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Kat Colorado #6
Alley Kat Blues
She's a hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved, and one special cop named Hank. Her name is Kat Colorado, and in her business curiosity can be more than an occupational hazard--it can be murder.
Kat Colorado knows the dangers of letting a case get too big a piece of your soul. But some cases don't give you a choice, like the death of twenty-two-year-old Courtney Dillard. Kat found her battered body on a dark Sacramento freeway, an apparent hit-and-run victim. Courtney's mother is convinced her death was no accident, and hires Kat to find the truth. As sweet and good-hearted as she was, Courtney had no shortage of enemies, Kat learns. And they make no secret of their belief in blood vengeance.
Kat's also looking for the truth about her relationship with Hank, who's wrestling with his own soul-eating case. A serial killer is stalking the Vegas Strip, and Hank's investigation is taking him over the line. His obsession could cost him both Kat and his career--while Kat's could cost her her life.
Kat Colorado knows the dangers of letting a case get too big a piece of your soul. But some cases don't give you a choice, like the death of twenty-two-year-old Courtney Dillard. Kat found her battered body on a dark Sacramento freeway, an apparent hit-and-run victim. Courtney's mother is convinced her death was no accident, and hires Kat to find the truth. As sweet and good-hearted as she was, Courtney had no shortage of enemies, Kat learns. And they make no secret of their belief in blood vengeance.
Kat's also looking for the truth about her relationship with Hank, who's wrestling with his own soul-eating case. A serial killer is stalking the Vegas Strip, and Hank's investigation is taking him over the line. His obsession could cost him both Kat and his career--while Kat's could cost her her life.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Karen Kijewski
28 books83 followersKaren J. Kijewski was born in Berkeley, California. Her father taught at the University of California, and she later attended the school, earning a BA and a Masters degree. Karen is a past president of the northern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. She has two daughters, and is currently living in Sacramento, California with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 19, 2017
Kat Colorado is a California-based private investigator who suspects that an ex-Mormon college student named Courtney Dillard was murdered rather than the victim of a car accident. Kat’s boyfriend Hank is a Las Vegas detective who’s obsessed with finding a serial killer known as the Strip Stalker. Kat and Hank’s relationship hits several pot holes when Kat finds a stripper named Amber Echo in Hank’s bed and also when Hank can’t make time for his girlfriend anymore, constantly working the Strip Stalker case. As Kat digs deeper into both cases, she finds how much in common they have with each other and how they could both potentially destroy not just a relationship, but also Kat’s sanity.
In pretty much every detective book I’ve read in my life, the narrator always feels the need to point out that the mystery isn’t as easily solved in the book as it is on TV. DNA evidence, quick legal procedure, technological superiority, and open-and-shut cases can all be thrown out the window for Alley Kat Blues, because this is another example of that. As cliché as it is to rip on TV crime dramas, I also agree with this method of writing. Mysteries should be well-researched. Laws and procedure should be known by heart. Kat Colorado comes off as someone who could easily pass the bar exam if she wanted to. She also knows when to tell little white lies and how to get information out of her suspects in a deceptive way. If you want to read about a woman who knows what the hell she’s doing, this book is for you.
Another thing I enjoy about this book is Kat’s narration and dialogue throughout. Hard-boiled detectives have always been portrayed as fast-talkers and smart-asses, so why should it be any different with Kat Colorado? When someone in the book says she doesn’t look like a private investigator, she says, “I left my trench coat and fedora at the dry cleaners.” It’s not just one-liners that will grab the reader’s attention, but also the intrapersonal dialogue she has while having conversations and confrontations with various characters. And then there are certain attitudes she takes with the more difficult characters, often coming off as sarcastic, condescending, and clearly in control of the conversation. She doesn’t back down from anybody whether it’s a posturing male, a filthy gun salesman, a religious zealot, or even a guy on the edge of killing her. There are a lot of qualities one could enjoy about Kat’s character profile; pick one!
I’ll tell you something about the book you won’t like, but only in the sense of discomfort and not because you genuinely hate it: the way Karen Kijewski portrays rightwing fanatics. I’m not just talking about run of the mill Republicans who are all about family values and lower taxes. I’m talking about the fringiest of fringes and the cringiest of cringes. I’m talking about cult-like atmospheres where the men are in charge, the women and children are obedient, and anybody who questions the men’s authority will be beaten, raped, or psychologically tortured. Education is stripped away and all that’s left is brainwashing and zeal. The men in charge don’t need all the guns that they have, because they’ve already got enough power over their families to turn them into weapons themselves. It’s scary to think about, so much so that even Kat got rattled a few times in the story. No matter what your political stance, you will be shaken to the core. Why? Because zealots in the real world are just as terrifying. Remember, folks: this ain’t HBO.
Alley Kat Blues is a fun little read that goes by rather quickly despite the three hundred plus pages. Sometimes you might have to think carefully about how the clues connect with each other, but that’s why we read in the first place: to think critically, unlike the Mormon cults portrayed in this story. Once you think you have the answers, Karen Kijewski pulls the rug out from underneath you and you’re all out of whack. A passing grade will go to this wonderfully-crafted mystery that leaves no stone unturned.
In pretty much every detective book I’ve read in my life, the narrator always feels the need to point out that the mystery isn’t as easily solved in the book as it is on TV. DNA evidence, quick legal procedure, technological superiority, and open-and-shut cases can all be thrown out the window for Alley Kat Blues, because this is another example of that. As cliché as it is to rip on TV crime dramas, I also agree with this method of writing. Mysteries should be well-researched. Laws and procedure should be known by heart. Kat Colorado comes off as someone who could easily pass the bar exam if she wanted to. She also knows when to tell little white lies and how to get information out of her suspects in a deceptive way. If you want to read about a woman who knows what the hell she’s doing, this book is for you.
Another thing I enjoy about this book is Kat’s narration and dialogue throughout. Hard-boiled detectives have always been portrayed as fast-talkers and smart-asses, so why should it be any different with Kat Colorado? When someone in the book says she doesn’t look like a private investigator, she says, “I left my trench coat and fedora at the dry cleaners.” It’s not just one-liners that will grab the reader’s attention, but also the intrapersonal dialogue she has while having conversations and confrontations with various characters. And then there are certain attitudes she takes with the more difficult characters, often coming off as sarcastic, condescending, and clearly in control of the conversation. She doesn’t back down from anybody whether it’s a posturing male, a filthy gun salesman, a religious zealot, or even a guy on the edge of killing her. There are a lot of qualities one could enjoy about Kat’s character profile; pick one!
I’ll tell you something about the book you won’t like, but only in the sense of discomfort and not because you genuinely hate it: the way Karen Kijewski portrays rightwing fanatics. I’m not just talking about run of the mill Republicans who are all about family values and lower taxes. I’m talking about the fringiest of fringes and the cringiest of cringes. I’m talking about cult-like atmospheres where the men are in charge, the women and children are obedient, and anybody who questions the men’s authority will be beaten, raped, or psychologically tortured. Education is stripped away and all that’s left is brainwashing and zeal. The men in charge don’t need all the guns that they have, because they’ve already got enough power over their families to turn them into weapons themselves. It’s scary to think about, so much so that even Kat got rattled a few times in the story. No matter what your political stance, you will be shaken to the core. Why? Because zealots in the real world are just as terrifying. Remember, folks: this ain’t HBO.
Alley Kat Blues is a fun little read that goes by rather quickly despite the three hundred plus pages. Sometimes you might have to think carefully about how the clues connect with each other, but that’s why we read in the first place: to think critically, unlike the Mormon cults portrayed in this story. Once you think you have the answers, Karen Kijewski pulls the rug out from underneath you and you’re all out of whack. A passing grade will go to this wonderfully-crafted mystery that leaves no stone unturned.
July 14, 2014
There are criminal cases which don't let private investigators or police detectives sleep in peace at night.
Hank Parker, Las Vegas detective and Kat Colorado's boyfriend, is tracking a serial killer of young women who look similar to his murdered wife. He cannot sleep, he cannot eat, he cannot go home after his shift. Worst of all, he doesn't seem to care about Kat anymore.
Kat has a nightmare of her own in Sacramento. A real one she can't stop dreaming about. She and Lindy were driving on I-80 when they almost ran over a body on the road. The body had already possibly been run over - maybe several times. It was in pieces, but Kat saw it was a young girl, and her license showed she had been a beautiful one. Victim or accident? Following up, Kat learns enough to suspect murder. No brake marks, no broken car bits - and a faked flat tire.
Courtney Dillard was loved by her college friends, but not by her fundamentalist Mormon family. She has been excommunicated and her father and brothers hate her with a powerful passion. Courtney was a canker to the Mormon community - but her mother can't dry her tears. When Kat drops by to express her condolences, Mrs. Dillard hires her to find out what happened to her daughter. Kat soon finds most of the Mormon men in Courtney's life were determined to break her spirit down into becoming a silent obedient wife - or kill her trying.
Meanwhile, Hank isn't returning Kat's calls. His partner, Davis, uncomfortably reveals Hank is obsessed with a serial killer case - and a girl claiming to be looking for her sister, who she thinks may be on the streets and vulnerable to becoming the killer's next victim. Kat flies to Las Vegas to find out if Hank is ok - and she finds a naked woman in Hank's bed.
This is not going to end well for several people. Reader, I'm sorry but I am not going to tell...
This was the best book in the series so far!
Hank Parker, Las Vegas detective and Kat Colorado's boyfriend, is tracking a serial killer of young women who look similar to his murdered wife. He cannot sleep, he cannot eat, he cannot go home after his shift. Worst of all, he doesn't seem to care about Kat anymore.
Kat has a nightmare of her own in Sacramento. A real one she can't stop dreaming about. She and Lindy were driving on I-80 when they almost ran over a body on the road. The body had already possibly been run over - maybe several times. It was in pieces, but Kat saw it was a young girl, and her license showed she had been a beautiful one. Victim or accident? Following up, Kat learns enough to suspect murder. No brake marks, no broken car bits - and a faked flat tire.
Courtney Dillard was loved by her college friends, but not by her fundamentalist Mormon family. She has been excommunicated and her father and brothers hate her with a powerful passion. Courtney was a canker to the Mormon community - but her mother can't dry her tears. When Kat drops by to express her condolences, Mrs. Dillard hires her to find out what happened to her daughter. Kat soon finds most of the Mormon men in Courtney's life were determined to break her spirit down into becoming a silent obedient wife - or kill her trying.
Meanwhile, Hank isn't returning Kat's calls. His partner, Davis, uncomfortably reveals Hank is obsessed with a serial killer case - and a girl claiming to be looking for her sister, who she thinks may be on the streets and vulnerable to becoming the killer's next victim. Kat flies to Las Vegas to find out if Hank is ok - and she finds a naked woman in Hank's bed.
This is not going to end well for several people. Reader, I'm sorry but I am not going to tell...
This was the best book in the series so far!
August 6, 2021
I was given this book by a wedding officiant, at my best friends wedding. It sat on my shelf for 3 years, and I finally read it on their anniversary this year. I am still curious if the officiant thought he was saving me from the devil as I live in the secular world, or if this was some sort of warning that I should be more religious... Either way, the book itself wasn't terrible. Murder, mystery and some wacked out religious folk. I should have seen the ending twist coming a mile away however I missed it so that was interesting to me. There was some foreshadowing but not a whole lot. Keeping in mind this is the 6th book in a line (and I haven't read the first 5), I'd say there was just enough background info to keep the characters interesting without having to be lost on who everyone was to Kat (our protagonist.)
September 12, 2021
This was probably the best book in the series by far. A page turner. Lots of interesting investigative work.
Note: one of the reasons I started reading Karen Kijewski's series is that the main character is a PI in Sacramento, California. A familiar place. The author sprinkles familiar locations throughout the book, with ease.
I'm not sure why Kat Colorado (the main character) is not as well known as Kinsey Millhone. She should be. Anyone who loves or loved Sue Grafton should read this series.
Recommended.
Note: one of the reasons I started reading Karen Kijewski's series is that the main character is a PI in Sacramento, California. A familiar place. The author sprinkles familiar locations throughout the book, with ease.
I'm not sure why Kat Colorado (the main character) is not as well known as Kinsey Millhone. She should be. Anyone who loves or loved Sue Grafton should read this series.
Recommended.
July 4, 2022
The author's inaccurate research, preaching and moralizing, (the very thing she accuses people of faith of doing--funny how that works), and a so-so plot meant this should have been a 50-page novella. This book has been on my hard drive for nearly 13 years. If it were sentient, the drive would feel great relief in the book's deletion. I know I do.
September 26, 2023
מתוך הקריאה שלי הבנתי שהמחברת היא חלוצה בכתיבה על נשים בלשיות. אולי, אבל סו גרפטון ושרה פרצקי עולות עליה. הספר נחמד, אבל לא יותר מזה. אמנם החזיק אותי במתח, אבל ניחשתי את הרוצח בשלב יחסית מוקדם, וצדקתי למרות כל ההסחות. למדתי על המורמונים - היחס שלהם לנשים, הנוקשות בגישה לזולת, מעניין אם זה מדוייק. אם כן, זה עצוב מאד.
July 30, 2017
Female P.I. pursues a woman's killer at the request of the mother. Police state unfortunate vehicle accident, but her mother believes otherwise. Many threads lead to very different possible murderers, but the final chapter surprised me. Good book to read.
June 13, 2017
not too impressed with a cheap Kinsey Milhone
June 11, 2018
The first one in this series that I've read. Enjoyable summer read that does not pretend to be what it is not.
July 28, 2018
Another good Kat Colorado read!
September 17, 2018
Couldn't put it down! Love Karen's writing.
May 18, 2021
I enjoyed this. The humor is wry; the characters are believable; the plot is excellent. Okay, it bogs a bit here and there, but the ending makes up for any minor flaws.
August 23, 2021
love it
August 31, 2015
#6 in the Kat Colorado series.
Kat Colorado series - Kat Colorado, no-nonsense Sacramento PI, is flatly unromantic about her profession even as she's tickled pink by it. She's often on the road between Sacramento, where she's investigating a suspicious hit-and-run, and Las Vegas, where she's investigating why Hank, her policeman beau, isn't returning her calls. Courtney Dillard, the young woman killed in the apparent hit-and-run, had left her Mormon family and her church because she felt stifled by their views on the role of women. Her mother believes she was murdered, and Kat, inclined to agree, suspects Courtney's former boyfriend. Meanwhile, back in Vegas, Hank (who still hasn't allayed Kat's suspicions of infidelity) becomes obsessed with the case of a serial killer called the Strip Stalker
Kat Colorado series - Kat Colorado, no-nonsense Sacramento PI, is flatly unromantic about her profession even as she's tickled pink by it. She's often on the road between Sacramento, where she's investigating a suspicious hit-and-run, and Las Vegas, where she's investigating why Hank, her policeman beau, isn't returning her calls. Courtney Dillard, the young woman killed in the apparent hit-and-run, had left her Mormon family and her church because she felt stifled by their views on the role of women. Her mother believes she was murdered, and Kat, inclined to agree, suspects Courtney's former boyfriend. Meanwhile, back in Vegas, Hank (who still hasn't allayed Kat's suspicions of infidelity) becomes obsessed with the case of a serial killer called the Strip Stalker
November 5, 2019
The latest in the Kat Colorado series [2019: a series that mysteriously stopped with no explanation--where did you go, Karen Kijewski?]--very good, amusing and effective-- it really made me rather nervous. There are two different investigations going on here: the first is a murder investigation of a young woman--the police are all claiming it was a simple hit-and-run and the young woman belongs to the Mormons--and the Mormons and particularly the religion and its treatment of women are the big bad guys here. The other is that it looks like Hank, Kat's boyfriend, is having an affair and is allowing a serial-murder case to obsess him too much, and its playing havoc on Kat and her emotional life. For once, no pretty ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2008
ALLEY KAT BLUES - VG
Kijewski, Karen - 6th in series
A hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved and one special cop named Hank, Kat Colorado finds herself a little too involved in the suspicious hit-and-run death of Courtney Dillard. Digging into the investigation, Kat discovers that Courtney had no shortage of enemies--and they make no secret of their belief in blood vengeance.
Mormans - very good read.
Kijewski, Karen - 6th in series
A hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved and one special cop named Hank, Kat Colorado finds herself a little too involved in the suspicious hit-and-run death of Courtney Dillard. Digging into the investigation, Kat discovers that Courtney had no shortage of enemies--and they make no secret of their belief in blood vengeance.
Mormans - very good read.
September 25, 2012
This PI series, set in northern California, is a light read that will keep me happy on an evening when I don't have anything else to read. I don't place her in the ranks of Grafton, Paretsky, McBain, Jan Burke, Earl Emerson or GM Ford; she's on my second string.
The good news is that you will always get a happy ending, and go away feeling a little bit better. That's worth the price of a paperback, if this is a genre you enjoy.
The good news is that you will always get a happy ending, and go away feeling a little bit better. That's worth the price of a paperback, if this is a genre you enjoy.
August 10, 2007
I tried to explain the plot of this one to keri, and it sounded so ridiculous I couldn't believe I'd read it, but the fact of the matter remains that I really, really love Kat Colorado -- of all the "female P.I./bounty hunter/detective/cop/etc" mysteries I've read, Kat Colorado remains my second favorite, behind only Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski.
July 15, 2014
It was a good read, not a great read. I liked the characters for the most part, but I felt the writer didn't know which story to focus on, the love life of the main character or the death she was investigating. And the way she tied them all together in the end I found far-fetched. Would try another in the series but am glad I can find them free at the library.
February 20, 2010
A good read by Kijewski. Part of the Kat Colorado series. The main character Kat is a P.I. The books was entertaining & a fast read. Memorable characters with a good plot. I would recommend this book to fellow who-dun-it readers.
September 6, 2017
I lived in Sacramento California at the time I read the series. I simply loved this series. "Kat" is a spitfire PI and the series is enjoyable and it is fun to recognize landmarks. Read the entire series because the author has disappeared from the market. She did this series and suddenly stopped.
Read
June 15, 2015Crisp, engaging language. On thinking back, one thing that slightly bothers me is that it portrays Mormons very negatively, perhaps without enough tolerance. Refreshing, rebelliously unsatisfactory ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the story line equally and I will definitely look for the other books in the series. This was my first read of the author and I read it for an alphabet challenge.
Read
April 6, 2014The principle character in this series is Kat Colorado, a private detective in Sacramento, California.
Kat Colorado is a wise-cracking, thirty-something California bartender-turned-P.I., a curious cat with nine lives.
Kat Colorado is a wise-cracking, thirty-something California bartender-turned-P.I., a curious cat with nine lives.
April 10, 2015
This book was gritty and bloody. I love the treatment of the fundamentalist religion. This is my initial reading of this author and character, Cat Colorado. I enjoyed it very much. The supporting characters were engaging.
October 28, 2019
A nice read and easy to follow story line.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Read
April 14, 2008Mystery
Read
October 15, 2008M Kij
December 31, 2018
I sure wish this series could have continued.
August 24, 2009
Very Good; Continuing character: Kat Colorado; Kat tries to find out whether traffic accident was really murder, while her Vegas cop boyfriend struggles with a serial killer case.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews