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Kat Colorado #4
COPY KAT
Hired to investigate the death of a young woman in a Colorado resort town, Kat probes the life of the victim and finds clues that cast doubt on the parking lot robbery/murder theory.
261 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1990
4 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Karen Kijewski
28 books83 followersKaren J. Kijewski was born in Berkeley, California. Her father taught at the University of California, and she later attended the school, earning a BA and a Masters degree. Karen is a past president of the northern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. She has two daughters, and is currently living in Sacramento, California with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 14, 2018
PI Kat Colorado goes undercover as a bartender to find out who killed the bar owner's wife.
Pretty humdrum, with lots of 80's era Baby Boomer whining.
Pretty humdrum, with lots of 80's era Baby Boomer whining.
July 7, 2008
COPY KAT - G+
Kijewski, Karen - 4th in series
She's a hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved, and one special cop named Hank. Her name is Kat Colorado, and in her business curiosity can be more than an occupational hazard -- it can be murder.
It's hard to tell where the truth ends and the lies begin when Kat is hired to look into the death of a young woman in a historic California gold-country resort town. The police have closed the books on Deidre Durkin's murder; it was a tragic robbery-homicide. But could a clever murderer have created the illusion of a parking-lot theft gone bad? Was Deidre's loving husband as perfect as he seemed? The more Kat finds out about the victim, the less she's convinced that Deidre was the woman she appeared to be. But then Kat, in her undercover role as a bartender, isn't the person she pretends to be, either. And as Kat discovers, in this little town, even life and death are an illusion.
A bit weaker than some of the others, but still good.
Kijewski, Karen - 4th in series
She's a hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved, and one special cop named Hank. Her name is Kat Colorado, and in her business curiosity can be more than an occupational hazard -- it can be murder.
It's hard to tell where the truth ends and the lies begin when Kat is hired to look into the death of a young woman in a historic California gold-country resort town. The police have closed the books on Deidre Durkin's murder; it was a tragic robbery-homicide. But could a clever murderer have created the illusion of a parking-lot theft gone bad? Was Deidre's loving husband as perfect as he seemed? The more Kat finds out about the victim, the less she's convinced that Deidre was the woman she appeared to be. But then Kat, in her undercover role as a bartender, isn't the person she pretends to be, either. And as Kat discovers, in this little town, even life and death are an illusion.
A bit weaker than some of the others, but still good.
January 4, 2016
Not bad. Not my favorite. Found the ending to be unexciting.
February 10, 2021
Another amusing entry in the Kat Colorado series. Kat is a PI based in Sacramento who this time goes undercover as a bartender in Nevada City, on CA 49, the Gold Rush Trail. She is tasked with finding out what really happened in the killing of a young woman, also a bartender, at a night spot in Nevada City. There is no shortage of suspects, and it all seems to hinge on the strange, even bizarre behavior of the victim before her murder. Although the ID of the murderer was apparent fairly early in the book, the uncovering of all the animosities swirling around the case kept up to the end. Not the greatest mystery, but Kat is an interesting enough character to keep the reader's interest to the end.
May 3, 2019
I enjoy a good mystery/crime novel. This was the first Kat Colorado mystery I have read and it didn't disappoint. There were no shortage of suspects and plenty of clues provided along the way as to the culprit/s.
September 10, 2019
It is a great read but this book is a series which I never read any other books from. If you like mysteries and /or Cozy Mysteries you will enjoy this book as long as you start the series from the beginning.
November 25, 2020
It's rare that a book kept me turning the pages, with actual excitement at the solution. The plot kept me intrigued and it made sense at the end. Not a simple path to the conclusion. I also enjoyed the author's insertion of humor in what could have been a very dark book. An enjoyable read!
November 22, 2023
Kat goes undercover as a bartender (a job she knows) to find out the truth of a young woman's death. She soon finds that there is more to the young woman's life and her family that meets the eye. Kat needs to see below all the layers to find the truth.
July 7, 2014
Everything is messed up inside Kat Colorado's mind. She is having nightmares every night of blood and death chases and red smears of color. She no longer is sure of anything now that she has shot a man (previous book). Hank, her boyfriend, is concerned, and he has recommended she get serious professional help, but she can't see herself in talk therapy. Instead, an interesting case has come up - one which will allow her to stop being Kat. It involves becoming a different person with a new name and working undercover. She won't have the burden of being Kat for awhile.
Her new self will be Kate Collins, bartender. At least, she will be if everything goes right. Somehow she will have to arrange getting hired under her alias by her target.
Tobias McAlister, an old man in a wheelchair, needs to know who killed his godchild, Dierde Durkin, who now will be age 29 forever. Someone shot Dierde as she left her bartending job at 2:30 am, walking across a parking lot with $1,200 in cash from the day's receipts. She was married to Matt, co-owner of the restaurant and bar 'The Pioneer' in Nevada City, mother of three-year-old Toby, and she was as beautiful as a goddess. Kat once was a bartender for 8 years before she became a private detective, so pretending to be a bartender will be easy. But will Matt hire her? Only Tobias will know who she really is. Crossing her fingers, she drives up to Nevada City from Sacramento. Establishing a new identity, finding a place to live, becoming friends with Dierde's family and friends - it all hinges on being hired.
Matt Durkin turns out to be in a somewhat harassed state and grieving, but perhaps not as much as he should be. Worse, half of the town thinks he killed his wife, and he's short a bartender. He has a little boy who misses his mom, a sister-in-law, Chivogny, who is both hostile and wants him at the same time (she dated him before her sister Dierde) and a brother-in-law, Stu, who may have had an affair with Dierde. Obviously capable and tough, Kat is desperately needed by the beleaguered man, who hires her within minutes after she sits down at the bar. Charlene, a friendly waitress, offers Kate a room to stay, and she quickly fits in, as she has always been a small-town girl. She loves Nevada City with its beautiful scenery. The people of the small town - not so much. Kat soon remembers why she stopped being a bartender serving messy drunks. However, Toby is a darling, which she learns after filling in one afternoon as a baby sitter.
Kat methodically insinuates herself into town doings, meeting the people Dierde knew, turning over every stone. She suspects everyone, but the investigation seems to be pointing at someone from the family. However, when someone tries to kill Toby, the sweet little boy, Kat finds herself much more personally involved than professionally called for. As she uncovers the hidden nightmares of family undercurrents, her own nightmares begin to recede.
I really like this series. It doesn't have the aura of essential mystery reading by most of the public, though, because I suspect it calls to mind the Sue Grafton 'Kinsey Millhone' series, and it's not quite as good, focused, or dark. This is unfortunate. It has its own charms and I've found each book so far to be interesting and fun (if reading jokey chic-lit dialogue while having murderous adventures with killers rings your bells). They are competently written, but perhaps it needed the recurring characters to be given longer time on stage (or sketched in more thoroughly).
However, with all of that said, I still like the series and find it a pleasant enough summer read for the beach. I have no difficulty recommending it.
Her new self will be Kate Collins, bartender. At least, she will be if everything goes right. Somehow she will have to arrange getting hired under her alias by her target.
Tobias McAlister, an old man in a wheelchair, needs to know who killed his godchild, Dierde Durkin, who now will be age 29 forever. Someone shot Dierde as she left her bartending job at 2:30 am, walking across a parking lot with $1,200 in cash from the day's receipts. She was married to Matt, co-owner of the restaurant and bar 'The Pioneer' in Nevada City, mother of three-year-old Toby, and she was as beautiful as a goddess. Kat once was a bartender for 8 years before she became a private detective, so pretending to be a bartender will be easy. But will Matt hire her? Only Tobias will know who she really is. Crossing her fingers, she drives up to Nevada City from Sacramento. Establishing a new identity, finding a place to live, becoming friends with Dierde's family and friends - it all hinges on being hired.
Matt Durkin turns out to be in a somewhat harassed state and grieving, but perhaps not as much as he should be. Worse, half of the town thinks he killed his wife, and he's short a bartender. He has a little boy who misses his mom, a sister-in-law, Chivogny, who is both hostile and wants him at the same time (she dated him before her sister Dierde) and a brother-in-law, Stu, who may have had an affair with Dierde. Obviously capable and tough, Kat is desperately needed by the beleaguered man, who hires her within minutes after she sits down at the bar. Charlene, a friendly waitress, offers Kate a room to stay, and she quickly fits in, as she has always been a small-town girl. She loves Nevada City with its beautiful scenery. The people of the small town - not so much. Kat soon remembers why she stopped being a bartender serving messy drunks. However, Toby is a darling, which she learns after filling in one afternoon as a baby sitter.
Kat methodically insinuates herself into town doings, meeting the people Dierde knew, turning over every stone. She suspects everyone, but the investigation seems to be pointing at someone from the family. However, when someone tries to kill Toby, the sweet little boy, Kat finds herself much more personally involved than professionally called for. As she uncovers the hidden nightmares of family undercurrents, her own nightmares begin to recede.
I really like this series. It doesn't have the aura of essential mystery reading by most of the public, though, because I suspect it calls to mind the Sue Grafton 'Kinsey Millhone' series, and it's not quite as good, focused, or dark. This is unfortunate. It has its own charms and I've found each book so far to be interesting and fun (if reading jokey chic-lit dialogue while having murderous adventures with killers rings your bells). They are competently written, but perhaps it needed the recurring characters to be given longer time on stage (or sketched in more thoroughly).
However, with all of that said, I still like the series and find it a pleasant enough summer read for the beach. I have no difficulty recommending it.
July 23, 2017
A Strange Book
January 20, 2018
Moderate-to-severe sex and innuendo (though most of it was in Deidre's writings) and some swearing. Once I got past that, I really enjoyed the book. I would read more.
June 28, 2018
Another fun read by Karen. There were lots of suspects in this book but not enough to get confused. I am really enjoying this series!
February 18, 2021
The story was tough to get into for the first fifty pages, not really engaging. Lacked character development for the most part. The story was good. A cast of good suspects and motives.
June 15, 2022
A nice cozy read. There was some action and the characters work. I found the ending to be rushed and manufactured to give all the answers in the last 4 chapters. It all tied together.
May 23, 2007
This is such a cheesey book, but I enjoyed it and finished it with a smile.
The main character's name is Kat Colorado and she is a PI...
yes that is how corny the rest of the book is.
I guess there is a series w/ this character and in this particular one she is going under cover as Kate the bartender in a bar where the previous owner/bartender was murdered.
There are some cute moments where she learns to say the hell with it and not be stuck in such a rutt as she is "Kate".
If you are looking for a quick read that you don't have to think about and ends with a smile- this is the book for you.
The main character's name is Kat Colorado and she is a PI...
yes that is how corny the rest of the book is.
I guess there is a series w/ this character and in this particular one she is going under cover as Kate the bartender in a bar where the previous owner/bartender was murdered.
There are some cute moments where she learns to say the hell with it and not be stuck in such a rutt as she is "Kate".
If you are looking for a quick read that you don't have to think about and ends with a smile- this is the book for you.
April 29, 2008
My second read of a Kat Colorado, and I still really like the narrator (Kat) and the narrative voice. I have one more novel from the series, but I think I may reserve that pleasure for a little while.
There was an early menace that turned out to be a red herring, which made me wonder if she changed her mind about how to use the character but didn't want to eliminate it entirely. That was the only vaguely unsatisfactory note, and that's only in retrospect; at the time of reading, it didn't bother me at all.
There was an early menace that turned out to be a red herring, which made me wonder if she changed her mind about how to use the character but didn't want to eliminate it entirely. That was the only vaguely unsatisfactory note, and that's only in retrospect; at the time of reading, it didn't bother me at all.
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October 11, 2015I think this may have been set in the 80's. When they mentioned neon clothes it threw me back in time, and I noticed no one had cell phones, but one person did have a car phone :-) Other than the time warp, it was a good mystery with a smart ass female detective. I liked it. I do however, recommend reading the prior book in this series first. There are several references to a shooting that happened in the past and I had no clue what they were talking about,but I'm interested enough to get the book and find out what happened.
February 21, 2012
I like this series, but was a bit disappointed in the ending. One of the perpetrators was brought to justice, however another one confessed to Kat Colorado that he tried to kill a child, tried to kill her, and tried to kill a stranger to draw attention from another perpetrator. What does Kat do? She tells him to get out and walk out the door. End of story. What's up with that? Does he get he get his just desserts in a subsequent novel? One can only hope.
August 19, 2011
Every once in a while, I am in the mood for detective fiction, and this one was looking at me in the second-hand bookstore, so I picked it up and started reading it during lunch breaks.
Until it got so fascinating that I finished it in one reading session. I have now ordered the other books in this series (this is the fourth Kat Colorado mystery). Looking forward to reading them in sequence!
Until it got so fascinating that I finished it in one reading session. I have now ordered the other books in this series (this is the fourth Kat Colorado mystery). Looking forward to reading them in sequence!
September 6, 2017
I lived in Sacramento California at the time I read the series. I simply loved this series. "Kat" is a spitfire PI and the series is enjoyable and it is fun to recognize landmarks. Read the entire series because the author has disappeared from the market. She did this series and suddenly stopped.
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April 6, 2014The principle character in this series is Kat Colorado, a private detective in Sacramento, California.
Kat Colorado is a wise-cracking, thirty-something California bartender-turned-P.I., a curious cat with nine lives.
Kat Colorado is a wise-cracking, thirty-something California bartender-turned-P.I., a curious cat with nine lives.
October 14, 2015
#4 in the Kat Colorado series.
Sacramento PI Kat Colorado - goes undercover as a bartender in Grass Valley to discover who robbed and murdered the prior bartender, who was the wife of the owner and prime suspect.
Sacramento PI Kat Colorado - goes undercover as a bartender in Grass Valley to discover who robbed and murdered the prior bartender, who was the wife of the owner and prime suspect.
November 24, 2008
Another one in the series - love these!
August 24, 2009
Very Good; Continuing character: Kat Colorado; investigator goes under cover as a bartender to determine who murdered the prior bartender/owner and continues to threaten her family.
July 17, 2012
Quite enjoy this series but the books are very hard to come by now.
October 17, 2012
Read the first 70 pages and was not engaged by the main character Kat at all. Definitely a miss for me.
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August 25, 2013Read 12/96
January 30, 2014
Another good read in this series. There were a couple of spots that I thought didn't make sense and I think it was a little predictable, but I still enjoyed it.
October 29, 2015
The first book that I've read in the Kat Colorado series. It was a long time ago; all I wrote was that it was a good story. I liked it well enough to read another, I believe.
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October 15, 2008M Kij
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews