Review: Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn

My Rating: G, B, L

Published: 2006
Publisher: Fantast, Warner Books

Author's Website: carrievaughn.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

The country’s only celebrity werewolf, late-night radio host Kitty Norville. Prefers to be heard, not seen. But when she’s invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, her face gets plastered on national TV. Kitty’s been in hot water before, but jumping into the D.C. underworld brings a new set of problems. And a new set of friends and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an uber-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a paranoid, Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose Kitty as a monster. Kitty quickly learns in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone’s itching for a fight.

Kitty Goes to Washington is the second book in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn. This book is full of mystery, fun and death. What good book doesn’t’ have these elements?

Kitty is currently hosting her talk show in many locations as she left her pack, who also run her out of town, in Denver. This is the first time hat Kitty has been on her own since becoming a werewolf. The pack gave her the feeling of family, stability and made her feel safe. Now she is out in the big old bad world by herself. Trouble seems to follow Kitty wherever she goes, although this time she was subpoenaed into it. She has to go Washington D.C. to testify to a committee on the subject of paranatural biology.

During her stint in D.C. Kitty meets some interesting characters. First there is the scientist called Dr. Paul Flemming, the Mistress of the local vampires, Alette, a werejaguar named Luis who is also Kitty’s love interest of the week, a werewolf named Ahmed who owns a very special club called Crescent that has a very unique and restricted clientele and a psychic called Jeffrey Miles who can see people’s auras and speak to dead people.

Some mysteries unfurl in this book. We find out who Elijah Smith is. The scientist’s hidden agenda is unveiled. A vampire’s underhandedness is found out but he causes a trail of destruction behind him before his maker finds out. Also, we find out more about Cormac and Ben and how they came to know one another.

My favourite part of the book was when Kitty, Jeffrey and a news reporter, Roger Stockton, go on a reconnaissance mission to find out more about Elijah Smith. They get more than they bargained for and come up against a horde of vampires and werewolves. This is how we find out who Elijah Smith really is and then we get to see Kitty get her hands dirty with help from her comrades.

I think there is more to come of Kitty in this series. She is only just beginning to develop as a character. In the first book she was finding her feet and beginning to stand up for herself. In this book she is standing up for others who are not known to the humans. These creatures keep themselves to themselves and they have let Kitty speak for them – not that she had much choice in the matter. But Kitty does the job in a business-like and graceful manner. Kitty is just beginning to breach the surface of her potential as a radio DJ with her talk show. She has a lot more talent that I think we have yet to see.

Overall, I enjoyed this book even thought I couldn’t read it as often as I wished so when I picked it up I did get a bit confused as to where I was. Once I found my place I was able to enjoy the adventures that Kitty was on. I liked the fact that she found others like herself and felt like she was part of something and that she wasn’t just the lone wolf.

Disclaimer: I do not own this book, I borrowed it from my local library. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

In My Mailbox...(3)

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren every Sunday.

Having recently lost her dad and stepmother, Betsy Sinclair (nee Taylor) is adjusting to rather more than just married life. Their untimely deaths have left her and Eric as sole guardians of her little brother. Two vampire parents – albeit vampire royalty – for a decidedly human baby. Still, Betsy is more than up for the challenge. If only everyone would stop being so nervous around her, given her sudden recent burst of power. Betsy most emphatically Does Not Want To Discuss It, and for the moment everyone is following her lead.

But then the ghost of Betsy’s stepmother turns up at their house. And as stubborn and insufferable as she was in life, she’s even more annoying in death – especially as she regards her demise as all Betsy’s fault!

It wasn’t hard to follow the scent of blood to the living room where the fae had been killed. It had been a violent death, perfect for creating ghosts.

Mercy Thompson enjoys being a mechanic, but life is never simple given her increasing closeness to the local werewolf pack, and her ability to change into coyote form at will. And when a member of the fae community calls in a favour, needing her skills for a covert murder investigation, she jumps into the hunt.

But the dangers multiply and she clashes with shadowed creatures of great power. When her old boss Zee is charged with a brutal assassination, Mercy finds herself fighting alone. There are those who love her, who would keep her safe, but she is way and holds her freedom precious. Until, that is, she has nothing left to lose but her life…

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station – and a werewolf in secret. Sick of lame requests, she accidentally starts ‘The Midnight Hour’, a late-night talk show for the supernaturally disadvantaged.

After desperate vampires, werewolves and witches across the country begin calling into share their woes, her new show is raging success. But it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf hunter and a few homicidal undead on her trail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew…