gift list for a person who has read all the other books in this series and enjoyed them. I bought it knowing that it would be a perfect gift. It is light reading, interesting, and amusing.

Best entry since "Jeweled Jumpsuit"
The series has been going since 1992.I've been reading it since then and may be more bothered than most that in the early volumes Matt grew up on a farm and in later ones in Chicago; that in the early volumes Temple has older brothers and sisters, while in the later ones only older brothers.Ah, well.Not everyone is a historian.Someday, perhaps, a continuity specialist can take a hand before there are new reprints.

The recent volumes have been pleasant entertainment.This one is more.It's worth the price of the whole book just for the chapter in which Temple, who has managed the unlikely achievement of "falling away" from Unitarian Universalism simply by dint of not going to church feels a need to consult a "religious professional" and hies herself off to the Las Vegas strip mall storefront incarnation of the denomination.It is priceless social commentary.

In other words, there's a lot more substance to this book than to the several prior ones in the series.It makes me very anxious to see what will be occuring in the remaining nine volumes (cat in r through z).

I would remark to Ms. Douglas that since I'm past retirement age, I would appreciate it if the next nine could appear on a schedule that permits me to read them before it's too late :) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Midnight Louis sees Pink (and red, and purple) . . .

Once again, Carole Nelson Douglas, has Midnight Louis and his "roommate" Temple Barr in the middle of the action for both conventions in Vegas and murder and romance.The action is all over the board from a stalker for Lt Molina, a proposal for Temple, and lots of pink and purple clothed ladies.A can't miss adventure!!

17th in the series
This is the 17th book in the Midnight Louie series.

Temple's petite stature and youthful looks work in her favor for a change, as, at Lieutenant Molina's behest, she enters a Teen Idol contest--a reality show. Molina's daughter Mariah entered behind her mom's back, and there've been some creepy threats targeting the show, so Molina wants someone close by to keep an eye on Mariah. In exchange, she promises to lay off on her investigations of Max.

Meanwhile, Matt Devine is off to Chicago at his mother's request, to find out information about his biological father's family, and Max is back undercover again.

There's a theme in this book of family and connections--Molina struggles as a single mother of an adolescent, Temple ends up bonding with Mariah and--horrors!--understanding Molina, and mentoring Mariah.

Mariah's unsuspecting (and unsuspected--by Mariah, at least) biological father is at the show as a bodyguard, and there's some tension there as those in the know try to keep him and Mariah apart and Molina worries about whether, when, and how she should tell the two about each other.

And Matt's search for his relatives leads him to his father, and the resulting dilemmas, emotions, and lack of emotions.

Max, too, has his emotional concerns as he worries about whether his current quest (for his surrogate father) will cost him his place in Temple's life.

Even Midnight Louie joins the theme, admitting that Midnight Louise is his daughter.

I suppose you could read Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit as a stand-alone story. The mystery of who is targeting the teen contest and why, and the pursuit of the killer is complex enough and compelling enough to carry the story. But there's also so much emotional punch to this book, and I doubt you'd get the full effect of it without having read the previous books.

?
this is steps down from prior books. my wife commented that she don't think it's by the same author

In Love With Louie
By chance I found a "Midnight Louie" mystery in a thrift shop...thoroughly enjoyed the book and just had to read more...I got this from Amazon and went on to read more...If you love mysteries and cats..and Las Vegas...this is the author and series for you.

Ricki Loves This Book!And Midnight Louie!
So, Anyway, I was about to tell you about Midnight Louie's latest Caper!Let me first tell you that he, too, has a companion.Her name is Temple and she is one cool lady!She is a PR guru, but for some reason, she's always getting mixed up in something mysterious, dangerous...

This time, in the Hot Pink Pursuit, she was "bargained" into entering a teen queen contest.Geesh!Duh, she's, like, 30...but because she is so small and beautiful, she was able to pass for 19.

Now, why would this major professional lady want to do this?Why, for a man of course!You see, she's involved with a magician, Max--what a hunk!

Max is being pursued by the police; specifically, a policewoman named Molina.

Molina has a beautiful young daughter, named Mariah, who, without getting prior permission, entered the Tween contest, and was accepted!

So, here's the deal, Molina bargains with Barr to enter the contest so that she can guard and protect Mariah...and, in return, Molina will lay off of Max!

Sooooooo, you got it, the deal was made.Enter Xoe Chloe, pronounced Zo-ee Chlo-ee, with a Cher long black wig and "goth" makeup and "big" attitude.She and Mariah, backed by Molina's money, splurge on a wardrobe worthy of queen contestants, and fortunately wind up as roommates at the contest location.

Of course, my Midnight Louie sneaks along to protect them...because there is murder, no less! And he's on a hot pursuit of the killer!

Of course, an added benefit for him was being near Yvette and Solange, silver and golden persians that are soooo not worthy of Midnight Louie...You might know that they would be there too!

Meanwhile, another of Temple's love interests, er, I mean friends, Matt is on a hot pursuit of his own.At the stubborn insistence of his mother, he's tracking down information on his father, who is supposed to have died many years ago.The face-to-face meet with his father in a hallway as both men wait for an elevator is a cool scene!

And, wonder of wonders, Matt seems to have gained much needed confidence through this wild experience...for he later moves boldly in pursuit of Temple!Did I tell you that Max has been around, searching for Temple, not knowing that she is off "saving him" from Molina...

As always, this is a cool whodunit by Carole Nelson Douglas and somehow Midnight Louie figures it out (he's been tracking the pink fruit smoothie smell on suspects' shoes!) about the same time Xoe Chloe does!

So Midnight Louie is back at home, stretching his long black beautiful body on the couch when his companion Temple comes home with....Matt???

Now What?!Can't wait to read the next in this fantastic series! And, Oh!I'd just love to meet the super-star, Louie!

(As told by Ricki, one of Glenda's cats!)
... Read more

Product Description
That rough-and-tumble black tomcat Midnight Louie and his flame-haired human companion, temple barr, think shooting a cat food commercial will allow them to play hooky from mayhem. But life is never easy for the vivacious pair, and Temple and Louie are center stage when beloved comic actor (and notorious ladies' man) Darren Cooke is shot to death. Cooke had asked Temple to find out if a mysterious stalker was his unacknowledged daughter, and she is determined to find out the truth. But the search for truth raised a dangerous question: Was this really a murder, or was Cooke a tortured funnyman who finally rang down his own curtain.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Midnight Louie
Midnight Louie is the ultimate cat. Tough, but loves his "doll".Not the usual cat mysteries, but refreshing and always a fun read.

