Кэрол Дуглас - Cat In An Alphabet Endgame

THE COLORFUL MIDNIGHT LOUIE ALPHABET SAGA CONCLUDES…

Follow the clues from the Cat in an Alphabet Soup foundation novel through a colorful kaleidoscope of crimes as the bestselling cat mystery series goes from A to Z to the final book of the alphabet series Cat in a Alphabet Endgame

LONG AWAITED!In the twenty-eighth and last Midnight Louie alphabet mystery, New York Times Notable Book of the Year author Carole Nelson Douglas’s cast of four human crime solvers, plus feline PI Midnight Louie, must not only stop a massive Las Vegas conspiracy involving international terrorism, but Midnight Louie’s roommate, PR powerhouse Temple Barr, is on the brink of marriage. Will syndicated radio counselor and ex-priest Matt Devine’s inside track lose out to the return of that wily dark horse, magician Max Kinsella? The suspense is killing somebody.

Meanwhile, a Strip-wide resurgence of the long-vanquished Las Vegas mob could have Temple in search of an undertaker rather than a Justice of the Peace. Luckily, Midnight Louie and the Las Vegas Cat Pack are planning their finest moments to bring down the baddies. But no one can help Temple find which direction her wayward heart must go .Fans of foul play, feisty female detectives, and feline forensics will find Cat in an Alphabet Endgame the perfect cat treat.

DEAR READERS:Since Midnight Louie’s mystery adventures began in 1992, the series is a retro-modern saga that portrays twenty-five years of amazing Las Vegas Strip reinvention from then to today. Yet the story only covers a couple of years in the lives of the four human characters: two women, two men; two pro and two amateur detectives. It’s like the old movies that filmed a foreground couple walking on a treadmill against a constantly changing background. You will watch the Las Vegas Strip, technology and detection methods evolve as the characters veer from allies to antagonists to…romantic quadrangle anyone? And even the irreverent rascal, Midnight Louie, will become politically correct in one key department.

As Louie says, “Any surprising developments do not surprise me. Everything is always up for grabs in Las Vegas 24/7…guilt, innocence, money, power, love, loss, death, and significant others. Like Las Vegas, The City That Never Sleeps, Midnight Louie, private eye, also has a sobriquet: The Kitty That Never Sleeps. With this crew, who could?”

For more on the series, subscribe to Midnight Louie’s Scratching Post-Intelligencer newsletter. Louie would love reviews and good ratings on online book sites if you want to lend him a hand.

Praise for the Midnight Louie series

“Move over, Koko and Yum Yum (and Sneaky Pie too): Midnight Louie’s back, prowling the sin-soaked streets of Las Vegas once again.”

— The Purloined Letter

“Everything you might want in a mystery; glitzy Las Vegas, real characters, suspense, a tough puzzle…a fine sense of humor and some illuminating social commentary.”

— The Prime Suspect

“a finale that’ll run you within a whisker of your ninth life.” — Kirkus Reviews

And Praise from a Famous Feline:

“MIDNIGHT LOUIE IS ONE HEAVY DUDE.Gourmand, ladies’ man and world-class dog-baiter, this feline detective attacks crime tooth and nail. But if he lays a paw on my lasagna, he’ll tangle with a real heavyweight.”

— Garfieldthe cat, as told to Jim Davis

CAT IN AN

ALPHABET ENDGAME

THE TWENTY-EIGHTH

MIDNIGHT LOUIE MYSTERY

by

CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS

A Wishlist Book

www.wishlistpublishing.com

This book and series are dedicated to all our wonderful and loyal readers and their feline friends who’ve joined Midnight Louie and me on this incredible journey

Acknowledgements

We’ve loved and kept your cards and letters and now emails, and appreciate the thousands of stamps you’ve sent to help snail-mail the annual newsletter, and those of you who’ve bought the books and T-shirts. We’re amazed you always say you know how busy we are. How do you know? We try not to whine, because we are so privileged to be doing what we’re doing. Yes, a writing career is 12/7. I’m often surprised it’s a national holiday. I’m always wishing I could answer you more, but deadlines never die! Those of you I’ve been in contact with have been delightful and so inspiring and understanding.

Writing a series as long as this, over 25 years, means we’ve written more than three million words in this series alone. We started out sure we’d remember everything that had been done, and somewhere along the way realized we were not human computers. Books are proofread and edited many times, but errors still slip through because most of us read what we expect to see. Some imperfections can’t be fixed right now, because control of the books are in other hands. There are dozens of people (and cats) to thank, but two brave readers have volunteered to read the entire series over for errors and typos, and they deserve our heartfelt thanks for helping make us as perfect as we can be for ourselves and our readers.

They are the indefatigable Ken Greenand Denise Thompson.

Indefatigable is a funny-sounding word for tireless, determined, and dedicated.

Another long-distance runner for 21 years in supporting Midnight Louie’s saga is my former student assistant, now an author on her own as Diane Castle, Jennifer Null.

These folks are beyond generous and have our whole-hearted gratitude, as do all of you.

Carole Nelson Douglas & Midnight Louie, Esq.

Table of Contents

Dear Readers

CAT IN AN ALPHABET ENDGAME

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Previously in Midnight Louie’s Lives and Times…

Chapter 1 ~ Five-Alarm Fire Power

Chapter 2 ~ Three-Cat Night

Chapter 3 ~ Midnight Stalkers

Chapter 4 ~ Home Evasions

Chapter 5 ~ The Wrong Arm of the Law

Chapter 6 ~ Midnight Prowler

Chapter 7 ~ Being Frank

Chapter 8 ~ Ring Around the Ritz

Chapter 9 ~ Serpentine Schemes

Chapter 10 ~ The Tony Awards

Chapter 11 ~ The Mysteries of Molina

Chapter 12 ~ Strapless in Sin City

Chapter 13 ~ Mother Confessor

Chapter 14 ~ The Skype Hype

Chapter 15 ~ Dumped by a Diva

Chapter 16 ~ Bless Us, Father

Chapter 17 ~ Holy Cats

Chapter 18 ~ Bloody Mary Morning

Chapter 19 ~ Don of the Dead

Chapter 20 ~ Intervention Convention

Chapter 21 ~ Midnight Louie’s Dream Wedding

Chapter 22 ~ There Goes the Groom

Chapter 23 ~ Who’s Who of Crooks

Chapter 24 ~ Altared Circumstances

Chapter 25 ~ Here Comes the Bride

Chapter 26 ~ The Wedding Party Party

Chapter 27 ~ Lofty Endings

Chapter 28 ~ Purple Heart

Chapter 29 ~ Reception Deception

Chapter 30 ~ In Sunshine or in Shadow

Chapter 31 ~ Under Reconstruction

Chapter 32 ~ Gilt Trip

Chapter 33 ~ A Peak Experience

Chapter 34 ~ Midnight Magic

Chapter 35 ~ An Attraction Gone Dark

Chapter 36 ~ Command Performance

Chapter 37 ~ Mad Max on the Run

Chapter 38 ~ We’ll Always Have Paris

Chapter 39 ~ Past Acts

Chapter 40 ~ Midnight Louie Rings Out the Old…

Afterword ~ Of Collars and Katzenklaviers

Tailpiece ~ Midnight Louie Sums Up

Tailpiece ~ Carole Nelson Douglas on Getting There and Back Again