SFRB Recommends #85: Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt had just finished a day on jury duty. When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on. Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple that looked like it was about to turn ugly. But ugly didn't even begin to cover it when the "man" suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade Z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree. In hindsight, Kitty realized she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing. Instead she sprinted into action to take down the alien.

In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a hunk in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with "the agency," and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his "boss." And that was how Kitty's new life among the aliens began...

You can tell that the book is quite tongue-in-cheek with the heroine's name. This novel is a madcap caper that should appeal to fans of Men in Black. Kitty constantly has to come up with creative solutions to alien problems while juggling her amazing and interfering parents. Add in "Armani hunk" Jeff Martini's courtship (he decides right off that he wants to marry her), and I've no idea how Kitty is supposed to know if she's coming or going.

The action scenes are intense, bonkers, and slapstick. Despite that and the overall lighthearted feel, the book does touch on some more serious themes. The world and backstory are carefully peeled back in layers: each revelation makes sense and fits neatly into the action.

This recommendation by Lee Koven.

Book site: Gini Koch's Bookstore