Cat in a Flamingo Fedora
This was the second Midnight Louie book that I read. so I knew already that it would be fun to read. I was rather upset after reading a previous Midnight Louie book to learn that Louie was helping to produce kittens, which is a bad thing in the real world. This story resolves that problem in a unique way and the notes at the end reveal the author as a real cat lover.
This is more than a fun read. The Matt character brings a note of seriousness and glimpses of truth into the story in a way that is very effective. I hope he gets the girl.

Enjoyable Louie continues to entertain...
For those who are Louie fans, this entry in the series is entertaining and fun.It's a mix of a mystery, a soap opera, and imaginative fun for all.Especially, Midnight Louie's um - experience and new found awareness.The book offers a little of everything - not unlike the city of it's setting.A little fantasy, reality and good natured fun! It's a coaster ride till the end.You really never know what next, but at the end when the loose ends are tied up, the good news is there is another story to come...

Murder is for the birds.
In Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, amateur sleuth, Temple Barr, finds herself up to her high heels in pink Flamingos and one of the suspects in a murder.When philandering actor, Darren Cooke is murdered and Temple is one of thelast people to see him alive, she must once again undergo questioning byher nemesis, Lt. Carmen Molina while trying to solve this murder with anunusual twist.The murder occurs while Temple is playing stage mother toLouie who is filming a cat food commercial with his lady love, the DivineYvette at Gangsters Night Club.Whenever danger rears its ugly head,however, this feline sleuth drops what he is doing and springs to the sideof his human companion to try to solve yet another murder.Louie not onlyhelps Temple, but he must also contend with the murderous Maurice, a felinefelon who threatens all of Louie's nine lives.Even if he solves themurder and dodges Mauriice, he must face the wrath of Yvette's human,Savannah Ashleigh!How much can one dude take?Fast paced and ascaptivating as a litter of kittens, Cat in a Flamingo Fedora gets two pawsup!

That feline sleuth Midnight Louis at his show stopping best
Temple Barr, Las Vegas public relations specialist and part time sleuth, finds herself once again simultaneously working both careers. The local Chamber of Commerce has hired her to serve as a liaison between artist Domingo, and the movers and shakers of the town.They hope to obtain permission for the eccentric maestro to plaster their collective properties with about a million pink ceramic flamingos.While acting as stage mother to her cat, the renowned Midnight Louie, who is starring in a TV commercial, Temple meets Darren Cooke, a womanizer and famous comic, who needs her sleuthing help. ....... Darren is being stalked by a woman, through letters and vitriolic phone calls. The near hysterical woman claims to be his biological daughter. Darren wants Temple to find out if this woman is in deed a child of his that he knew nothing about or if she is a dangerous nut. After finishing his heartfelt plea, Darren makes a pass at Temple, who walks out on the aging Don Juan.However, when he is shot on the set, she begins to investigate the women in Darren's life. As Temple peels away the layers of deception, danger to her own life grows stronger, forcing her personal body guard, Midnight Louie, to protect her while looking over his own shoulders to insure he does not become a victim too. .........Anytime Midnight Louie appears, readers know that they are in for a treat.With her latest entry in the fun series, CAT IN A FLAMINGO FEDORA, Carole Nelson Douglas continues to provide some of the most thrilling and humorous sleuthing west of the Mississippi. ........Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Carole Nelson Douglas, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 3617 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
Midnight Louie, the best tomcat in the crime-solving business, and his human partner, petite redheaded publicist Temple Barr, are once again in the thick of things in the city of sin. The manager of the Crystal Phoenix, one of Las Vegas's premier vacation spot, has hired Temple Barr to help clean up the hotel's image, but soon more than the Phoenix's reputation is in danger. The phoenix becomes prey to mysterious saboteurs whose little pranks just happen to keep endangering Temple's life.

When Temple tangles with ex-priests, local police, FBI agents, obnoxious reporters, and a pasell of semi-reformed mafiosi who wear pastel zoot suits, it's up to Midnight Louie to get her out ofknot....before it's too late.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cat in a Crimson Haze
I enjoy all of the Midnight Louie mysteries.I love cats and if you do too, you will definitely like these books.Makes you wonder what our cats really do on their own time!

Louie is a star!
Petite PR pro Temple Barr is chagrined when she fails to get her annual invite to submit skits for Las Vegas' annual Gridiron show - and not much happier when she gets a grudging request from the sleazy Crawford Buchanan for some help with the finale. But she can't resist - fabulous show stopping skits are her special forte. And she comes up with a winner.

But soon after her script is submitted, strange and threatening things start happening, including a boobytrapped stair rail that sends Temple and her signature high, high heels hurtling down a flight of steps. As the new PR person for the Crystal Phoenix Hotel, in charge of transforming the place into a casino that reflects family values (a tough assignment for Vegas!) this earns her a phalanx of fabulous Fontana brothers as bodyguards, much to her chagrin. There are at least nine Fontanas, all large and given to picking up petite Temple, who is not only sensitive about her tiny stature but accustomed to operating on her own - with a big assist from Louie. But Louie is also an independent operator and rarely interferes with Temple's routine. The Fontanas - who are a united family personified - overhelm. (But entertainingly.)

Meanwhile, neighbor Matt Devine sets off in search of his stepfather, Cliff Effinger - but he gets a late start. Before the PI he hires can give him his first clue, the body of Effinger falls onto a blackjack table from the casino ceiling. Soon Matt is under suspicion by Lieutenant CR Molina - who is also unhappy that Temple and Devine have discovered her alternate identity as the sultry cafe singer, Carmen.

Biggest problem - Matt is asked to identify the body and can't. He hasn't seen Effinger since the guy deserted Matt and his mother many years before - and time and the netural changes that death wreaks have rendered him not quite recognizable.

Matt wanted the satisfaction of getting some kind of revenge on the cruel stepfather - and instead may be in trouble without having the chance to act.

Suspicions of mob activity abound, especially given the content of Temple's skit, which alludes to the former dominance of the Mafia in Vegas history. But the show must go and - and does, despite a giant heist at the casino down the street that draws any police protection away from the show's arena.

But leave it to Midnight Louie - largely absent from Temple's apartment these days since he is avoiding the petite Caviar, who claims that her true name is Midnight Louise and that she is sworn to get revenge on her dear old dad who deserted her at birth. (Shades of Matt Devine - although Louie has wisely kept his name from his alleged offspring so far.)

