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Midnight Louie #21
Cat in a Topaz Tango
Temple Barr and Matt Devine make a cozy engaged couple, and the feisty redhead is all for her handsome radio host fiance staring in a week-long televised Las Vegas charity event, "Dancing with the Celebs." But while ex-priest Matt struggles to master the sexy moves of the tango, a killer stalks the dance floor. Not only is Matt in danger, but so is the lovely tween Mariah, daughter of homicide cop C. R. Molina, who is dancing in the Junior Division of the show.
And so Temple gets dragooned into resurrecting her kicky teen persona, Zoe Chloe Ozone, now an Internet hottie, to ensure Matt and Mariah don't foxtrot into a fatal misstep.
Where is Louie in all this? Well, he's out and about, proving that he's still the cat's meow. But he's got his paws full as he tries to keep all the various players in his little troupe from dancing right into death's arms....in Cat in a Topaz Tango, the twenty-first installment in Carole Nelson Douglas's beloved Midnight Louie Mysteries.
And so Temple gets dragooned into resurrecting her kicky teen persona, Zoe Chloe Ozone, now an Internet hottie, to ensure Matt and Mariah don't foxtrot into a fatal misstep.
Where is Louie in all this? Well, he's out and about, proving that he's still the cat's meow. But he's got his paws full as he tries to keep all the various players in his little troupe from dancing right into death's arms....in Cat in a Topaz Tango, the twenty-first installment in Carole Nelson Douglas's beloved Midnight Louie Mysteries.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 4, 2009
About the author
Carole Nelson Douglas
156 books572 followersCarole 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 30 reviews
October 31, 2017
Once again Midnight Louie helps to solve crimes and protect not only his roomie, Temple Barr, but homicide Lt. C. R. Molina's lovely young daughter, Mariah. There is a dance contest, Dancing with the Celebs, with a junior and senior division. Mariah friend is entered in the junior division, and Mariah is determined to help her win so she can stay in the U. S. Matt, Temple's ex-priest fiancee, is entered in the senior division.
There is still Max, who has disappeared, to think about, and somebody is sure to end up dead. Who will it be, and who is the murderer?
And why did Mariah disappear without telling her mother, prompting an all-out clandestine "girl hunt" with even Dirty Larry, an undercover detective taking part.
And what about Rafi Nader, Mariah's (unbeknownst to him) father, whom C. R. Molina has pegged as a bad guy. Earlier on he saved Temple's life. Will he help with their rescue, os is he part of the problem?
There is still Max, who has disappeared, to think about, and somebody is sure to end up dead. Who will it be, and who is the murderer?
And why did Mariah disappear without telling her mother, prompting an all-out clandestine "girl hunt" with even Dirty Larry, an undercover detective taking part.
And what about Rafi Nader, Mariah's (unbeknownst to him) father, whom C. R. Molina has pegged as a bad guy. Earlier on he saved Temple's life. Will he help with their rescue, os is he part of the problem?
January 14, 2025
Cat in a Topaz Tango
In this cozy mystery Temple encourages Matt to enter a celebrity dance competition for charity. Mariah goes missing causing her recovering police lieutenant mother to call in the troops and Max is still trying to figure out who he really is. This series is not only a cozy read but also a fun mystery series. I'm looking forward to the next book.
In this cozy mystery Temple encourages Matt to enter a celebrity dance competition for charity. Mariah goes missing causing her recovering police lieutenant mother to call in the troops and Max is still trying to figure out who he really is. This series is not only a cozy read but also a fun mystery series. I'm looking forward to the next book.
January 11, 2018
Midnight Louie is a special kind of detective - the feline kind. I enjoy these books, with the alternating viewpoints of Louie, Temple and the rest. These are well written stories, with a lot of depth and are both fun and engaging to read.
April 10, 2019
I’m sorry that I didn’t finish the book. I didn’t know at first that it’s sequel. But I expected to pick up easily. However after one third of the book I gave up with so many characters that had me confused. It seemed to be a fun read, but I had lost the interest to finish it.
February 27, 2020
This series has taken a twist and I cannot wait for the next installment!
September 11, 2020
For what happened, the book seemed like a long read. The perspective of Louis the cat in his own paragraphs was different and entertaining.
February 15, 2022
I liked it
May 23, 2024
Always a good story.
November 11, 2025
I read another one of these several years back and didn't much care for it - but I really liked this one.
Midnight Louie is a PI cat who looks after his human, Temple Barr, whether she realizes it or not and keeps her safe when she snoops around about stuff. Temple has a new beau, Matt Devine, a late-night radio advice host. Temple persuades him to be in a dance show for charity. He is struggling with the tango and other dances - being an ex-priest some of the moves really bother him.
Mariah, the daughter of Lt Carmen Molina, is managing a friend in the junior division of the same competition. The competition being held at the hotel where Mariah's unknown-to-her father is head of security. Because of the death threats and accidents happening at the show, Molina insists Temple resume her kicky teen persona, Zoe Chloe Ozone, to be the announcer for the junior competition.
Max Kinsella, meanwhile has disappeared from Temple's life. She assumes he's dead, but doesn't know for sure. Max is having his own problems trying to figure out why he's in a hospital in Switzerland and who he is....
Louie has his paws full trying to track down the danger and keep all his crew safe.
Midnight Louie is a PI cat who looks after his human, Temple Barr, whether she realizes it or not and keeps her safe when she snoops around about stuff. Temple has a new beau, Matt Devine, a late-night radio advice host. Temple persuades him to be in a dance show for charity. He is struggling with the tango and other dances - being an ex-priest some of the moves really bother him.
Mariah, the daughter of Lt Carmen Molina, is managing a friend in the junior division of the same competition. The competition being held at the hotel where Mariah's unknown-to-her father is head of security. Because of the death threats and accidents happening at the show, Molina insists Temple resume her kicky teen persona, Zoe Chloe Ozone, to be the announcer for the junior competition.
Max Kinsella, meanwhile has disappeared from Temple's life. She assumes he's dead, but doesn't know for sure. Max is having his own problems trying to figure out why he's in a hospital in Switzerland and who he is....
Louie has his paws full trying to track down the danger and keep all his crew safe.
December 23, 2014
This my second Midnight Louie book. This tomcat grows on you.
The book is slow to start. This is a series following the same characters so the beginning chapters have a lot of back story in them.
Once the story itself gets going, the book is a fun read. It has lots of play between various characters. The characters are diverse so their viewpoints and motivations bring up many ideas. Two are Molina, in the Las Vegas police force, a dedicated detective and single mother and Rafir, once Molina's husband who discovers he has a teenage daughter who doesn't know who he is. The daughter is caught up in the tween celebrity world, a scary place.
Unlike many cozy murder mysteries, there is no murder in the beginning of the book. Instead it revolves around the so-called accidents happening in the Dancing With the Celebs show. Each accident is appropriate to the person targeted. Each accident is more serious than the one before it. And the perpetrator is not obvious.
Midnight Louie stalks his way through the middle of the mystery. His help is crucial to the conclusion. Even his Topaz Tango is interesting and not at all expected.
The book is an enjoyable read for a few relaxing evenings.
The book is slow to start. This is a series following the same characters so the beginning chapters have a lot of back story in them.
Once the story itself gets going, the book is a fun read. It has lots of play between various characters. The characters are diverse so their viewpoints and motivations bring up many ideas. Two are Molina, in the Las Vegas police force, a dedicated detective and single mother and Rafir, once Molina's husband who discovers he has a teenage daughter who doesn't know who he is. The daughter is caught up in the tween celebrity world, a scary place.
Unlike many cozy murder mysteries, there is no murder in the beginning of the book. Instead it revolves around the so-called accidents happening in the Dancing With the Celebs show. Each accident is appropriate to the person targeted. Each accident is more serious than the one before it. And the perpetrator is not obvious.
Midnight Louie stalks his way through the middle of the mystery. His help is crucial to the conclusion. Even his Topaz Tango is interesting and not at all expected.
The book is an enjoyable read for a few relaxing evenings.
October 27, 2009
What a hoot Midnight Louis is. Don't start with this one. It's the most recent in an alphabetical series that starts with Catnap, Pussyfoot, and then begins the alphabet with Blue Monday. Louis is a savvy, Damon Runyon quipping PI who operates in the background to help his roomie, Miss Temple, Barr get out of the various pickles she succeeds in getting herself into. By all means, start with Catnap. These are light reads but delightful when you don't want to slog through depressing stuff.
Currently Reading
April 15, 2010So far this is the first book by this author. Its a laugh out loud kind of book. "Zoe Chloe" is a riot, and I'm loving "Midnight Louie"!
I've ordered DANCING WITH WEREWOLVES and VAMPIRE SUNRISE by Carole Nelson Douglas from the NY Library, but cannot find a copy of the second installment BRIMSTONE KISS. Would anybody out there want to loan me their copy!?! Never hurts to ask.
I've ordered DANCING WITH WEREWOLVES and VAMPIRE SUNRISE by Carole Nelson Douglas from the NY Library, but cannot find a copy of the second installment BRIMSTONE KISS. Would anybody out there want to loan me their copy!?! Never hurts to ask.
May 3, 2011
This was a pretty good entry in the series but I'm beginning to think that the series is dragging on too long, things/characters are just getting too scattered. I do like that the story is current even though not that much time has passed in the characters' lives from when the series started.
March 17, 2012
Better than some- I enjoyed the descriptions of the dances. Did think they danced too well for the amount of practice and the fact that it was 2 amateur beginners dancing with each other. Dancing with the stars has a pro in each pair.
July 17, 2013
Cat lover's will enjoy this charming tale told from the perspective of Midnight Louie, the undercover cat who helps his owner solve crimes. References are made to previous adventures which create a curiosity for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2016
Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. As much as I wanted to see more of Midnighyt Louie, I despised the conversations of Temple and didn't like the style. Others may like this series but not for me. No thanks.
Read
September 26, 2009I like this whole series about the cat Midnight Louie who lives in Las Vegas. I think the books need to be read in order to follow the complicating turns in the lives of the various characters.
January 4, 2010
Midnight Louis and Temple Barr once again make a great mystery solving duo.
October 10, 2010
Something like number 14 in this series. Enjoyable very light read, this one set at a reality show type latin dance contest.
Read
May 16, 2011Midnight Louie
June 22, 2011
I always enjoy the Midnight Louie books! I love Carole's writing - in this and her pararnormal series too!
Read
July 23, 2011This series is becoming quite insular. Are there really no other people in Vegas who can solve a mystery? And can anyone actually be dead who is supposed to be?
February 26, 2014
Note 2
Another good book in the series. Never get tired of hearing about Temple's and Midnight Louie's adventures :)
Another good book in the series. Never get tired of hearing about Temple's and Midnight Louie's adventures :)
March 24, 2013
Loved this new addition to the series. ahhh Zoe Chloe is such a wild child... Matt had better look out.
The tension between Molina & Nadir whoo..
Can't wait to read the next one.
The tension between Molina & Nadir whoo..
Can't wait to read the next one.
October 31, 2012
A fast read. I love Midnight Louie and all the people in his life. Missed Midnight Louise. Perhaps she will be in the next Midnight Louie book I read.
November 18, 2012
I just loved how Louie was in the thick of things as Temple's totable tom cat and I am so happy that mystifying Max is so out of the picture...
January 2, 2016
Not the best of the series but still good
September 3, 2014
Couldn't get into the book and gave up.
August 29, 2009
Dancing has never been more dangerous and fun!
September 14, 2018
I love cats. I live murder mysteries. I asked this would be a slam dunk for me and I was terribly wrong.
I almost never abandon reading a book. However, I could not get through this.
The charcters are one dimensional, agree the plot is paper thin. It starts because a teenager girl goes missing and her might didn't want to get the police involved because she if "the iron maiden", aka an important police person. How cutoff she of all people not know that in those circumstances you should call the police?
Plus the random chapters told from the point of view of a cat? Give me a break.
I'm sure people love these novels, it is the 21st or something in the series, but I can't see why.
I almost never abandon reading a book. However, I could not get through this.
The charcters are one dimensional, agree the plot is paper thin. It starts because a teenager girl goes missing and her might didn't want to get the police involved because she if "the iron maiden", aka an important police person. How cutoff she of all people not know that in those circumstances you should call the police?
Plus the random chapters told from the point of view of a cat? Give me a break.
I'm sure people love these novels, it is the 21st or something in the series, but I can't see why.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews