Customer Reviews (12)

the worst book I have read
This book made me want to write. I can do better than that I thought. It fails on every level. In fact it is so bad that if you see it in a 2nd hand shop going cheap ... buy it so that you can marvel at it and speculate on the relationship between author and publisher. Surely there has to be a reason?

Unbearable
Ambitious beyond its reach, this book fails mainly in two areas.First, the plot is so threadbare as to be nonexistent; I'm used to writers not spelling things out, instead leaving it for the reader to pick up piecemeal, but by 200 pages in one still doesn't quite know what the problem is, or worse, what the two main characters are doing about it other than stumbling around. Secondly, Douglas' prose leaves a lot to be desired.Consider the following sentence:"He glanced at Irissa's withdrawn profile, her closed lashes lying like a massed army of dark barbs across the peaceful valley of her eye sockets."

And there's more besides, at least half of which sounds like it could win a Bulwer-Lytton contest.In fact, the entire last three or four chapters of the book are so laden with bad prose and utterably dull situations (which are meant to be 'riveting') that the best descriptor of the book I can imagine is "tedious."

Avoid this book at all costs.

Favourite series
I was amazed to read the previous reviews for this book. I am an avid reader of fantasy novels, this book and the series is easily my favourite. It is not an easy read, and you do have to concentrate, but that is part of the attraction.I love the way she writes.It is very formal and I think is fitting with the imagined time-frame.My favourite line is "Now the only riddle I wish to unravel is the intricacies of your silken belt -". It is a beautifully written book, and I highly recommend it.

Creative
Personally, I got this book from my older sister, and I loved it.I thought the metaphors and imagery were very original, and the way everything was organized was interesting, if uncomplicated.Overall, I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and a love of new and different things, even if this is an old book.If anyone knows what the rest of the series is, please write and tell me, I want to know what happens.Please send to NightAngel@starspath.com.

Lovely
I enjoyed this book a great deal, it was well written, imaginative, & challenging. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Douglas's Funny One!
It is a good Mystery as Douglas's other mysteries.
Please try it without prejudice!

THE CAT AND THE JACK OF SPADES
JUST WAS BROWSING FOR NEW MIDNIGHT LOUIE BOOKS WHEN I SAW THESE. MY MAIN COMMENT IS ABOUT THE REVIEW WRITTEN BY THE MAN WHO SAYS THIS IS NOT A LARGE PRINT BOOK. WHILE THIS IS NICE TO KNOW NOT ONE WORD ON WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT.

This is NOT a Large print edition
This is NOT repeat NOT a large print edition.My wife finally got tired of waiting for the regular one and had me order this one (she doesn't use a computer much).It is set in 11 pt Plantin font, which is probably what the others are, but it's regular print.I wanted you to know in case you were waiting for the regular print edition.As far as the book itself is concerned, my wife says not enough Louie, too much talking.People aren't as developed as in the other books.She does wish the authoress would tell in the current series what happened to some of the people introduced in these prequels but not in the current series.She feels the invention of him being a missing English Lord was a bit much. ... Read more

Product Description
Our furry feline friend has dipped his paws into the muddy waters of murder once again--only this time, nothing is as it seems.

Temple Barr, a redheaded public relations expert and Louie's human partner, won't be trick-or-treating this Halloween Eve: Her landlady, the eccentric Electra, is dragging her to a seance intended to resurrect the spirit of Harry Houdini. Midnight Louie scoffs, but when the seance ends abruptly with the murder of a famous psychic, his well-trained nose smells something fishy, and it's not his dinner.

When Temple discovers that the dead man was a debunker of false psychic phenomena, making any other supposed psychic in the room a prime suspect, she knows there's more to this case than meets the eye.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Like a math problem with extra numbers...
This book took me forever to read. Initially, I liked the Halloween setting. However, there were just too many extra characters to keep track of which means way too many details to keep straight. Didnt seem like there was as much from Louie in this book either. Only thing that got me through to the end, other than the fact that i did enjoy what parts i could make sense of, was I would never forgive myself (nor would my cat, let alone Big Louie himself) for skipping ~gasp~ a book in a series. I'm too much of a book lover to do that.

Seances, ghosts and murder, oh my!
Cat With an Emerald Eye sees that irresistable inter-species team of Temple Barr and Midnight Louie, PI up to their respective heels and paws in the occult when a psychic is murdered at a seance held to contact the ghostof Harry Houdini.When it turns out that the victim was really a magicianattempting to expose phony psychics, this dynamic pair is off searching forthe killer. Temple must turn to one of her beaux, the Mystifying MaxKinsella, a friend of the victim while juggling her feelings for MattDevine, the handsome ex-priest and martial arts practitioner.Louie, onthe other hand, must reluctantly rely on Karma, the mystical Birman wholives with Temle's landlady, Electra Lark.While Temple and Max search forthe killer in the victim's own files, Matt sees a ghost from his past-theonce and future Cliff Effinger.Meanwhile, Louie's life iscomplicated,not only by murder but by his relationship with his daughter, MidnightLouise, his own father, Three O'Clock Louie and the revelation that his nowhas his own neamisis, a dude who threatens his very future.Once again,the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride in this, the sixth book in theMidnight Louie series and left wanting more, more mysteries and more of thecharacters Douglas so skillfully creates.

The mystery is actually stronger than the Midnight Louie
An offbeat entry to the series - the various mysteries are more engrossingthan the feline hero for once. The reader gets to hear Max's side of thestory (one of 2 men PR-person and sometime-sleuth Temple Barr is attractedto) while getting caught up in a mystery involving a haunted house and aseance. There's also a fascinating sidebar with Temple's other fellow,Matt, and his glimpse of an-all-too-real ghost from his past. The overallatmosphere of the book is rather haunting and melancholy, marred only byLouie's slightly ridiculous take on things. I'm fond of the feline, butkitty seanaces? A little too over the top for me....

San Francisco Chronicle Book Review, 12/15/96
Midnight Louie is known as a big, bad, streetwise kind of guy, but in his latst antic adventure, the beguiling cat-about-town shows his sensitive side. In "Cat with an Emerald Eye" both feline super sleuth Louie and his human companion, Las Vegas public relations woman Temple Barr, find themselves communing with the occult, and Louie, needless to say, proves to be the more adept. "I am beginning to think that I am as superior at seeing what is not there as I used to be at seeing what was there," the super sleuth meows. There is indeed a murder involved...but you get the feeling that the murder is almost incidental in Carole Nelson Douglas' mysteries. The real mystery is which of her two beaux will win Temple-Mystifying Max the magician, who is "like a volcano, unpredictable and exciting," or the ex-priest, Matt Devine,"who made her feel so utterly secure it was...divine. Max was caffeine, Matt was...chamomile tea. Max was edgy nerves, Matt was nirvana." The two men are linked not only by their love for Temple but also by two dead bodies, a connection that is played out slowly, book by book. In this one, Matt believes he glimpses one erst-while corpse, his wicked stepfather, making his way through Las Vegas. But the advantage, nevertheless, belongs to Max, for whom the dead magician/medium was a mentor. Though Max "needed to keep secrets about himself the way some other peole bled personal data like information-age hemophiliacs," he does, at last, give Temple some insight into his teenage summer in Ireland, when all his troubles started and he got into hot water with the IRA and involved with Interpol. But the motely crew of psychic suspects, Temple's tempestuous love life (not to mention her world-class shoe collection) and Max and Matt's past and present problems are just part of the fun. It's hard not to be charmed by Temple's eccentric landlady and her astral-projecting cat Karma ("the little piece of pussycat pixiedom" Louie calls Klinkerball). Louie's semi-retired father, Three O'Clock Louie, also makes an appearance, as do shades of Elvis, Amelia Earhart, Orson Wells and the late, great Harry Houdini. You never know what madness and mayhem you'll find in Douglas' mysteries, but you can be sure it will be wild, witty and utterly irresistible.--reviewed by Alix Madrigal

I love Midnight Louie, but...
I have read all of Ms Douglas' Midnight Louie books to date and thoroughly enjoy them.There are two different points of view in the chapters of her books.Some are from the point of view of our heroine Miss Temple Barr, a Vegas PR agent, and some are written from the point of view of her very streetwise cat Midnight Louie.I really enjoy reading his chapters and their uniquely slanted opinions of all things cat and human. Somehow Miss Barr and Louie always find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery.And of course, Emerald Eye is no exception.As much as I love this series, however, I must rank this particular volume a bit low as the whole concept seemed a bit bizarre to me.Seances in general don't do much for me, and a seance held with the idea of raising the spirit of Harry Houdini - too much.All the spiritual and new age frou-frou were things I could happily do without.Also there is a back-of-the-story tale going on with Temple and her two loves Matt and Max which I am enjoying following.This volume made little progress with that story line and I missed it.If this is your first Midnight Louie book, don't judge the whole series on the basis of this one.Check out some of the earlier volumes, or better yet, start with the first and read them all ... Read more

Product Description
Midnight Louie, toughcat and sleuth extraordinaire, does his best to help his human partner, Temple Barr, figure out who is sabotaging the annual Las Vegas cat show and stop a fiendish killer endangering both cats and humans. Reprint. K. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Louie does it again
At the Las Vegas cat show, a major contender - a once beautiful Birman - is shaved before she gets a chance to compete. At the Circle Ritz, home to Midnight Louie, a big, black, tough-talking feline supersleuth and his roommate, petite PR pro Temple Barr, another Birman, landlady Electra Lark's psychic Karma, warns Louie that he must find a place where lots of cats are gathered because they are all in danger. Louie does his research by absorbing the newspaper classifieds (it's a sort of learning by osmosis, as he explains it.) And so Louie sets out for the cat show.

Meanwhile, in the Las Vegas parish of Our Lady Of Guadalupe the convent cat, Peter, is found nailed to the shed door of a neighbor, spinster Blandina Tyler, in a mock crucifixion. Miss Tyler just happens to keep many, many stray cats. Blandina is aunt to Peggy Wilhelm of the shaved Birman who is now stuck on guard duty at the cat show. Temple - in a fit of good samaritanism - volunteered to help feed them Blandina's cats to help Peggy out. Lucky for Peter, whom she finds and rushes to the vet, where he makes a good recovery. Soon she and neighbor Matt Devine are also in on the action.

Meanwhile, Louie goes undercover at the cat show - after all, it is a place where many cats are gathered and at least one has been threatened. In the process he manages to win Best of Show in the housecat category - even though he didn't enter. That's our boy - one superior dude! But it doesn't go to his head. Louie has a job to do!

Is the hot spot the show? Or the parish, where Temple's divine neighbor, Matt Devine's former grade school teacher has called him to assist with still another problem - the pastor has taken to tippling. Poor, nearly deaf Sister Mary Monica is getting obscene phone calls, although she doesn't realize it. ("He must love philosophy. He's always talking about Kant," she says.) And there are mysterious things that go bump in the night all around the convent area.

And then Miss Tyler is murdered - and we have another clutch of cats in danger - along with a baffling selection of wills, all leaving Miss Tyler's money to different people and/or cats. Suddenly suspects appear to be everywhere.

Meanwhile, back at the Circle Ritz, Temple has adopted a new roommate - a small black Humane Society cat called Caviar. Her real name, she tells her new feline roommate (whose name she does not yet know) is Midnight Louise. Louise has a plan of her own - revenge on her dear old Dad, who heartlessly deserted dear sweet Mom and the kits. Louie is not particularly pleased.

Can Louie hide his identity from Louise? Is she really Louie's daughter? (We suspect so when she manages to leave a couple clues of her own about where the action is - revealing that she has Louie's detection genes if not his massive size.) Will they be able to co-exist in Temple's apartment? Will we ever discover why Father Hernandez is tippling tequila, or who has it in for the show cats - or the convent area cats? Or who keeps calling Sister Mary Monica and talking about female dog breeding?

Somehow, Louie, Temple and Matt manage to keep all the many strands of mystery from getting too, too tangled, but not before Temple has to break out her newly learned martial arts skills to foil an arson and would-be killer, or before Louie escapes after being chloroformed in a sack - the next candidate for crucifixion.

Rest assured - Louie is tough - and smart - and is only a bit chagrined that his latest media appearance is made while he looks helpless and totally dissheveled with an oxygen mask over his puss. After all - he did lead all the right people to the right places so that the dastardly deeds are finally halted and order and safety are restored to both the cat world and the parish. You'll need to read the book to find out how - and that is an entertaining assignment indeed.

This is the third Midnight Louie book and the first in the alphabetical series that now goes through letter N. But if you missed Catnap and Pussyfoot, don't worry - this book stands on its own merits, as do all the books in the series. It is exciting, mysterious, and yet totally charming. Talking cats may sound too cutesy to believe, but there is nothing cute about Louie - or even his alleged newfound daughter, Caviar. These are street smart cats with an inborn intelligence and a novel way of looking at the world that just may give some new insights to the humans who read them.

Classic Midnight Louie, the best!
Midnight Louie is at his best and most lovable in this romp through a murder at a cat show. How he is able to keep his excitable "Little Doll" under control and guide her to solving the mystery and other problems is quite engrossing. As always, Louie is the strong character and quite the inimitable tough private cat eye. A well plotted and well written book. Any cat lover and many a non-catlover mystery fan should love this book.

Midnight Louie is simply the cat's meow in my book!
Midnight Louie, cat detective and tomcat about town (Las Vegas that is), and his "human," Temple Barr are on the prowl again after a mysterious happening at a cat show.Also, strange happenings occur at OurLady of Guadalupe Church involving obscene phone calls, priestly secrets,and lots of cats.A good read which I couldn't put down.If you are a fanof Midnight Louis mysteries or any other Black Cat style mysteries, you'llenjoy this one.I couldn't put it down until I got to the very suspensefulending.(And yes I do own a black cat!) ... Read more

Product Description
An anthology of original mystery stories includes the writings of such authors as Annette Meyers, Kochelle Majer Krich, K. K. Beck, Carole Nelson Douglas, P. M. Carlson, Linda Grant, and Ralph McInerny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THRILLING!!!!!!!! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
It was great! It had the perfecct balance of the two most important things: mystery, and suspence. You may like this book, or you may LOVE it, I happen to be one that loves it, it was cunning, and abouve all, smartlywritten. As a college student, I was scared to receive sleep that nite!:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) HI dad! ... Read more

Product Description
At the Blue Dahlia, the forties-style music club where homicide lieutenant Carmen Molina moonlights as a torch singer, life is becomming considerably less easygoing. An unidentified woman is found dead in the parking lot, with the words "she left" spray painted nearby. Soon, another victim is found dead in a church parking lot. Is a serial killer at work in Molina's backyard? And will Molina have to call in the dreaded amateur sleuth Temple Barr to help crack the case? Meanwhile, Midnight Louie, Temple's jet-black feline with a nose for the notorious, get entangled in a reluctant sleuthing partnership with his disapproving daughter, Midnight Louise.

Will Louie and the feisty Louise be able to crack their case? Does Molina really need Temple's help. or does she have more devious plans in mind? And will Louie and Temple be able to accept their imperfect partners before they meet with a far more agonizing end?
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Cats rule okay?
Any thought that humans are top species on this planet must go out of the window with this excellent series of cat-assisted crime novels. Without the felines, where would the humans be? Carole Nelson Douglas' writing is very witty. Characterisation is fascinating and I love the way there is a running thread of mystery all the way through this series. I hope that all will be revealed when we finally reach Z and Temple sorts her love life out!

my 2¢ worth
I'm a cat lover to bgin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically reccomend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be contiuned! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temble Barr's need aswell as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

my 2¢ worth
I'm a cat lover to begin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically recommend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be continued! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temple Barr's need aswell as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

Cute, and confusing.
If you read mystery stories, as I do, to provide logic in an often illogical world, Cat in an Indigo Mood isn't going to meet that demand. Douglas' books are clever and quirky, fun and fantastic--but never filledwith logic and deduction in the traditional 'mystery novel' sense. Thecharacters themselves are an odd mixture of strange traits and exoticbehaviors. Many of them don't really fit into the plot line, and have noreason for being in the novel, other than being delightfully flamboyant andunusual. The reader must accept this and admire them for what they are inand of themselves.But don't expect these creatures to further the plot,or even reappear again in this novel.And expect some of the characters tobe dogs and cats who are smarter and more believable than their humancounterparts.When I am in Las Vegas, I am always aware that the cityI see is a total amusement, builtfor that reason only.There aregondolas through shopping malls and volcanos atop buildings, garnished withneon and feather exotica.The Midnight Louie mystery series is a lot likethat: a lot of enjoyable fuss and floss, an amusement that defies reality.

Tenth book juggles complicated plot expertly!
Three murders with 3 different, yet interconnected victims, a more humanizing look at Det. Molina, an exciting and fresh detour for Matt, and a new beguiling addition to the cast help this latest Midnite Louie outing succeed where the preceding book felt off-kilter. The mystery itself isengrossing and kept me guessing as to whodunit. I'm tempted to recommend itto the beginner in the series because it is such a well-rounded story, butone should probably still stick with starting at the beginning tounderstand character backgrounds, etc.Good to see Temple and Matt workingtogether as friends to solve the mystery, and Molina soliciting Max's help(on the romantic side, one wonders exactly who is going to end up withwhom?) One element I *really* appreciated was that, by this 10th book,Molina 'gets' and even appreciates the feline detecting connection! ... Read more

Product Description
A novel of suspense featuring Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler
Originally titled Irene’s Last Waltz

The ever-irresistible Irene Adler, her dashing barrister husband, Godfrey Norton, and the indomitable Miss Nell Huxleigh have arrived at last as their French cottage-having survived dastardly plots, Russian spies, pistol-wielding criminals, and the occasional cobra. The happy trio seeks nothing but rest and peace-but Irene has always chafed under idle conditions, and Paris, she says, "is pretty and urbane, but hardly a center of excitement." So when Charles Frederick Worth, the Parisian king of couture, invites Irene to become his "mannequin de ville," to wear the fabulous worth creations to stimulate his trade, Irene leaps at the chance.

But what was a joyous lark soon turns into a journey that can lead to disgrace, dishonor, and death when Irene, Nell, and Godfrey are drawn into a series of events that will compel Irene to the one place that she daren't go and the one man she must not confront-Prague and the King of Bohemia.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

4th in the series
I know I've read this one before, but I honestly didn't remember anything about it. It's been a long time, and there've been a lot of books in the interim.

This is the 4th book in the Irene Adler series, based on the character from the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia." Irene, her husband Godfrey, and friend Nell are bored in Paris after their last case. Exiled from England and Irene from the stage because of their "deaths," they're unable to pursue their normal occupations, and Irene turns to shopping, getting a much-coveted appointment with the House of Worth, where she and Nell have three startling experiences: 1) Charles Worth himself asks Irene to be a living advertisement for his gowns; 2) the Queen of Bohemia, Irene's erstwhile rival, confides that her husband of several months has yet to visit her bed, and asks for help; 3) a bead-girl is found murdered in the Worth dress factory.

Godfrey, meanwhile, has had a request of his own, for the three of them to visit Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, the international financier, who offers each one of them the perfect price to return to Bohemia and spy for him.

Of course, when Irene and Nell left Bohemia, it was in fear for their lives, so the expedition is not without risk.

There's international intrigue, fashion, romantic entanglement, the supernatural in the form of the Golem (which made me think of Pratchett) that's reportedly menacing Prague, the position of Jews and working women in late 19th-century Europe, and an overlap with a Holmes case, which for the life of me I can't identify, and which may not actually exist.

It's complex and filled with realism, and the characters just grab me. Nell's relative innocence, honesty, and narrow-mindedness contrast well with Irene's worldliness and other-worldliness, and Godfrey's sincerity and pragmatism.

Intrigue in High Top Boots
The Irene Adler series is a winner.Ms. Douglas manages to weave her stories around actual events and people.Her heroine Irene Adler is one of the saviest Victorian sleuths you'll find.Ms. Douglas also brings in Sherlock Holmes in "cameo" roles, where he helps in the unveiling of the mystery.This book is set in Prague in 1889.A lot of political machinations were occurring in the fight for the small nation of Bohemia, and Irene, her husband Godfrey and indomitable Nell are sent to Prague to look after the Rothschilds' interests.Irene cannot resist the challenge of going back to the city where she and Nell fled from almost two years ago, and of course, being Irene, she'll go in disguise.These books are a lot of fun filled with great period detail.

Irene faces off against high fashion, high society, and a very tall legend
Originally titled Irene's Last Waltz, Another Scandal in Bohemia is the 4th in a series of historic mysteries based on a character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story, A Scandal In Bohemia. Carole Nelson Douglas takes this character, Irene Adler, the only woman to catch Holmes' romantic interests, and has her go on to pursue her own career as an investigating detective. With Penelope Huxley, a country parson's daughter, as her Dr. Watson to write down her exploits, Adler has married and lives in Paris.

In this novel Irene returns to Prague to once again help the Bohemian royal family with a vexing problem - the king has not consumated his marriage of 9 months. Also the legendary Golum is once again walking the streets of this ancient city. Along the way she becomes involved with the historic and literary personages of Charles Frederick Worth (the founder of Haute Couture), Sherlock Holmes, and Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (international financier).

Carole Nelson Douglas fills this series with wonderful historic detail - especially about the wardrobes of Irene and Penelope. She also livesn up the narrative by opposing the personalities her two main characters, the flamboyant and independent Irene and the fastidious and proper Penelope.

In this book she looks at the working conditions of young women in Paris and the position of Jews in late 19th century Europe. A wonderful volume in the series.

Excellent piece of Victoriana
I am not going to address the "reissue" debate.

And to the person that said that the last two were too gruesome.Well, they dealt with Jack the Ripper...I would expect them to be gruesome.

Who would like this book?Anyone that loves Victoriana, 19th century history, mysteries, Sherlock Holmes (especially us Sherlockians, I have to say), and/or romance novels.Douglas' "Irene Adler series" has all of these elements and more.It is extremely well written.I consider myself to be extraordinarily literate and I still have to look up some of the terms in this series on occasion.I learn, but I am also entertained.I highly recommend this book as well as all of the Irene Adler series.

GOOD BOOK, but Disappointing.
This is a very good IRENE ADLER book. Maybe a bit predictable, but a fun read. However, I was disappointed to learn that it was really only a re-named re-issue of IRENE's LAST WALTZ, not a new book. I haven't cared for the two newest Carole Nelson Douglass Irene books, Chapel Noir and Castle Rouge, much too gruesome. But, I do hope she goes back to writing this type of book. ... Read more

Product Description
Diva/detective Irene Adler and her bridegroom, handsome barrister Godfrey Norton, are honeymooning in Paris when they become embroiled in an investigation: a drowned sailor's body has been recovered from the Seine, and on his chest is a tattoo. A tattoo like one Irene once saw in London-- on another sailor's chest, while the corpse lay upon Bram Stoker's dining room table. This clue will lead Irene to the first beautiful blond American princess of Monaco, political and matrimonial treachery, and a sword duel as she and her new friend Sarah Bernhardt unravel the mystery-- with, of course, the help of Godfrey, Irene's faithful chronicler Miss Penelope Huxleigh, and Sherlock Holmes himself.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Late Victorian Era - England
For her heroine, Douglas has taken intriguing Irene Adler, a female from the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia," and made her her own. This lively chase of a story was originally titled "Good Morning, Irene," and is the second of eight in Douglas' Irene Adler series.