Louie has been hanging around the periphery of the Crystal Pheonix keeping an eye out for his dear roommate. On a tour of the dressing rooms he finds a mysterious hidden door that leads to a set of tunnels that suddenly make the dangerous doings that have surrounded the show so far quite clear. Louie manages to lure Temple to the tunnels despite the fact that her big skit is due to begin in moments - and a wild chase through the underground begins - culminating in a crowded ride in a UFO and a grand entrance onto the Gridiron stage by several assorted criminals, hoofers, actors, the fabulous Fontanas, Temple herself. Finally, to huge applause and yet more media attention - Midnight Louie, the hero of the hour steps down from the top of the UFO and into the spotlight. (He can't help it - he simple attracts those cameras.)

The plot is fast paced and filled with tension - and enough comic relief to keep things going. But all is not fluff and fur here. Underneath the entire bookis the pervasive theme of family values - those that the Crystal Pheonix wants to display, those that Matt Devine was deprived of because of his stepfather's cruelty and those that Midnight Louise feels that Louie failed to show her family.

The Pheonix comes through - and Louie and Louise come to a wary truce.Only Matt Devine is left dissatisfied - except for a new and blossoming relationship with Temple - and the acquisition of Midnight Louise as a roommate of his own.

The most charming thing about these books is not the fact that Louie speaks - but what he has to say. He talks tough - but he speaks sense, and always has a message that goes surprisingly deeper than one would expect from a mystery of this sort. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

7th in the series
This is the 7th book in the Irene Adler series about the only woman to outwit Sherlock Holmes.

Following their adventures chasing Jack the Ripper, Irene Adler and her companion Nell Huxley need a break. So when Pink, also known as Nellie Bly (yes, that Nellie Bly), cables that someone is trying to kill Irene's mother, they seize upon the chance for a vacation in America and incidentally to set Pink straight about meddling in Irene's personal life. Unknown to Irene and Nell, Pink also lures Sherlock Holmes to the case.

It's not quite as alarming for Irene as one might think: as far as Irene knows, she's an orphan. But she remembers very little of her childhood, so she is intrigued. And there has been a murder, a very dramatic one: a medium killed during a seance, strangled by the gauze she used as a special effect.

As it turns out, Irene grew up in vaudeville, a child performer mostly looked after by the other performers, and a mysterious woman in black who came around periodically to check on the children. Irene revisits her past and searches for clues to the killer at the same time, interviewing various performers she vaguely remembers from her childhood.

The mystery is intriguing, with plenty of twists, and it's especially interesting to watch Irene, Pink, and Sherlock Holmes all investigate the same case from different angles.

It was fascinating to read about the vaudeville performers' lives and their varied acts, as well as the broader picture of New York during that time. The secondary characters are all very realistic and as varied as they would be in real life--despite their smallish roles in the story, they each have good and bad points.

This was a more intimate and emotional case--certainly for Irene, whose past figured strongly in the story, but also for Nell, whose strict moral code is tested by all the shades of gray.

Irene and Penelope in New York this time
The setting is New York City in the late summer of 1889. Irene has gone there to explore her past that she seems to have forgotten most of.While the two women are there they discover a number of deaths which turn out to be murders of former acquaintances of Irene.As a very young girl she was in a vaudeville theatre group.Why are these people dying?Irene thinks it has something to do with her.Penelope and Irene set out to uncover the past, and to determine who is murdering these old friends.At the same time, Sherlock Holmes is over in New York doing the same thing and Irene and Holmes are set to cross paths and clash again.Ms. Douglas' rich historical detail and her characters held me in thrall yet again.It was also fun to find out some past details about the infamous and beautiful Irene Adler.These books are sumptuous feasts to historical fiction lovers.

Read The Other Series' Books First
I had heard about this series and found this book on sale.Being a fan of historical mystery series, I broke my own rule. I read this book before reading any of the others in the series. There are constant references to past stories, leaving me wondering whether this book was simply a review of previous cases.I enjoyed the story once I got into the book but it was rough going at first.I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I had read her earlier books beforehand.

Great historic mystery novel of late 19th century NYC
Femme Fatale is the first book in a duology that ends with Spider Dancer.

In this volume the fictional detective Irene Adler Norton and her assistant Penelope Huxleigh travel to 1889 New York to solve a series of murders. the common thread is that each of the people knew Irene when she was a child in the theaters of New York. Can one of them hold the secret of who is Irene's parents? They must find the murderer to solve the mystery.

Told through the journals of Ms. Huxleigh and the notes of the real-life Nellie Bly and the fictional Sherlock Holmes, Douglas has found an intriguing way to relate a good story that mixes historical figures with fictional characters.

not her best, perhaps a team effort?
Ms. Douglas is not the most skilled of writers, but has made up for it in the previous entries into this series with direction and period detail, which allowed the reader to be carried along.There was much redundancy of detail in this offering, sometimes almost verbatim descriptions just a few pages hence, making me wonder if either the editor was attempting to combine various drafts in a hurry, or different writers wrote sections and the parts were hastily assembled. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellant All Around
I got my ordered item fast and in excellant condition. I'll definitely order from this seller again. ... Read more

Product Description
Midnight Louie, the purring P.I., is a jet-black sleuth making his twelfth outing in Carole Nelson Douglas's Cat in a Kiwi Con. While his human partner, public relations whiz Temple Barr, and her significant other, ex-magician Max Kinsella, are bespelled by murder most magical on a Las Vegas university campus, Louie has followed the lethal and lovely Siamese, Hyacinth, into the world's largest science fiction and fantasy convention, GigantiCon.

They're all there: Hercules and Xena, elves and aliens, captains and crew, and Godzillions of fans--both in costume and out. When a prominent player is killed, not only is the method of death perplexing, but the suspects in this case are a very unusual cast of thousands. Soon it becomes clear that none of the investigators are safe in an atmosphere that provides cover not only for an unknown murderer, but for an antagonist in an alien guise who is after the hides of each and every one of them.

Joining in the fantasy-in-progress may be their only hope.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A cat copes with a convention
In a neighbourhood copious with cats, it was inevitable that someone would confront me with this series.Douglas' twist of a cat acting as a major character [although not the primary one as the "Midnight Louie [sic] Mystery" on the dust jacket implies] is handled with finesse.The cat is observant, independent and adaptable.Thankfully, "Louie" isn't over-anthropomorphised.While instrumental, he isn't the primary sleuth you might expect.Instead, Douglas uses her feline character to air some causes she's concerned about - in this case the threatened extinction of Kiwis [the birds, not the European "pakeha"] in New Zealand.On the other hand, she plops some invective into the narrative against selected targets, of which more later.

There are some murders to keep the plot within the "mystery" genre, some of which are leftovers from previous books.These tend to be added to keep your interest.Will they be solved here or go on to further revival later in the series?There is the usual rivalry of "cops" versus "private" sleuths, although none of the "private" characters are in the business.Instead, one is a "public relations whiz", one a magician and one a former priest.Douglas takes these three on a merry mazurka of personal relationships.Only one of these characters seems to have a clear view of the assigned role.Douglas has fun with her creations, but character development isn't her forte.Even the repartee doesn't achieve the "clever" level that some mystery writers attain.Perhaps this is Douglas' way of imparting realism.

The author's real strength is in descriptive prose.She shines at that.In this book there are many opportunities to show her stuff as it takes place around a "sci-fi" convention.Although she correctly disparages the term "sci-fi", she seems unaware of Harlan Ellison's long-standing suggestion "SF" be rendered "Speculative Fiction".Her knowledge of television and film SF is ample.Characters relocated from their fictional realm into the convention's arena with aplomb.Writers clash, roles are depicted and characterisations dissected.For unexplained reasons, Douglas lashes out at Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine character from Star Trek: Voyager.The reason for her calumny seems focussed on the physical, which seems out of place in a "feminist" writer.The repetition of her scurrility against this one character becomes boring, especially when she transfers it to one of her minor characters.

Usually, in such a series reading the first volume is mandatory, but that constraint doesn't seem to apply, here.So much of this tale is interwoven with past events, one has the feeling reading the others would be repetitious.This book, one of the latest, is a good introduction to Douglas.The plot line is convoluted enough to satisfy the most demanding mystery buff.The SF/fantasy environment allows Douglas to bring in "weird" characters who impinge but lightly on the story.It's good beach/cottage reading material, but of limited scope and less interest.The whole series would be a chore, unless you have an extended holiday.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I love ya Louie
I love Louie, but this book was something of a disappointment. Mrs. Douglas kept us on the outside the whole time so it was hard to really get into the book. I have to admit though I was rolling on the ground at her depiction of a preteen girl. No preteen girl I have ever known is scared of a simple amusement ride and would hold her escort's hand. Mrs. Douglas hit so wide of the mark that she not only missed the barn she ended up 2 states over. Otherwise, an enjoyable if not particularly engrossing read.

Good but enough of the Science Fiction references
The book started off alright but quickly became dragged down.There was not enough of Louie and too many Buffy references.This is a mystery/comedy novel.To many plot lines that need to be connected and finished.Unfortunately if you are a big fan, which I am, you will need to read this book to catch up on the many different trains of thought Temple/Max/Matt/Molina/Louie have before reading "...Leopard Spot".

Writers Rant
When Science Fiction writers get together, they complain about getting ripped off--even as murder runs through the convention. Carole NelsonDouglas has written another funny, quirky mystery. Again, Midnight Louie,the cat, plays the staring role.

Louie, along with Temple and Max, solvethe crime, but there is a bigger crime here--one left to be solved in alater book in the series. Read this one for the fun of it, not to have allthe loose ends tied up.

I Almost Didn't Finish this One!
I have read all the books in this series, and found myself wishing that ONE of the loose ends would please be tied up in this one....but nope, just a new loose end and more cat babbling.I enjoy books withanimals....talking and otherwise, but this cat "talks" too much!I heartily enjoyed the first books in this series, but the neverendingMax/Matt campaign is wearing thin.The fun part of the book is the sciencefiction convention, but it is not enough to engage a casual reader.Mystubborness to finish the book was really the only reason I did finish it! Maybe the next one will wrap up some plot lines.... we can only hope! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Probe Sequel
I liked Probe but found myself somewhat depressed at the end of the sequel. It seemed like a lot for Dr. Kevin Blake to go through for it to turn out the way it did. I really wanted to see a happier ending between Kevin and Jane.It seems like so much was lost for so little gained.I know things don't always work out the way we hope but I can't help but feel dissappointed with the ending.The fact that it was such a gloomy sort of dark story from the very beginning contributed to my misery in the end. Even the environment, the frigid cold of a Minnesota winter left me frosted in the end.

Counterprobe
Normally I don't like books that end like this one did. However, I did find it worth my time, just like the original.I do however wish to know if there are other books along the same timeline.Let me know if you would, and keep up the great work, even if some people don't like your endings.

Underwhelmed about says it all...
This sequel could have been great, and in fact has a clever plot for the most part.It falls apart at the end, though.I admit, I'm a sucker for a happy ending, and grouchy when I don't get one.Still, although I admire Carole Nelson Douglas, I think the plot decayed into gibberish just as it was wrapping up.Characters start doing nonsensical things, the bad guy wins, etc. Left me with a bitter aftertaste.If you read the original Probe, skip the sequel and save yourself the hassle. Jkirk3279@aol.com ... Read more

Product Description
The tradition of pets in the White House goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers. From the parrot and foxhounds of George Washington to Spot and Barney, the current canines of the Bushes, the First Family’s animal companions have always had a special place in America’s heart. These various (and often exotic) animals have enjoyed the special privileges of living in the nation’s capital, giving them access to the scenes of power. So when something goes awry in the White House, who better to solve it than these pet detectives? Did Rex, Ronald Reagan’s King Charles spaniel, play a role in uncovering Irangate? What mystery did Franklin Roosevelt’s Scottish terrier, Fala, uncover when left on the Aleutian Islands? How would some of the more unusual pets, such as John Quincy Adams’s pet alligator or Calvin Coolidge hippopotamus, search for clues in the halls of the Executive Mansion? The authors and stories are:

"Martha’s Parrot" by Edward D. Hoch • "A Mimicry of Mockingbirds" by Lillian Stewart Carl • "Alligator Tears" by Bill Crider • "The Greatest Sacrifice" by Brendan DuBois • "Tabby Won’t Tell" by Jan Grape • "Under Hoof" by Jeffrey Marks • "The Princess and the Pickle" by Carolyn Wheat • "Remember the Maine?" by Jeanne Dams • "The Secret Staff" by Janet Pack • "Trouble A-Bruin" by Esther Friesner • "Izzy’s Shoe-In" by P. N. Elrod • "Fala and The Ghost of Bulows Minde" by Kate Grilley • "Dr. Couch Saves a President" by Nancy Pickard • "Sax and the Single Cat" by Carole Nelson Douglas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a few are good most are going to the dogs
bought this book of short stories involving white house pets. While a couple of the mysteries are on the good side, most are bland and I found somewhat boring.

Overall not worth the money unless you pay $.99 for Kindle. ... Read more

Product Description
Victorian detective Irene Adler Norton once again matches wits with the famed Sherlock Holmes as she seeks a killer before he can strike again. By the author of Good Night, Mr. Holmes. Reprint. NYT. K. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

great
i really love this series. I am really happy that I am able to find the books on Amazon. The seller was right on the condition of the book,

Anothr fun corseted romp!
This third in the Irene Adler series is a lot of fun.There is a mixture of espionage, trickery, skullduggery and, yes, the hint of love for Penelope.What I really enjoy about this series is the way Ms. Douglas mixes in Sherlock Holmes trivia into her plots.She makes use of one of Sherlock's villains in this book (Colonel Moran), and we also see Irene solving puzzles along with Sherlock Holmes, although Holmes doesn't know that "that woman" is in England and that she's been baiting the hook used to catch him in order that his superior investigative skills can be used to uncover a political plot.This series is a lot of fun, and I look forward to more.

An evocative mixture of fantasy and reality
I've read 5 of the 8 books in this series as of 2005, and I love every word and can hardly wait to read more.

Carole Nelson Douglas uses language lightly and carefully to evoke the slightly archaic setting.

She translates the prose style of Arthur Conan Doyle's day into the modern era with as much elegance as found in the BBC productions of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett.I hear Jeremy Brett in every word of Holmes dialogue in these novels.

As the fans of a television show will detail events going on offstage during an episode, Douglas shows us details of Holmes' investigations that would not have seemed pertinent to Conan Doyle as he wrote -- but he might well have been thinking of them. She twangs every Holmsian heartstring with her deft expansion of the Doyle tales.

There is one difference though.Douglas shows us a 21st Century woman in Irene Adler, a woman truly with A Soul of Steel (as this novel will be retitled in its December 2005 release,) a woman Doyle could never have written.Adler's biography makes her attitude plausible, and we can easily believe she bested Sherlock Holmes more than once.

Even if you've never read any Sherlock Holmes -- read these books.

Historic mystery with a Holmesian flair
Irene At Large is the third in a series of mystery novels based on the career of Irene Adler Norton, a character from one of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. In Doyle's A Scandal In Bohemia Irene Adler outsmarts Holmes and wins his lasting admiration. Carol Nelson Douglas has taken this story as the basis for a series of delightful mystery novels that include Holmes and his companion Watson in mysteries that run parallel to the Holmes stories.

She has also created a framework for this continued series based on a current day historian Fiona Witherspoon who has supposedly discovered the diaries of Irene's companion Penelope "Nell" Huxleigh and unpublished memoirs of Dr. Watson that she blends into the novels of the series.

In this outing the plot takes place around the events of Doyle's story The Naval Treaty. Irene and Nell run into an old acquaintance of Nell's, Quentin Stanhope, dressed in Eastern garb, feverish, and quite unkempt. When they take him home, an attempt is made on his life. As they try to uncover his attacker, they find the answer may lie in events at the British battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan nine years earlier that link Stanhope to Dr. Watson and a mysterious spy known as Tiger.

This is an excellent story that should appeal to readers familiar with the tales of Sherlock Holmes, but who seek a more feminine and feminist point of view on the period and the characters.

A good legacy
I have read other supposed Sherlock Holmes take offs,This one succeeds by not recreating Sherlock Holmes but one of the characters from the original series.I enjoyed the female viewpoint and the tidbits of Sherlockian lore she weaves through the adventure. This was the first of the series that I have read, I have just bought the previous two and will spend a couple of great nights readingthem. Hope Ms. Douglas bring out more in the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Midnight Louie is the cat's pajamas!
I was lucky to stumble onto this author and find this book before any of her others. From the first page, I couldn't put the book down. Midnight Louie is the narrator and what makes this so great? He's a cat! And every so many chapters, he gets to interject.

This fun story is set in the playground of vintage Vegas, which brings back that old magic. The author time warps you to experience all of the glitz and blinding neon of the city and really makes you feel like you are there with the characters. I totally fell in love with Nicky Fontana and Miss Van von Rhine and I'm thrilled that there are three more books in this series!

This is a beautiful love story with classic romance without getting gushy. It also has elements of mystery woven in that don't all get explained. I also loved the way the author put words together making the language poetic without being flowery.

But my favorite part was the end where, after the story is told, there is an interview between the cat and the author, explaining things in the book and about the series that you weren't clued in on. You really start to believe the cat is real! I highly recommend this book.

An Excellent Book
I really enjoyed this book.Going back to before the series as we know it began and getting history on some of the characters gives the book another dimension.This book would be interesting reading in and of itself, but asan avid fan of the Midnight Louie series, I was thrilled.I can wait toread the remaining three from the beginning of the series.

Excellent, great fun and fast moving.
I have all of Carole Nelson Douglas Midnight Louieand Irene books. Love them and hope they keep coming. Also, get the audios every chance I get. Thanks for hours of enjoyment. I find them very absorbing andentertaining.Wish they came out faster.

Midnight Louie's first great tale

Though his family is renowned as Mafiosi, Nicky Fontana runs a completely legal business.He currently plans to renovate an aging Las Vegas landmark into a major, first class casino.He hires Van Von Rhine tooversee the operation, giving her a budget of just under $8 million.

However, an unknown assailant wants Nicky to fail.That individual willdo anything to make sure that the renovation project fails.MidnightLouie, feline private eye extraordinaire, decides to investigate in orderto expose the culprit.As Louie snoops, Van struggles with adapting to theVegas glitter as well as her personal attraction to Nicky.

THE CATAND THE KING OF CLUBS is the full version of Midnight Louie's debut novel. The publisher sliced and diced this tale and the subsequent three otherbooks that made up the original series.However, Carole Nelson Douglas hasbrought the gem back to its original glittering self.The who-done-itstory line remains fresh and even more fulfilling this time around as Louieshows why he owns the universe.Fans of the series will take greatpleasure with this "expanded" reprint.The audience will feel elation overthe upcoming release of the other three tales from the original set thatestablished Louie as one of the best feline sleuths on theprowl.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Carole Nelson Douglas is Awesome!
Carole Nelson Douglas' Irene Adler series is absolutely awesome!I was able to find all the books in this series, sadly I am on the last one.I wish she would write more for this series.If you start to read this series be prepared to not be able to put the books down.She pulls you in and keeps you in suspense from beginning to end.Each character is built so well that I picture each one as I read and it makes for such fun and exciting reading.If you like mystery, strong characters and historical fiction...buy these books, you won't be disappointed!

Excellent for sherlock and Irene fans
This story sets a fabulous background for Conan Doyle's short story "the empty house" and also keeps crossing paths between Sherlock Holmes and "The woman" Irene Adler, although this last one far more advanced in investigation matters. A delicious reading for those in love with this two great characters, where mistery, romance and one or two laughs are not missing. Super recomendated. Me as Sherlock Holmes fan loved this story!!!

Another fine entry in the Irene Adler series
This is my second work on Irene Adler, solver of mysteries and antagonist of Sherlock Holmes. Here, we have a tale of treachery in the English war in Afghanistan in the 1880s. A spy, "Cobra" (born Quentin Stanhope), discovers a double cross by his superior, "Tiger." A battle is lost as a result. And the plot thickens when, after he is injured, a "Dr. Watson" treats him before being shot in the shoulder.

Move to Paris some years later. Irene Adler, now married to Godfrey Norton (and now Mrs. Norton), lives with her confederate Penelope "Nell" Huxleigh. She and Godfrey have been declared dead because their names were on the list of passengers of a train that was destroyed in an accident.

"Cobra" enters their life and, just as mysteriously, leaves, wishing to find someone to help save Dr. Watson's life. Irene, clever as always, deduces that this Watson might be Sherlock Holmes' associate. And we are off to another adventure in this series of books.

Irene does her usual job in deception. We see historical figures enter the narrative (e.g., Sarah Bernhardt). Irene, Godfrey, and Nell head to England to try to protect Watson and solve a mystery. Their efforts intertwine with those of Holmes himself. The end result features cobras, mongooses, deception, and treachery.

A nice addition to the series, but the allure of this series has begun to wear off for me. However, this volume will be enjoyable for those who like historical mysteries.

Reissue of Irene At Large
I loved this book, but just wanted to warn you that this is a reissue of the book "Irene At Large" with a different title.I bought it under both titles before I realized it was the same book.

Fun mysteries
I really liked this series of books. Sherlock Holmes has always annoyed me a bit, and I like the idea of a woman outwitting him. Irene Alder is a strong heroine and is easy to like. Penelope Huxleigh, the narrator, is not as easy to sympathize with, but she can be funny. The mysteries are interesting, exciting, and, for the most part, believable. ... Read more

Product Description
Exploring the many facets of the legendary actress, a collection of short fiction expounds upon and expands the myth of Marilyn Monroe, from the story of Marilyn saving Nikita Kruschev to the appearance of Marilyn on Mt. Rushmore. 20,000 first printing." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You don't have to be a Monroe fan to enjoy this book!
This is a fascinating collection of stories by agreat cross-section of writers.My favorite story was the touching and funny "Destiny" by PatriciaWallace.Ms. Wallace has written numerous outstanding horror and mystery novels, including the Sydney Bryant private eye series.

Thisoffbeat anthology should find a permanent place on many bookshelves. ... Read more

Product Description
Midnight Louie is back!...along with the human black tomcat condescends to spend his days with: Temple Barr, a redheaded publicist whose love for expensive shoes is matched only be her affinity for trouble.

This time trouble shows up on her doorstep, in the form of a boyfriend previously gone missing...during a murder investigation. No fool she, Temple decides it's time for a break. A romance writers' convention--complete with a male-model Incredible Hunk pageant-sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Unfortunately, a pair of dazzling Cinderella shoes goes missing, one of the would-be Fabios ends up dead, and Temple's investigations into the matters get more complicated--and more dangerous--than she planned.

Luckily, there's a smart and smart-mouthed cat prowling around.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I Love Midnight Louie but enough of the magicians
This version of midnight louie features male strippers who die while stripping and feline romance. The worst part of this story at least for is Temple searching all over Las Vegas for a pair of crystal encrusted shoes. The best part, as always, is Louie who romances Yvette and solves the mystery who some help from Temple. Spoiler: Max, a magician, and his foe the dreaded Synth, also magicians will play a major role in stories from now on in my opinion making a story in which a cat solves mysteries, farfetched, even more farfetched to the point of utter ridiculous.

A Buried Treasure
At least that's the most PR whiz Temple Barr thinks she's hunting when this story begins - a hidden pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes adorned with a black cat - the spitting image of Midnight Louie - done in Austrian crystals.If she can find the shoe, which has been hidden somewhere on the Vegas strip, she gets a pair of her very own. And who better to win twin portraits of Louie that will also raise her diminutive stature 3" or so than Temple? After all, the big black cat has brought a lot of excitement into Temple's life since he claimed her at a bookseller's conference - was it only a few short weeks ago?

And that's all Temple as in mind for the week - other than attending a Romance Writer's convention at the Crystal Pheonix with landlady Electra Lark. Things are a wee bit tense back at the Circle Ritz - and so the convention is a form of escape.

And all Louie has in mind is a bit of dalliance with his lady love - the Divine Yvette, a tiny silver shaded Persian with blue green eyes who has captivated is heart. Yvette will be there for the whole convention, because her mistress - airhead actress Savannah Ashleigh - is in town to give out the last night awards.

And the most popular awards category? Not the romance novels themselves, but something more action-packed - the Incredible Hunk contest, with competitors including the popular favorite, Fabrizio, and an old friend from Pussyfoot, Cheyenne.

But all too soon, death rears its head. Cheyenne makes an entrance even more dramatic than he planned to, when he enters the stage on a beautiful horse, sporting a small loincloth, a pouch of glittery crystals in a pouch around his neck and not much else - except an arrow protruding from his back.

The thing to keep in mind in this book is that all that glitters is not necessarily Austrian crystals. There is a lot of glitter in this gathering of the romance industry - and some dross as well. And so most thoughts of leisure depart, and Midnight Louie and Temple are at it again. (Not that Temple gives up her shoe quest, nor will Louie forego his reunions with Yvette - but they are still hot on the trail of Cheyenne's murderer.)

To complicate life a bit more, Temple's mystery man, Max Kinsella is back in town - and he and Temple's other romantic interest, Matt Devine, face each other warily. Temple has even seen the two of them haunting the Crystal Pheonix - together but not looking especially friendly.

Temple manages to pick up the odd clue by interviewing cast and crew and even while shoe-hunting - but gets the major key to things while taking part in a"pose down" - an onstage tableau like those seen on the typical bodice-ripper style of romance. And Louie - well, Louie will always be where Yvette may be - and that's usually backstage. Unnoticed - the advantage of being short and black - he's in a position to hear and see what escapes most two legged detectives, and excellent at communicating his finds to both Temple and the authorities.

Will Matt and Max reach some sort of truce? Will Louie ever get a chance to woo his Divine Yvette? Will Temple find her shoes? And did Louie, taking a cue from his old friend Archie the typing cockroach - paw out the romantic satire that is singled out at the awards banquet? Electra did see some strange files on Temple's computer that Temple claims no knowledge of. Or did it take so long for someone to claim it - anyone - because the airheaded Ashleigh so badly bungled the announcement.?

We needn't ask if she and Louie will find the murderer - only read avidly to discover how they arrive at their answers.

It is great fun reading this series beginning with the first Midnight Louie mystery, "Catnap" right through the alphabet. Otherwise fans may not realize that the action in this book begins only a day or so after Temple and Louie wrapped up the exciting "Cat in a Crimson Haze" mystery.The Midnight Louie series is actually a mega-novel, with each book constituting a very large, multi-part chapter. While each book stands on its own merit, one gets a greater appreciation for things - the developing relationships between Louie and Temple, Temple and Matt, and now Temple and Max and Max and Matt, for one; the chance to remember and enjoy the many minor characters who appear and reappear from book to book - as well as a better sense of just how fast things happen when Midnight Louie showed up and led Temple Barr into a life of crime-solving.

what fun!
This book was simply fun to read.

If the shoe.... or title fits....
The title in this one is extremely apropos, as the dialogue sparkles and flashes without getting cutesy or self-concious.A large number of sly little asides add to the humor; I frequently found myself laughing at a bitof dialogue, or at Temple's internal thought proccesses.Louie himself isan elegant Greek chorus of one, while behaving at all times like a reallive cat.Matt and Max are superb foils for each other in all aspects, andthe supporting characters (Fontana Inc, Danny Dove) are delightful whileavoiding two-dimensionality.All of her books give a quick, in-depthsketch of life in the real world of various trades or professions...peoplewanting to become published authors could do worse than to read thisparticular one.

Murdered Hunks
With the return of her ex-lover, magician Max Kinsella to the Circle Ritz, home of her new beau, Matt Devine, ex-priest and hotline counselor, Temple Barr finds herself in need of a refuge.Accompanied by the colorfulElectra Lark and Temple's aunt, romance novelist, Kit Carlson, Templeattends a romance writers convention at the Crylstal Phoenix.However,Temple once again finds herself embroiled in murder as entries in theIncredible Hunk contest begin turning up dead.That ever reliable feline,Midnight Louie springs to the assistance of his favorite roommmate as theywork to uncover clues to the identity of the killer.Louie must contendwith his spitfire daughter, Midnight Louise, who has little use for therfather, while Temple faces Lt. Carmen Molina who not only searches for thekiller of the hunks, but continues her search for the elusive Kinsella, asuspect in yet another murder.All the while, Temple searches for theMidnight Louie shoe which promises its own reward for the high heeledheroin.With each novel, Douglas draws us further into the lives of hercharachers and weaves internal mysteries that carry through from book tobook.We await the next book to find out more about Matt Devine, MaxKinsella, and the rest of the human characters as well as Louie's romanticand family entanglements. ... Read more

Product Description
Murder shows its teeth and claws for Midnight Louie readers when that jet-black feline sleuth who thinks he's Sam Spade returns to delight his legions of fans. This time, not only does Louie have to bail out his favorite investigative partner, public relations woman Temple Barr, but he has to save a fellow feline from a charge of Murder One. When a big-game hunter is found dead with only a leopard for company, all of Louie's and Temple's allies and enemies converge on the case. And the fun really begins when the unofficial investigators learn the leopard is Osiris, a performing Big Cat who was kidnapped from his magician owner only days before the murder. Things get really wild when a cadre of ardent animal rights protestors secretly stakes out the premises, determined to stop the illegal killing at any price, even their own lives....

Or someone else's.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

So This isMystery
Before Midnight Louie I had never read one single mystery. Then I got a cat named Louie, (most unlike the Midnight P.I.) but went off on a tear with these books. I happen to be getting very aware of the sanctuaries devoted to caring for abused, abandoned and neglected big cats, so this one had to be read out of order. She does a very creditable job describing the true plight of the big cats in horrible situations while somehow allowing Louie to lose none of his charm and swagger. Oh, yes, the human characters are interesting too! May help if you've visited Las Vegas, but not strictly necessary, her (and Louie's) descriptions are great.

so much fun
This is the first book I've read in this series.Now I'm hooked.I want to read everything else that was ever written by Carole Nelson Douglas. Every minute of reading this book was pure pleasure.I highly recommend this book.

Even Worse Than You Have Been Led to Believe
I would write just one star only I have a lingering affection for the first of the Irene Adler book and because, well, if she is anything Carole Nelson Douglas is a lady, and I am a gentleman deep down at heart.But someone ought to whisper in her ear that America's appetite for cat mysteries is being toyed with seriously by her MIDNIGHT LOUIE series and, I predict, will soon come to a shuddering halt if she does not refrain.

Going on in this manner is sheer punishment to a loyal readership which has seen Ms. Nelson Douglas through thick and thin.But such goings on cannot be permitted.There are a few good funny lines here and there, but nowhere near 20 dollars worth so itr's a case for the Better Business Bureau too as well as for the ASPCA.I also liked the Chicago interlude, though the means we took to get there were as far-fetched as the flying carpet that transports Sabu through the skies in the old Thief of Bagdad.

Give it up and go back to what you do best.Give us a story with heart, not just claws.

I agree with 'Enough already'
Except for two things - I gave up on Irene Adler when I read that Chapel Noir was volume one and Chapel Rouge volume two.I feared more Chapels.I do keep reading Midnight Louie's adventures but the later ones aren't as much fun as the early ones.If I'd have known I would have to read 27 books, I would never have picked up Blue Monday.

Enough is enough already!
I've read every Midnight Louis book to date, but I probably won't finish this one. For starters, it meanders in and out of the characters' brains, probing, ad nauseum, their unresolved doubts and fears. If you haven't read the other books in the series, I have no idea how you'll catch on to what is happening in this one. What's more, why would you care? None of these people are appealing, as they were in earlier books. The first few chapters are maudlin and the mystery is boring. I get the impression the author is treading water with the book's plot in order to keep the series' plot alive. At this point they both look half-drowned to me. Add to that the incessant similes and metaphors that are becoming extremely annoying and you have a book that is hard to pick up and easy to put down.I loved the Irene Adler series and I enjoyed the early Midnight Louis books, but Cat in a Leopard Spot is too irritating for words. ... Read more

Product Description
In the sequel to Cup of Clay, Alison Carver, holder of the fabled Cup of Clay, is forced to leave the safety of Minnesota and enter the enchanted land of Veil. Reprint. AB. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

can no one make them print the third book
I am not a fantasy reader and only by accident ended up with the Cup of Clay.I was so taken in by the story I bought Seed Upon the Wind as soon as it came out in '92.It had me equally spellbound.I need the last book I have been soooo patient.Can anyone please make the publishers contract Carole the finish the last book? I have the first 2 and plan to read them again as soon as I hear the last one will be coming out to refresh my memory since it has been sooooo long.Please before there is no chance of ever getting an ending.

I love this book!!
This book was as good as the first one.Usually only the first book is good and then the rest are repetitive.The characters are really well developed and they continue to change and mature throughout the book.I can't wait for the third book but it's 2003 and it's still not out.Will C.N. Douglas ever publish it?It was supposed to come out in 1999!I've read that now it's supposed to come out in January 2005, but I hope it comes out sooner, thats too far away!!!I want to read the third book now! =(

Where has book three gone?
2003 and still no book. I talked to the author a few summers ago and still no end, she had only finished the first chapter! Help! Read this trilogy; it's really good, but only if your prepaired to wait for book three!

Mystery Of The Third Book
I loved the Taliswoman books and have waited for the third book to answer all the quetions the second book asked. Where did the book go???

Help!
I guess I am not the only one who found the two books fascinating and read them both only to find that there was not a third!If anyone figures out where the elusive end to the trilogy can be found, I would love to know, or even how to contact the author...I found the book fun, energizing and delightful to read but I never saw the last.Did she really not ever finish?What a tragedy! Email me ... if anyone knows anything! -Bridget ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great heroine, and Midnight Louie, too
A little bit of advice: if a favorite author releases a series of limited-edition hardcovers in an "author's cut" version, do not simply buy the first and tell yourself you'll pick the rest up later. I ended up spending way too much on this, once I finally found it, though not quite as much as I spent on The Cat and the Jack of Spades.

Johnny Diamond is the headliner at the Crystal Phoenix hotel & casino in Las Vegas. Think Wayne Newton, but younger. He's been receiving threatening notes, so to protect him, the Fontana brothers (nine of them, brothers of Nicky, who owns the hotel) move him to a random suite (which turns out to be 713, the sealed, never-used suite of notorious mobster Jersey Joe Jackson that figured strongly in the previous book).

But Johnny's getting bored, and the Fontanas' ideas to keep him entertained with a string of ladies-of-the-night isn't working. So they hit upon the idea of getting gambler Jill O'Rourke to teach him poker. For security's sake, they don't tell her who Johnny is, and they keep her blindfolded until she's in the suite.

Jill lives out in the desert with her grandfather and his cronies, looks like a teenager, dresses like a boy, and despite the fact that she's been hanging around with the chorus girls since she was a child, she's not at all practiced in "the feminine arts."

Johnny thinks she's just another version of the prostitutes they've brought him, but at least she looks different, so he lets her stay, but just to talk. Jill doesn't understand his reluctance to play poker, but she needs the money they're paying her to help support her grandfather, so she doesn't ask questions.

You can pretty well tell where it's going from there, right? There's still the stalker to deal with, and their hidden identities and vastly different stations in life. And of course helping with all of this is Midnight Louie, the ladies' cat and detective.

I loved this precursor to the Midnight Louie series. It has the same feel, and some of the same characters--primarily, the denizens of the Crystal Phoenix. The romance between Jill and Johnny may be predictable, but everything fits just right, and it's very sweet.

I think what made it stand out for me is that Jill may be naive at some things, but she's not weak, and she's not stupid. And she doesn't end up turning into something she's not--that is, she doesn't get a makeover from the chorus girls and discover that her appearance is now her new vocation. Too many times in this sort of plot, the heroine's previous self who's unconcerned about appearance and relationship games is tossed away, with the unspoken assumption that a woman's value lies only in her appearance and her ability to manipulate men. Jill gets dressed up, but she goes back to her jeans and boots, and she remains too honest for her own good.

This story originally appeared, in abridged format, in Crystal Nights.

Purrr-fect
Long before Midnight Louie adopted Temple Barr, or as much as this womanizing cat can settle down with anyone, he made his home at the Crystal Phoenix. Nicky Fontana and his wife Van von Rhine own the classic Vegassmall hotel and casino and are making it a must go to place in Las Vegas.Inside the hotel is the Crystal Curtain Music Theatre where GentlemanJohnny Diamond sings the tunes that have made him the heartbreaker ofmillions of women.

Someone stalks Johnny, sending him lettersthreatening to kill the performer. Nicky beefs up security to the pointthat the crooner begins to go stir crazy and needs a taste of diversion.Professional gambler Jill O'Roarke is hired to teach Johnny how to playpoker. They fall in love, but each of them conceals secrets that could tearthem apart.

Superstar Midnight Louie's role in this delightful prequelfrom his seafood salad days is that of watcher. He studies the strangebehavior of humans as if he is a social anthropologist struggling tounderstand an alien race. His witty, ironic observations entertain theaudience as few charcaters can. Still, he also plays a pivotal role in thesuperbly designed romantic suspense. Louie proves why he is such a favoriteof readers, as Carole Nelson Douglas leaves her audience purring formore.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
Irissa, last of the Torloc sorceresses, had been betrayed by the Rainbow Gate that was supposed to lead her to the haven world of her vanished people. The hand of Kendric, companion and Swordsman of Rule, had been torn from her grasp. Then the gate had rejected her into this strange world where a cold moon hung forever unmoving in the sky. Now she was a prisoner of the Stonekeeper Sofistron. Around her encircled the pale walls of her cell filled with half-seen reflections of herself. She was helpless, all her power drained into those other-self images. And this time, there was no Kendric to save her. He was a swordless exile in the Rynth, stranded among the unkept women and the rim-runner outlaws from the magic Stonekeeps. Somewhere, she knew, there had to he another gate, a way out from this hostile world. Somewhere, somehow... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

From the Back of the Book:
Irissa, last of the Torloc sorceresses, had been betrayed by the rainbow gate that was supposed to lead her to the haven world of her vanished people. The hand of Kendric had been torn from her grasp. Then the gate had rejected her into this strange world where a cold moon hung forever unmoving in the sky.

Now she was a prisoner of the Stonekeeper Sofistron.Around her encircled the pale walls of her cell, filled with half-seen reflections of herself.She was helpless, all her power drained into those other-self images.And this time, there was no Kendric to save her.He was a swordless exile in the Rynth, stranded among the Unkept women and the rim-runner outlaws from the magic Stonekeeps.

Somewhere, she knew, there had to another gate, a way out from this hostile world.Somewhere, somehow....

A Passable Story
I had been reading fantasy novels for about 10 years or so before I read this book.I found the book quiet tedious to read on some occasions and quite easy and exciting during others.The book never really drew me in.I did feel some affinity with the main characters but they could also be quite frustrating at the same time.I would advise this book be approached as just an average book with some above average moments. All in all, not a bad read but it could have been so much better. ... Read more