Cat in an Indigo Mood

Carole Nelson Douglas

Lientenant C.R. Molina has a hidden life. When she can, she turns into Carmen Molina, the sultry 40's singer at the Blue Dahlia restaurant. Unfortunately, C.R.'s life and Carmen's are about to collide. As Carmen leaves the restaurant one night, she discovers a body lying on the pavement beside her car. A message, "She Left," was scrawled on the door panel. Molina has to assign two detectives to the case and let them investigate. She hopes she can keep Carmen out of it.

Matt Devine is approached with a new job offer. Would he be interested in hosting a counseling type call-in radio show? Could he take anonymous phone calls for an hour each night? He meets with Leticia, the producer who is interested. Soon, Mr. Midnight is born. Matt finds he has a second career. He also has started attending a group of men who share his unusual background. Here he hopes to find some emotional help. He does not realize he will find more than that.

Temple Barr and Max Kinsella are exploring the adjustments in their relationship. His past and present are coming together in a new, threatening way. She is there to support him as he realizes he can rely on her strength. She also will follow her own lead when he tries to keep her out of trouble.

These four people are uneasy together in almost any combination. Molina is sure Max was involved in a murder a couple years ago. Molina resents Barr's and Devine's interference in some recent murder cases. Devine resents Kinsella for returning to Barr's life. Kinsella is jealous of Devine. Barr has crossed swords with Molina in the past, and prefers to avoid her. Barr and Devine are no longer comfortable friends. Yet the four of them get pulled together in this murder case. After a second, then third murder victim, it is difficult to know whose past is coming up to bite whom. They have to work together whether they like it or not.

Throw in Midnight Louie, Barr's black cat, and his perhaps daughter, Midnight Louise, and their penchant for investigating murder. This time they also call on the services of an acquaintance, Nose E., a small, yappy, drug sniffing dog. When a cat is found murdered in the home of one of the human victims, they start investigating the same case.

I enjoy the Midnight Louie mysteries. These books have evolved into one ongoing story line with Max's past the focus of potential current crimes. They follow the development of Temple Barr, Max Kinsella, Matt Devine, and C.R. Molina. The other is the mystery solved for the current novel, whichever one it is. This current book in the series does the ongoing story line proud. The single novel story line in this novel is a bit weak. I don't feel the reader was given enough information to follow this one although the clues are there. When we finally centered in on the murderer, I was not expecting anything like it. Although this novel could stand on its own for the primary murder story, I really suggest going through the series in order.

Midnight Louie Series:

Catnap
Pussyfoot
Cat on a Blue Monday
Cat in a Crimson Haze
Cat in a Diamond Dazzle
Cat with an Emerald Eye
Cat in a Flamingo Fedora
Cat in a Golden Garland
Cat on a Hyacinth Hunt
Cat in an Indigo Mood
Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit
Cat in a Kiwi Con
Cat in a Leopard Spot
Cat in a Midnight Choir
Cat in a Neon Nightmare
Cat in an Orange Twist
Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit
Cat in a Quicksilver Caper
Cat in a Red Hot Rage
Cat in a Sapphire Slipper
Cat in a Topaz Tango
Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme
Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta

Cat on the Scent by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown