Cat on a Hyacinth Hunt * Carole Nelson Douglas * Midnight Louie #9

Back in Sin City after a holiday trip to New York, an unrepentant, twenty-pound black alley cat and his red-heeled human companion must solve a baffling murder when a dead body surfaces from an Egyptian-themed barge attraction outside a glamorous Las Vegas resort.

The Story: Written by prominent cozy mystery icon Carole Nelson Douglas, this celebrated 1998 masterwork is a twist-filled milestone in one of the most successful feline detective franchises in publishing history. The narrative completely steps away from the standard structure of a single criminal investigator or standard police procedural. Instead, Douglas establishes a thorough, charm-heavy layout that alternates between the human world and the witty first-person perspective of her feline hero, showing that solving a complex puzzle requires a sharp nose, animal instincts, and a healthy dose of street smarts.

The plot follows Temple Barr, a petite, high-heeled Las Vegas public relations specialist who returns home only to walk straight into a fresh crime scene. Feline detective Midnight Louie witnesses a dramatic "death on the Nile" when the battling Egyptian promotional barges outside the Oasis Hotel pull a soggy corpse to the water's surface. The mystery hits dangerously close to home when the victim turns out to be tightly connected to Temple's own love life, casting a dark shadow of suspicion over both of her suitors: the earnest hotline counselor Matt Devine and the elusive, undercover magician Max Kinsella.

Rather than letting the local authorities handle the fallout, Temple and her massive black tomcat find themselves caught in a high-stakes countdown to unmask the real killer before her personal relationships collapse. While Temple balances corporate demands and intense romantic dilemmas, Midnight Louie runs his own neighborhood investigation, tracking clues through the glittering casinos and underworld pathways of the strip. Published as a premium trade hardcover by Forge Books / St. Martin's Press, this timeless page-turner keeps the suspense at a comforting boil.

Perfect For: Devotees of traditional amateur detective puzzles, classic feline-centric whodunits, and twist-filled cozy series; readers tracking Midnight Louie's alphabetical investigative journey; and book collectors securing a clean first-edition hardcover volume of this legendary, bestselling mystery empire.

Published 1998 by Forge, stated First Edition.

Cozy Mysteries / Traditional Whodunits / Amateur Sleuth Sagas / Las Vegas Noir / Feline Detective Sagas