Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville)
Vaughn delivers a solid ninth Kitty Norville adventure (after Kitty Goes to War) for the werewolf talk radio personality's faithful fans. The opening quest to prove that General Sherman was a werewolf proves little more than a perfunctory appetizer to the real plot. A powerful vampire summons Kitty to San Francisco to keep a powerful artifact out of the hands of returning villain Roman. As Kitty, hubby Ben, and Ben's cousin Cormac tangle with preternatural creatures and Chinese gods, Vaughn keeps a good balance between upping the ante and turning Kitty and company into caricatures of action heroes. This refreshing froth of light entertainment avoids werewolf dominance clichés and obvious racial stereotypes in favor of communication, action, and adorable old-married-couple sweetness. (July)