zaterdag 28 januari 2012

Gini Koch – Alien Tango

The second book in the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, published December 2010.

Alien Tango

For Alien Super-Being Exterminator Katherine “Kitty” Katt, anti-alien conspiracies, threats from outer space, and a couple of killer alligators are all in a day’s work. But internal alien schemes and some major “relationship” complications are about to bring new meaning to the phrase “chaos and confusion”.
It's been five months since Kitty joined Centaurion Division, working with the aliens from Alpha Centauri She and Jeff Martini have grown closer as a couple and life looks rosy. But when an experimental spacecraft is unexpectedly returned to the Kennedy Space Center, Kitty and the rest of Alpha Team are called on to investigate and are immediately embroiled in life-or-death situations that scream “political conspiracy”.
The team must survive murderous attacks, deal with a mysterious space entity that has seized control of a group of astronauts, and evade a woman who’ll do anything to eliminate the competition when she develops an obsessive crush on Kitty's old high school boyfriend. And that's all before evil masterminds decide Kitty's extermination is vital…


The book starts a few months after the first book in the series, Kitty is having flying lessons, and is head of Team Airborn. The flyboys who saved her during operation Fuggly, are in her team now, as are the two Dazzlers, Lorraine and as is Tim, the human driver. For some reason, A-C’s (Alpha Centaurion people) cannot drive a car or fly a plane, as they do everything too fast. Which means employing human military personnel to do those tasks. Kitty and Martini are as good as living together at the Base, something which her parents are fine with. But Martini’s parents not. Jeff is dreading the almost daily call’s from his mother, urging him to settle with a nice A-C female instead of a mere human. And, there is the religious ban on mixed marriages. Kitty doesn’t mind all that much, they don’t really have to marry to be together, and living together is fine with her. And perhaps, when his parents meet her, they will like her. But both Jeff and Christopher think that is a very bad idea.
But then there is situation at Kennedy Space Center, where Jeff’s father works, and he calls them for help. The astronauts in the recently returned space shuttle are infected with something alien, and are in quarantine. One of the astronauts is Paul’s brother, so they want to hurry though the gates to get to the Space Center. Unfortunately, someone is playing political games, and it is imperative that they use normal means of transportation, meaning a commercial flight! When they finally arrive at the airport, they find out that the plane has been hold for them for 2 hours, without allowing the passengers of the plane, and boarding a later plane that did leave. And they are flying coach, not even first class! Kitty does not trust this at all, and Reader agrees with her feelings. When they learn who gave the orders to hold the plane, Kitty is determined to search the plane and all its occupants for a bomb. One phone call to her mother gives her the aid of another gorgeous agent, called Kevin. And he backs her intuition and orders. Much to the dismay of Martini, who doesn’t like it when Kitty looks at other men.

As is happens, Kitty’s feelings are right. They find a few suspicious acting people carrying parts of a bomb. All a member of Club 51, an anti-alien club. They are convinced they can out the aliens by blowing up the plane. Then of course all the procedures have to be done, getting the wanna-be terrorists locked up, and they still are not at Kennedy Space Center. Kitty and the others refuse to fly commercial, and want their own private jet to take them. But no sooner are they leaving the jet, than the next attempt to kill them all is made. A bomb goes off, and Kitty is the only one not yet on scene. Disregarding Jeff and Christopher’s orders to run like hell and go away, Kitty barges in, and saves them all. And so she finally meets Jeff’s father, while looking like a wet cat with ruined clothes. To her surprise, he does love Jeff, and is very thankful she saved his son’s life. And everything.
But of course, the fun and games are only just beginning, and multiple plots seem to be at work here. What happened to all the security that is supposed to be in place? But helping the astronauts is their first priority at the moment. And no one is more surprised than Kitty when one of those men is her old highschool boyfriend. He sure has not forgotten her, and is determined to win her back, which is why he became a astronaut at the first place, and when he notices that Kitty at first has no idea whom he is, he is heartbroken.


An enormous lot of action, with dangerous moments, but also a lot of fun things. The alligators! I loved it! And then the horrible situation at the Martini residence, with those horrible women. I loved how Kitty came up for Jeff and saved the day, and all the young A-C’s by just a phone call to her mother, who in turn asks the President for sanctuary on religious grounds! Sooo cool. How she takes care of Jeff, when his mother serves meatloaf, knowing he hates it.

Okay not spoiling anything else. I loved the interactions between all the main characters in this book. Christopher sure is a lot easier to like. We finally get to meet Chucky, and wow! Big surprise there as well! But I think Martini needs to change a bit, he totally has to loose that unfounded jealousy, or I will not be able to like him anymore.

Kitty really saves the day again, seeing right through the plot to the truth, and finding a solution no one else would ever think of! I like her, with her faithful bottomless handbag and her band t-shirts. The book is fun, fast-paced and I do not mean hyperspeed, lots of action, lots of intrigue, but also romance and sometimes the book is really intense.

I absolutely loved the book. I was on a book high when I finished it, and had to come down from it first. Looking forward to reading the other books in this series soon, I have ordered them as soon as I finished the first book, but it will take a few weeks for them to get home to me.

10 stars.


2 opmerkingen:

  1. Oh right, I meant to comment back when I read your answer. Anyway, so yes, there is more than just humor and I am glad you like how it turned out.

    I love Martini and his jealousy, which is freaky, but hey love him. Love Christoper too. Chuckie boooooo

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  2. No, I like Chuckie! Feel sorry for him, "you snooze you looze" is so appropriate here!

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