Title: Alien Collective
Author: Gini Koch
Publisher: DAW Books
Series: Katherine "Kitty" Katt #9
Genre: Science Fiction
Number of Pages: 519
Source: Publisher
Despite not having run for office, nor wanting to remain in office, Representative Jeff Martini is being wooed as the vice presidential running mate for a charismatic senator who seems likely to win the campaign. While the Diplomatic Corps has to deal with the pressures of a political campaign sure to uncover secrets they don’t want shared with the world, Ambassador Kitty Katt-Martini has other worries—handling the reemergence of her most potent nemesis, thought dead and buried.
Alien Collective opens a year after Alien Research, and everyone is still reeling from actions that took place there. Everyone is still having trouble with what happened, and I liked that those events weren't ignored or just brushed aside and forgotten. I just wanted to give Chuckie a great big hug throughout the book. My feelings have come along way since he was introduced. I can't believe I didn't like him for at least 3 books! He's now one of my favorites. One of the things I love best about this series is that Gini does a great job of recapping past operations that Kitty and everyone has been on. There was a lot of that going on in this book, but honestly, it's book 9 and my memory isn't what it used to be so I'm glad they were there--otherwise I think I would've been a bit lost. I also love how all the characters I've come to love (and hate *cough*Amy*cough*) make an appearance some way or another in this book. That's say a lot, considering how big the cast has gotten!
Jeff has come a long way from being head of the field department, and is now being considered as a possible vice presidential candidate. That doesn't stop the action from finding Kitty-new enemies along with some old ones, pop up making life harder for everyone. Actions from past books come back to haunt them and they have to answer for them. I wondered when that would happen-and once again I loved how not everything is easy for the gang. They have all come a very long way since Touched By An Alien.
This book took me longer then usual to read, but that was because I was busy thinking and taking notes the whole time I was reading and I haven't done that in a long time. That is mainly because I am being driven crazy trying to figure out who the mastermind could be. Heck, even Reader and MJO (Mister Joel Oliver) made my list at one point. I love that just as soon as you think you what direction the story will take, you are thrown loop after loop and nothing ever turns out the way you think it will.
Alien Collective does not work at all as a stand alone, and I now am going to have to do a re-read of the entire series for clues as to who the mastermind is, lets just say that Universal Alien can not come out soon enough for me! (You think being the authors assistant would give me a little edge in the clue department, but nope, it gives me none!! Can you believe that????)