In "Adventuress," Irene, a prominent opera singer and amateur sleuth recently married to London barrister Godfrey Norton, is hiding out in Paris and Monte Carlo. She's on the run from the King of Bohemia because of her ownership of a potentially compromising photo. She also has eluded Sherlock Holmes, who is trying to retrieve the photo. When the body of a tattooed sailor surfaces from the waters of the Seine, Irene, and eventually Holmes, sets off on a marry chase to solve the curious puzzle involving his death.

Irene is a rule breaker who surrounds herself with other real life non-conventional types. In "Adventuress" they are her friend Sarah Berhardt and the detective writer Bram Stoker( Dracula). Offering the more traditional view of proper Victorian female behavior is her Watson-like sidekick, Nell Huxleigh. Nell, belonging to the more conventional lower class, most often is dismayed by Irene's audacious actions. Irene's husband, on the other hand, seems equal to his wife's free spirit, and the two match Holmes in their rapid-fire character changing disguises.

Some readers may find Irene's exploits over the top for a 19th century woman. But they certainly are fun! In the back, find an interview with Douglas, notes about the series.

originally Good Morning, Irene
This is a re-read--I read it in its previous incarnation as Good Morning, Irene. Having not having paid attention to the fact that it's a reprint (reissue? I always get those mixed up.), I took it as an excuse to reacquaint myself with Irene & co.

This is such a fun series. I thoroughly enjoy Irene, the unconventional singer who solves mysteries, her patient and clever husband Godfrey, and particularly Nell, the narrator, and Irene's strait-laced parson's daughter companion.

Nell's personality is a wonderful lens through which to view the action--she's a decidedly imperfect narrator, and it's entertaining to read between her lines. In a non-spoilery example, Nell comes up with reasons why Irene and Godfrey are so exhausted they need to take a mid-day nap.

In The Adventuress, Godfrey saves a young woman from drowning herself from the ruin of having been abducted and tatooed, only to find that two days later, she's missing, presumed dead, and her aunt is suspected of the murder.

The case leads the three to Monaco, and a decades-old story of shipwreck, hidden treasure, and a shadowy figure behind it all who wants the treasure all for himself. Irene may be the nominal star of the series, but the mystery wouldn't have been solved without the talents of Godfrey and Nell.

I'm glad I picked this one up. It's been too long since I've read this series.

Fantastic writing, great mystery
I am hard to please when it comes to really good prose. The Adventuress by Carole Nelson Douglas exceeded my expectations. The mystery is great, the characters are so real you feel as though they can walk off the page and into your life, and the prose is engaging, interesting, filled with wit and humor, and draws you right in. There's no other way for me to describe it. Douglas's writing is just plain terrific. I felt as though I was in Paris and Monaco and seeing the sights and smelling the smells right along with the characters.

This book was my first introduction to this series, so I plan to go back and read the very first one, then continue on with the rest of the series.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of Victorian era murder mysteries, or murder mysteries in general. It doesn't contain any real blood, gore, or bad language, so in that sense, it's a bit of a cozy. But the writing is intelligent and the mystery is taut; it's not "fluffy" like some cozies tend to be.

Great Period Piece!
This little known series about Sherlock Holmes' arch-rival, Irene Adler is a gem.Ms. Douglas' writing is honest and she sets the stage for her books very well.This book is set in Paris and in Monaco in the late 1880's, and we see Irene, her husband Godfrey and their companian Penelope up to their eyes in secret societies, tattoos and sea adventures.And we actually have the great Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler meeting face to face.The solving of the mysteries becomes a race between these two great minds.The plot is tight, and the mystery is obscure enough to keep the reader guessing.And we even have buried treasure in the book to keep it interesting.I am really enjoying these stories of the mysterious Miss Adler.

Irene seeks out tattooed chests to solve a mystery
The Adventuress is the second 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 Holmes and Dr. Watson that she blends into the novels of the series.

This novel (which was originally published as Good Morning, Irene) takes an obscure reference in Doyle's story "The Sign of the Four" to Holmes going to France on a case involving a missing young woman as the basis for The Adventuress. Also worked into the plot is the 1889 marriage of Alice, Duchess of Richelieu to Prince Albert Grimaldi of Monaco. Anchored on these two points, Ms. Douglas spins a tale of lost treasure and a secret society of men marked with alphabetic tattoos who are drowning by jumping into rivers. The missing girl, Sarah Bernhardt, and Sherlock Holmes all help in solving the mystery of the drowning men and lost treasure.

The story is told through Nell's journals and her prudish country parson's daughter point of view. She is great at describing the details of Irene's lovely wardrobe and meticulously preserving the incidents of the case. A great read in a delightful series of novels. No prior knowledge of Sherlock Holmes is needed to enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Five yuletide romances about divine intervention include Mary Balogh's ""Guarded by Angels,"" Marilyn Campbell's ""The Trouble With Angelina,"" Carole Nelson Douglas's ""Catch a Falling Angel,"" Emma Merritt's ""Brush of Angel Wings,"" and Patricia Rice's ""Tin Angel."" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

two good stories out of five
The anthology has 5 stories, set in different time periods. The connecting factor is that they all have angels in them.

****½ "Catch a Falling Angel" by Carole Nelson Douglas. Time travel romance.

Since this story is the reason I bought the book, it's only fitting that it's my favorite. Adrian Ashworth, a Regency rake, is driving his phaeton with more recklessness than usual, crashes, and ends up in an exclusive club that turns out to be the anteroom to hell. There he's told that he's not quite bad enough to join in what appears to be non-stop gaming and wenching, but he can go back to earth, and if he can redeem, or rather un-redeem himself by Christmas, he'll be admitted. Otherwise, it'll be limbo, because he's certainly not good enough for heaven. He has 4 days.

When he arrives back on earth, it's in the middle of a rock concert, and he's the star. This is one of those times when I'm glad I didn't read the back cover, because it was such a fun surprise. When he's asked via the Wishful Wings of Christmas Foundation to meet Natalie Parks, a young woman recently recovered from a car accident after years in the hospital, he sees her as his ticket back to hell.

It was great fun watching him adjust to 20th century life, and to try to reconcile his plan to be evil with his growing affection for Natalie.


** "Brush of Angel Wings" by Emma Merritt. Contemporary paranormal romance.

Vince returns to his great-grandmother's home for Christmas, where he's hoping to reunite with his first love and his cousin James's widow, Hannah. James and Hannah's daughter Allie, meanwhile, has wished for a new father.

It's a pretty standard Christmas story plot, with the addition of an antique wooden cowboy angel with a family legend attached. But even though it's only novella-length, it moves slowly. The backstory is doled out in big expository chunks, and the same information gets repeated several times, though oddly, it takes until near the end of the story to find out why both of them insist that Vince is responsible for James's death.

Then there are Vince and Hannah. They both went back and forth between wanting to get back together and loathing each other switching roles without warning or motivation, until I really didn't care what they did.

And then there was the ending, which was a ****spoiler****tacked-on excuse to force both Hannah and Vince to overcome their fear of motorcycles.****


**½ "The Trouble with Angelina" by Marilyn Campbell. Contemporary paranormal romance.

Angel Chadick is a widowed mom; Sean O'Grady is owner of a construction company and the mayor of their small town. They're both busily trying to fill their loneliness with overwork. Sean's grandfather Seamus is the angel trying to get them together.

This could have been a cute story--Seamus is mischievous and plays several pranks to force the two together, but that only works if you like the characters being set up.

Angel is described as being accident-prone, but that's never really followed up on, other than to result in her having a big purple bump on her forehead during their first date. And she has 3 children: an older son and twins. I know I've said what I think about kids in romances, and this is no exception. The twins are basically nonentities, making me wonder why they took up space in the novella. The older son is adamantly opposed to his mother dating (gee, what an unusual idea!), but does an abrupt 180 after angel Seamus tells him Sean likes to go fishing and camping. Uh, yeah, I'll believe that.

The biggest obstacle to enjoying this story, though, is that I didn't like the main characters. Angel flies off the handle and tells Sean off, thinks he's doing a horrible job as mayor; Sean yells at her that she doesn't know what she's talking about and criticizes her for complaining about the government without getting involved. But hey, they're both hot and single, so who cares if they dislike each other? Bah.


**** "Tin Angel" by Patricia Rice. Historical paranormal romance.

Thank goodness I didn't stop after the first story, though I questioned my sanity in not doing so several times during the preceding two stories. Patricia Rice is a favorite, and I hadn't even realized she had a story in this anthology.

Jeffrey, Viscount Darcourt, is despondent. Nowadays, we'd say he was burned out. He doesn't see the value in anything he does. Then an angel is sent to restore his spirit. I think. I'm a little fuzzy on the mechanism here, but she has something to do with a tin angel Christmas tree ornament. (Disclaimer: school started this week, and with it, 5:30 mornings--the story itself might be perfectly clear and I'm the one who's fuzzy.) He decides to call the angel "Mary."

The story is sweet, as Mary sets about trying to shake Jeffrey out of his doldrums, and funny, as her efforts don't always turn out for the best, or the way she planned.

And in another case of it being better to avoid the back cover, I couldn't figure out until almost the end who the heroine was. Mary, the obvious choice, was invisible to all but Jeffrey. I didn't think Patricia Rice would leave them like the couple in "Paradise Bossed". Then there was his brother's widow, and she was rather boring, not to mention the whole idea was kind of squicky. And I really didn't want him falling for the vamp his mother brought to the house for Christmas in a matchmaking attempt. The only other candidate was the vicar's daughter, who was abed with a fever and was dying because she'd lost the will to live after her fiancé died.

Suffice it to say, it was resolved satisfactorily.



*** "Guarded by Angels" by Mary Balogh. Historical paranormal romance.

This one's a reunion story. June and Elliott have been married for 5 years. They haven't seen each other for 4.75 years. On alternating years, they go to Elliott's family's home for Christmas, but this year, his grandmother has decided enough is enough and has invited them both, telling each the other would be elsewhere.

On the way there, however, each of them is waylaid by a snowstorm. June is rescued by an older woman named Mary; Elliott by a young boy named Joss; both are taken to the same small cottage, where the snow forces them to spend the night.

The woman and her grandson's love and good cheer is contagious, and soon the couple are relaxing and rekindling their love.

My main complaint with the story is that it's not explained until near the end why June and Elliott separated, and their reconciliation left me... hehe... cold.

The best part, though, was the fairly subtle portrayal of Joss--the angel who really enjoyed taking the form of a young boy.

Worth it for Mary Balogh's story
From the back cover:

CATCH A FALLING ANGEL by Carole Nelson Douglas
To prove he's bad enough for hell, a devilish rogue becomes a rock star out to ruin an innocent young girl--unless he gets foiled by some Yuletide magic.

BRUSH OF ANGEL WINGS by Emma Merritt
A little girl prays to her special angel for a daddy, and a Texas Ranger returns to his hometown for the holidays in hopes of rekindling the passion he once shared with her mother--his first love.

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELINA by Marilyn Campbell
It takes a little angel mischief to unite a handsome young major and a fiery widow by Christmas.

TIN ANGEL by Patricia Rice
A goodhearted, though skeptical, hero learns the joy of Christmas when he falls in love with an angel sent to make him believe in miracles.

GUARDED BY ANGELS by Mary Balogh
When a mysterious old lady and her young grandson offer their cottage to an estranged couple who got lost during a blizzard, it's a gift that will last a lifetime.

And my review:

The anthology is linked by the common theme of falling in love at Christams time, with a little help from angels. Apart from that, the stories are vastly different. Some are historical, some are contemporary. Some involve the angel falling in love; in other stories, the angels are merely helpers to bring others together. Since the back cover descriptions are very brief, I'll also include a basic plot synposis along with my own personal thoughts.

CATCH A FALLING ANGEL is a story a bit on the darker side. It spans both historical and contemporary time periods. The hero (from historical times) has died and is unworthy of heaven, but is also not evil enough to get into hell. To gain acceptance into hell (heaven is out of the question by this point), the hero is sent back to earth (into modern times) with a chance to (un)redeem himself by ruining a virgin. However, he ends up falling in love with the woman he is supposed to ruin.

I didn't really like the darker aspect of this story, and some parts of it didn't flow well. It was to the point when I ended up having to reread several pages to make sense of what was going on. That shouldn't happen. I managed to finish this novella, but it isn't one I'd bother to read again. Three stars.

BRUSH OF ANGEL WINGS is a contemporary that had a lot going for it. I love reconcilliation stories. In this one, the couple broke up when she wanted him to make a commitment to her. He wanted to chase his dream of being in the rodeo. By the time he realized that she was worth more to him, she'd gotten engaged to his cousin. Now she is a widow, and her daughter wants a new daddy for Christmas, and the hero wants the only woman he's ever loved back.

Unfortunately, this one needed better editing. The writing did not flow well. The point of view was all over the place. I had a hard time sorting out which thoughts belonged to which character. I think there was a good story in there trying to get out, but the writing made it very difficult to read or get drawn into. Two stars.

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELINA is a contemporary with a dash of comedy. It is an offbeat story about a deceased grandfather, who is now a guardian angel, trying to secure a wife for his grandson. Hi-jinks ensue as this angel uses unorthodox methods (including sending a forklift tire flying across several lanes of traffic to crush the heroine's bike) to throw the two prospective lovebirds together.

This was another good story that was marred by the writing style. Again, it didn't flow well, and I often had to reread sections to make sense of them. Also, there was so much dialogue without prose that sometimes I had a hard time figuring out who was talking. I had to go back and count the lines of type to sort it all out. Also, there were a lot of basic grammar mistakes, and that's something that really gets under my skin. For instance, two women are in the same scene, yet the writer uses "her" without making it clear which woman is being referred to. Maybe I should blame the editor for not catching that one, but even so, this was not a story I could get into. Two stars.

TIN ANGEL by Patricia Rice is a historical. This is a story of an angel falling in love with a human. A plot that's been done before, but one that remains very popular.

Again, I didn't like the writing style with this one. There were a lot of big sections of history that read like a textbook. I read romance for the relationship, not for a history lesson. That's what textbooks are for. This story also suffered from an inbalance between prose and dialogue, but this time, the problem was too much prose. There were big sections without any dialogue, and the story was slow going. Not that I have a problem with prose, but it needs to move the story along. Unfortunately, here is just dragged. I was unable to get drawn into the story and unable to force myself to finish it. Two stars.

GUARDED BY ANGELS by Mary Balogh is another historical, and the best story in the book. In it, an estranged husband and wife end up stranded in a snowstorm. They are taken in by a woman and her grandson, and learn to resolve their differences and fall in love again.

I never know what to expect with Mary Balogh. I have adored some of her stories and hated others. But this one was a winner. The paranormal aspect of it was beautifully done. It was never too heavy-handed, yet you really felt the presence of the angels. The issues that had estranged the husband and wife were way more than just silly misunderstandings. They were real issues, and were resolved well, not just rushed through. It's difficult to deal with real relationship obstacles in a full-length novel, let alone in less than 80 pages, yet Mary Balogh manages it, and does so beautifully. I can see why she is called a master of the genre.

I loved the characters, and was really rooting for them. Again, I was amazed that the author could create such well-rounded characters in so little space, but she did. They had just enough flaws to make them real people, yet they weren't so overly flawed as to make them unlikeable. That's a difficult balance to achieve, but this author does so with ease.

I can't say enough good about GUARDED BY ANGELS. I loved it! This is a story I will be keeping to read over and over again. Five stars!

While most of the stories were not very absorbing or memorable, Mary Balogh's more than makes up for it. Recommended for her story alone.

above average-read for Balogh's story....
This Angel Romance Anthology was interesting-I would have given it more stars if they would have stuck to one genre or time period in which to have the angels stories.

1-Carole Nelson Douglas-known more now for her fiction and mysteries than romance-her romance was original and well written-a amalgamation of Angel, Time Travel and Regency and Modern day-I found this story easy to read and enjoyable.

2-Emma Merritt-this story is set in modern day American west-I tried to read a bit but frankly I'm not a fan of Western Romance so I skipped it as it seemed a bit to formulaic and "series romance" for my tastes. Others may enjoy it though.

3-Marilyn Campbell-I was hopeful to see a story by this author-as she's written several paranormal or futuristic romances-sadly this was also set in modern day American and reads like a "Harlequin".

4-Patricia Rice-this story set in the 1850's was just too dark for my tastes. The hero talks about suicide and is very depressed.

5-Mary Balogh-I've hardly ever read anything not enjoyable of Miss Balogh's and this is no exception. "Guarded by Angels" is another heartwarming short story of forgiveness and redemption set in Regency England.Balogh's seems to have written several short stories like this of a married, but estranged couple who though family, and in this case, Angels, are brought together to try to save their marriage. This one was a bit of a tearjerker-and if you are like me and love the "wounded war hero/soldier" storyline then I think you'll enjoy this one. Very sensual but in a mature and beautiful way as well.

So, all in all-two exceptional, and three average or a bit below average. I would recommend this book for Baloghs fans specifically-others may want to skip it.

3 stars ... Read more

Product Description
In this entertaining sequel to Irene at Large, best-selling author Carole Nelson Douglas brings to life all the glamour and pomp of late 1800s European society. As usual, when diva and amateur sleuth Irene Adler tackles a difficult problem, she finds herself drawn like a beautiful moth into a deadly candle flame. Irene is relaxing with her dashing barrister husband at their home in Paris. But rest is fleeting when the Princess of Bohemia requests help with her loveless husband, the Kingthe ruthless man Irene once spurned. Accepting the challenge, Irene embarks on a perilous journey that takes her from Paris most renown house of fashion to the darkest depths of Prague and also to its lofty, glittering castle. Before Irene can find any answers, she must match wits not only with diabolical forces, but with the great Sherlock Holmes himself. Carole Nelson Douglas infuses this intriguing mystery with historical details, adventure, and wit. Virginia Leishmans winning performance highlights Irenes infectious joy of life. ALSO INCLUDES: One cassette is an interview with author Carole Nelson Douglas ... Read more

Product Description
Diva/detective Irene Adler and her bridegroom, handsome barrister Godfrey Norton, are honeymooning in Paris when they become embroiled in an investigation: a drowned sailor's body has been recovered from the Seine, and on his chest is a tattoo. A tattoo like one Irene once saw in London-- on another sailor's chest, while the corpse lay upon Bram Stoker's dining room table. This clue will lead Irene to the first beautiful blond American princess of Monaco, political and matrimonial treachery, and a sword duel as she and her new friend Sarah Bernhardt unravel the mystery-- with, of course, the help of Godfrey, Irene's faithful chronicler Miss Penelope Huxleigh, and Sherlock Holmes himself.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Late Victorian Era - England
For her heroine, Douglas has taken intriguing Irene Adler, a female from the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia," and made her her own. This lively chase of a story was originally titled "Good Morning, Irene," and is the second of eight in Douglas' Irene Adler series.

In "Adventuress," Irene, a prominent opera singer and amateur sleuth recently married to London barrister Godfrey Norton, is hiding out in Paris and Monte Carlo. She's on the run from the King of Bohemia because of her ownership of a potentially compromising photo. She also has eluded Sherlock Holmes, who is trying to retrieve the photo. When the body of a tattooed sailor surfaces from the waters of the Seine, Irene, and eventually Holmes, sets off on a marry chase to solve the curious puzzle involving his death.

Irene is a rule breaker who surrounds herself with other real life non-conventional types. In "Adventuress" they are her friend Sarah Berhardt and the detective writer Bram Stoker( Dracula). Offering the more traditional view of proper Victorian female behavior is her Watson-like sidekick, Nell Huxleigh. Nell, belonging to the more conventional lower class, most often is dismayed by Irene's audacious actions. Irene's husband, on the other hand, seems equal to his wife's free spirit, and the two match Holmes in their rapid-fire character changing disguises.

Some readers may find Irene's exploits over the top for a 19th century woman. But they certainly are fun! In the back, find an interview with Douglas, notes about the series.

originally Good Morning, Irene
This is a re-read--I read it in its previous incarnation as Good Morning, Irene. Having not having paid attention to the fact that it's a reprint (reissue? I always get those mixed up.), I took it as an excuse to reacquaint myself with Irene & co.

This is such a fun series. I thoroughly enjoy Irene, the unconventional singer who solves mysteries, her patient and clever husband Godfrey, and particularly Nell, the narrator, and Irene's strait-laced parson's daughter companion.

Nell's personality is a wonderful lens through which to view the action--she's a decidedly imperfect narrator, and it's entertaining to read between her lines. In a non-spoilery example, Nell comes up with reasons why Irene and Godfrey are so exhausted they need to take a mid-day nap.

In The Adventuress, Godfrey saves a young woman from drowning herself from the ruin of having been abducted and tatooed, only to find that two days later, she's missing, presumed dead, and her aunt is suspected of the murder.

The case leads the three to Monaco, and a decades-old story of shipwreck, hidden treasure, and a shadowy figure behind it all who wants the treasure all for himself. Irene may be the nominal star of the series, but the mystery wouldn't have been solved without the talents of Godfrey and Nell.

I'm glad I picked this one up. It's been too long since I've read this series.

Fantastic writing, great mystery
I am hard to please when it comes to really good prose. The Adventuress by Carole Nelson Douglas exceeded my expectations. The mystery is great, the characters are so real you feel as though they can walk off the page and into your life, and the prose is engaging, interesting, filled with wit and humor, and draws you right in. There's no other way for me to describe it. Douglas's writing is just plain terrific. I felt as though I was in Paris and Monaco and seeing the sights and smelling the smells right along with the characters.

This book was my first introduction to this series, so I plan to go back and read the very first one, then continue on with the rest of the series.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of Victorian era murder mysteries, or murder mysteries in general. It doesn't contain any real blood, gore, or bad language, so in that sense, it's a bit of a cozy. But the writing is intelligent and the mystery is taut; it's not "fluffy" like some cozies tend to be.

Great Period Piece!
This little known series about Sherlock Holmes' arch-rival, Irene Adler is a gem.Ms. Douglas' writing is honest and she sets the stage for her books very well.This book is set in Paris and in Monaco in the late 1880's, and we see Irene, her husband Godfrey and their companian Penelope up to their eyes in secret societies, tattoos and sea adventures.And we actually have the great Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler meeting face to face.The solving of the mysteries becomes a race between these two great minds.The plot is tight, and the mystery is obscure enough to keep the reader guessing.And we even have buried treasure in the book to keep it interesting.I am really enjoying these stories of the mysterious Miss Adler.

Irene seeks out tattooed chests to solve a mystery
The Adventuress is the second 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 Holmes and Dr. Watson that she blends into the novels of the series.

This novel (which was originally published as Good Morning, Irene) takes an obscure reference in Doyle's story "The Sign of the Four" to Holmes going to France on a case involving a missing young woman as the basis for The Adventuress. Also worked into the plot is the 1889 marriage of Alice, Duchess of Richelieu to Prince Albert Grimaldi of Monaco. Anchored on these two points, Ms. Douglas spins a tale of lost treasure and a secret society of men marked with alphabetic tattoos who are drowning by jumping into rivers. The missing girl, Sarah Bernhardt, and Sherlock Holmes all help in solving the mystery of the drowning men and lost treasure.

The story is told through Nell's journals and her prudish country parson's daughter point of view. She is great at describing the details of Irene's lovely wardrobe and meticulously preserving the incidents of the case. A great read in a delightful series of novels. No prior knowledge of Sherlock Holmes is needed to enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Midnight Louie, jet-black feline sleuth with an attitude, si on the prowl again--and this tme to a rock'n'roll soundtrack. Louie's human partner, Temple Barr, learns that the remodeling of a local hotel is being held up by a ghost--and no ordinary ghost at that. In fact, the workmen sware it's none otyher than that jumpsuit-wearing King of Ronk'n'Roll, Elvis Presley. The opening of Las Vegas's first Elvis-themed attraction might explain this unscheduled appearance. But what of the death threats against the Priscilla Presley-esque daughter of Crawford Buchanan, Temple's professional enemy? And who is the late-night caller to Temple's former suitor, radio counselor Matt Devine, who sounds remarkably like the King of Rock 'N Roll? When a dead Elvis is found, the question is not only whodunit, and why, but who the dead man really is. Could the King himself have been hiding behind the guise of his own imitators, and is he really dead again, or for the first time . . . or not at all?
... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Love the series, but this is the weakest link
The author substituted Elvis trivia for character development and made EVERY major character spout said trivia at the drop of a hat.Maybe having one avid fan pop in with some tidbits now and again would have been bearable, but this felt almost like a lecture with a few murders thrown in.The lack of susbtance shows.

Weakest entry in the series
I've read all the Louie mysteries up through this one (awaiting my copy of "Kiwi Con") and this one was, as another reader said, much more of a chore to finish than the others.

IMO, all the Elvis trivia and the sheer amount of time spent on the Elvis con/competition/hotel opening was filler for what was a thin plot to begin with. I normally enjoy spending a few hours with Temple, Louie, Matt, et al, but this time there was none of the internal dialogue or the conversations that really make each of these people "spark".Temple seemed to be there just to help move point A to point B or ask the pertinent question that would let the Elvis information pour forth.Matt was much too one note; his sole purpose seemed to be to show up, wonder about being a local media star for a few moments and then disappear again.It was like reading a book where all the main characters were reduced to cameo appearances by an unwieldy, boring plot that forced its way to center stage like a 300 pound diva.

One of the things I've really enjoyed about the series is the way Douglas lets us into Matt's, Temple's and C.R. Molina's minds. It makes them much more well-rounded as characters and I feel I "know" them.This book was incredibly short on that aspect as compared to the other novels in the series.

I'm also very tired of Max/Matt/Temple triangle.I suppose the main reason is I don't care for the Mundane Max very much.I find him more a convenient plot point than anything else.Need something that might be a little extralegal?Max shows up!Need to remind everyone there's a romantic triangle?Max pops up out of nowhere!*yawn*I find him to be the weakest character in the series because I have very little to base him on in my mind.I don't know whether it's Douglas' intention to make him appear mysterious or what, but one or two glimpses into what Max is thinking other than "Kinsella thought that he had the upper hand" type stuff or appearing to be jealous when Temple seems to have Matt foremost on the mind would go a long way towards filling him out as a character and making him seem more like a real person than simply someone invented for those times when you need someone with extralegal access to the info needed to move the plot along.The background she gives him doesn't ring very true to me for several reasons too long to go into here.I will say that it just ended up feeling like another smokescreen.I generally end up skimming the Max chapters for the necessary info and then jumping back into the story.

All in all, I enjoy the Louie series immensely. They may not be entirely logical at times or gritty and real, but they're (for the most part) well-written, fun, full of people with very individual voices (including Louie), and I think Douglas has done a fantastic job with the character of Matt and showing what it might be like for someone to try and become part of a world that he never really knew.But after such great previous novels, I found "Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit" to be below the standard of the other Louie books.

Least favorite in the series
I have read all the books in the Midnite Louie series, and this one was definitely my least favorite.Maybe because I was never an Elvis fan, but I just didn't find all the Elvis trivia and impersonator stuff interesting. Like several other readers, finishing the book was a chore, not really a pleasure like usual. I hope the next book gets back on track.

Louie, Temple and Carole Forever!
I returned home from a recent trip to Memphis, where we toured Graceland, to find "Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit" in the mail awaiting my arrival. The coincidence was amazing. Finished reading it last night andthink it is one of the best books I have ever read. The author's thoughtprocess gets deeper with each book and her exploration of the never-endingElvis mystique casts an accurate eye on the sociology of the 50's and 60'sand the perception of those times having been so innocent. Having been ateenager in the 1950's, I could also totally relate to the Electracharacter.The author's use of words gets cleverer and funnier with eachbook. As with any "whodunit," you have to keep reading to findout who was the perp, but you finish the book with sadness because therewill be no more show-stoppers on each page.Thank you, Carole, so much forTemple and Louie and Chatter and all the rest of them!

Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit
Great book for Louie lovers & Elvis fans. And for those who aren't Elvis fans or too young, there's something to be learned. Another fun adventure for Louie, Temple & you. ... Read more

Product Description
This anthology features 20 original stories of murder by acclaimed and award-winning science fiction and fantasy writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Uneven but some real gems
This short story collection is a fun read, and had tales I hadn't expected from some authors I really like.Like all short story collections, some don't quite fit the overall theme very well.One story breaks one of the cardinal rules of mystery, that the mystery story was terribly incomplete, with no closure or capture.That tale plainly is part of a longer novel and was not long enough to either make a good mystery or introduce the world to new readers.Stories that combine the limitations of mysteries and fantasy are difficult to pull off, and the tale by Diane Duane and the homage by Lee and Miller are especially good.

Crime and the supernatural
This highly enjoyable anthology contains 20 stories by some of the best-known authors in modern fantasy (almost all female), from Roberta Gellis to Mercedes Lackey, brought together by an editor who has worked with several of them (not to mention co-writing at least two novels with the late, great Andre Norton).Despite the title, not all of the tales turn on murder (or even crime), but most do; they range from the funny (Esther Friesner's "Au Purr," in which a witch takes the form of a cat in order to learn the truth about her sister's death and watch over her young niece and nephew) to the somewhat baffling (Carole Nelson Douglas's "Special Surprise Guest Appearance By...," in which an aging Vegas stage magician meets...I'm not sure what), to the classic locked-room (Debra Doyle's "A Death in the Working," set in her MageWorlds Universe).Anyone who enjoys puzzles and the fantastical should enjoy the collection.Highly recommended.

Extraordinarily good anthology
It is very rare that I am able to say that I enjoyed every story in an anthology, but that is the case for this volume. Many of the stories have a humorous quality, not so much laugh out loud as being pastiches of various mundane mystery and other genres.

There is a great diversity in the types of stories. The characterizations and story-telling are uniformly good to outstanding.The works tend to be set in somewhat feudal cultures, as fantasy usually is, but others are quite modern or otherwise set in familiar times and places (if you credit the existence of magic.)

Worth reading both for fantasy aficionados and mystery fans.

one of the best consistent compilations of the year
This superb twenty collection anthology runs the mystery gamut but has the common thread as stated by Rosemary Edghill in her introduction that "a crime (preferably by murder), and magic and the supernatural had to be somehow involved".Each tale does that and though the format is short story, readers will believe in the use of magic albeit whether to commit a crime, solve a crime, or both.The contributions run the gamut from historical to modern with varying sub-genres in each.Fans of fantasy who-done-it stories will want to read MURDER BY MAGIC as a virtual who's who of authors have contributed strong works in one of the best consistent compilations of the year.

Harriet Klausner
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Product Description
Back in Las Vegas after a holiday trip to the big apple, feline detective Midnight Louie witnesses death on the Nile when the battling Egyptian barges outside the Oasis hotel bring a dead body to the surface. The soggy victim is well known to Louie's redheaded, high-heeled human companion, Temple Barr: her two best beaux are loosely related to the drowned man, and both have reasons to want him dead. Perhaps Temple can finally choose between handsome hotline counselor Matt Devine and the mysterious magician, Ma Kinsella--by finding out which of them is a killer.

And then there are the new girls in town: an inscrutable lady magician named Shangri-La, who may play a bigger role in this scenario than anyone might think; and her winsome Siamese familiar, who may solve Louie's problems by giving him the key to her heart--or the key to solving the mystery.
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Customer Reviews (6)

Cat charisma at work in Las Vegas
Although this was my first sampling, this is the ninth book in the "Midnight Louie" mystery series.Looking for some steamy purple prose to keep you company on a cold winter's night?Grab a glass of wine and snuggle up with this book.Charismatic mystery man on the run Max Kinsella and earnest but no less appealing Matt Devine are both wrestling with demons of their past and both are attracted to the petite, feminineheroine, Ms. Temple Barr, a reluctant epicenter of criminal mayhem.

The story is more of a female oriented action thriller than a detective novel.The plot picks up the threads of previous books in the series, and leaves plenty of open-ended questions for the future. The real star of the series is Temple's big black tom cat, Midnight Louie.Chapters narrated from his viewpoint are in a distinctive sans serif typeface.He is perfect for the Las Vegas setting:Savvy, street-wise, and and unpretentiously superior,strutting his way around the Oasis and Cleopatra's Barge at Caesar's Palace. At times I found myself impatient with the human story and eager to get back to Midnight Louie's take on the events.

This book will lift you out of the doldrums. I'll definitely seek out earlier titles in the series for those times that I need something light to cheerme up.

Love the series
Once again Carole Nelson Douglas has written another wonderful continuation for the Midnight Louie series. I have loved this series from the first time I read Catnap and It gets better with each book. I'm sure we all feel for Mister Matt Devine now that Temple Barr is back together with the "Mystifying Max". and poor Louie!!! He has some luck with the ladies of the feline purrsuasion. All I have to say is, Carole Nelson Douglas, Keep up the AWESOME work.

Everything but the kitchen sink
I've read all books in the series (which I'm normally fond of), but this one was just a little too overloaded with characters, plots, and angst. I didn't really care about the too out-there Shangri-la villianess or her cat, and I was annoyed with the heroine Temple (who actually seemed to bemore in the background). I think Ms. Douglas does a much better jobjuggling a complicated storyline in the next book, Cat in an Indigo Mood.

Life is too short to waste it on a book like this.
I simply did not understand the story.I had to force myself to continue to read and when I was finally finished - I could hardly believe it.I felt cheated and betrayed.I could hardly understand what had happened and could not figure out the ending.Was the mystery solved?Who was thekiller?I could only guess. So I visited this site to read otherpeople's review and was stunned to find to find that the average rate was 5stars!They must be loyal to the author or be crazy about anything thathas to do with cats. Or I must be from Mars. I love books and I lovemysteries - but this is the worst mystery I have ever read.Perhaps theauthor should consider another genre of writing.I feel bad giving a badreview but want to warn others not to read this book.

One of the best series ever!
I've read all of the first nine books, except for the first and they are absolutley incredible!.I just ordered the first one and I'm getting ready to order the tenth one INDIGO MOOD.The books are fast paced and veryexciting, I read 8 of the books in just two weeks, I couldn't put themdown! Cat on a Hycanith Hunt was one of my favorites in the series.Ifyou're looking for a good read, these are definitly it! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Horrible narration spoils good stories
The horrible narration, particularly Henrieta's, spoiled otherwise good stories. Get the hard copy instead. I'm just glad that I didn't pay anything for this as it was a library loan.

Worst narration ever!
I normally thoroughly enjoy books by these authors.But the audio version of Deadly Housewives was terrible. While the stories could have been interesting, they were painful to listen to, especially those read by Henrietta Tiefenthaler.Why would they select a narrator who talks with a lisp?At first, I thought she was just trying to get into the character she was "playing" by slurring her speech as if stoned. But, that's apparently her normal narration voice.I've listened to thousands of audible books, and she is the worst narrator I've ever heard.

Deadly Performance
I have listened to many audio books and I must say that this is absolutely the worst. If I can really choose, I would rate this with negative infinity stars!! I am glad that this was not my first audio book; otherwise, I would have given up on audio books altogether. There are two stories in a single disc. The first story was read at a way too fast pace. Moreover, the lady sounded half drunk! I couldn't catch most of what she read. The lady who read the second story sounded like she was trying to outdo the first in terms of speed! There were no proper pauses (e.g. at the end of a sentence), intonations were wrong, and both stories were read in a dreadful monotone that almost put me to sleep. If you ever think of trying this CD, don't do it when you are driving. It almost drove me nuts trying to keep up with the stories. There was simply no pleasure in listening to their voices. Maybe it was because the producer was trying to squeeze everything into a single disk. So were the stories good? Guess what? I don't know. The readings were so bad that I simply could not concentrate on the story enough to truly appreciate them.

Strong characters and absorbing plots with plenty of mystery paired with women's issues and concerns as a side-dish
Nevada Barr, Carole Nelson Douglas, Marcia Muller and other top names provide engrossing short stories of murder and mystery centering around the psyche of the housewife in a mystery gathering of new stories by big names. Anticipate stories which excel in strong characters and absorbing plots with plenty of mystery paired with women's issues and concerns as a side-dish.

Enjoy the ride!
On television the housewives are desperate, but in this page-turner collection of short stories by award-winning women mystery-suspense writers, the housewives are deadly.

Anyone who knows the mystery genre knows the authors in this anthology: Nevada Barr, Barbara Collins, Carole Nelson Douglas, Eileen Dreyer, Vicki Hendricks, Suzann Ledbetter, Elizabeth Massie, Christina Matthews, Denise Mina, Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, Nancy Pickard, S. J. Rozan, and Julie Smith.

Resist any temptation to ignore the introduction and head straight for the stories because the introduction sets the tone for the rest of the housewives you'll meet in the pages that follow.

Some of the housewives are bored, others are disgruntled, but all discover nasty ways to respond to what irritates them. I tried to choose a favorite tale, but couldn't. I recommend you read them all, just not necessarily in the order they appear in the book. "Trailer Trashed" makes reality television worse than you thought. "Joy Ride" gives prudent insight on knowing who you're dealing with. "The Next-Door Collector" makes anyone look at the new neighbors a bit differently. "Lawn and Order" shows new ideas about plants and pets-two things that are supposed to help reduce stress. Ten more stories await you, so make sure you block enough time to enjoy them all.

After you've finished the stories, you'll want to read the "little black book" containing extra entries of comments and recipes supplied by the authors. After seeing how these ladies think, however, I don't know if I'd actually allow anything from the recipes into my mouth without a food taster trying it first.

You're in for a real treat as you move from story to story. Be on the lookout for haunting humor, precious pets, hurtful husbands, naughty neighbors, and generation gaps. Enjoy the ride.

Armchair Interviews says: Wow, sounds like a fun read.




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