Las
Vegas. Land of casinos, big money, showgirls. The perfect place to
relax at the end of summer vacation. So Jas doesn't expect to find
herself in the middle of a year-old murder mystery involving a
famous actress.

It's a typical afternoon by the pool at the Venetian hotel. Jas is
feeling listless, frustrated and flat in her green bikini. Her
cousin Alyson is being her obnoxious and snotty self. Her
overprotective father coos with his twenty-years-younger wife and
clearly has no intention of letting Jas follow her dream --- a
career as a detective --- any time soon. The sun is shining, the
water is warm. Jas can't take her eyes off the cute guy at the
snack hut. Then a cat with very sharp claws and an attitude jumps
on Jas's arm --- and jumpstarts an adventure that drags her through
seedy alleys, museums, hip nightclubs, and even out to sea.

The cat incident leads to Jas's first run-in with hotel security
and her introduction to the cat's owner, the eight-year-old son of
Fiona Bristol. Fiona is a famous actress who was embroiled in
scandal a year earlier when her lover was killed and her husband
was arrested for the murder. Jas's three best friends sense she
needs help and show up to offer insight into the case and fashion
advice. When the cute guy at the snack hut turns out to be deeply
enmeshed in the case, Jas has to figure out whether he's a friend
or a foe.

Jas is a particularly intriguing character, who gains in confidence
and depth as she puts her brains to work and uses her detective
skills to uncover clues and solve the mystery. The secondary
characters, while less developed than Jas, are mostly believable
and always amusing. Some of the conversations between Jas and her
friends are laugh-out-loud hilarious. And the action-packed
storyline nonetheless leaves time for a few unexpected character
developments.

Overall, BAD KITTY is a compelling mystery with interesting
characters. I think the book would have been even better, however,
if the author had shortened or eliminated the footnotes. True, many
times the dialogue found there, mostly involving conversations
between Jas and her friends, was literally side-splitting. However,
they pulled me out of the story every time and often made me lose
my place in the main story. There's a reason that footnotes are
generally saved for academic textbooks!

Footnotes aside, BAD KITTY hits the jackpot for anyone who likes
mystery, suspense and chick lit all rolled into one. Full of witty
dialogue and surprising twists, it is a fun read from start to
finish.

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