Book review
Written by Carrie Vaughn
Gollancz paperback
Release date Out now

Outed werewolf and DJ Kitty Norville is invited to Washington to take part in a hearing about vampires and werewolves. It's not long before she finds herself battling a cult leader able to ‘cure’ supernaturals, a fanatical Bible-bashing senator, a scientist with other motives and the vampiric mistress of the City. Oh, and she gets a new boyfriend to boot…

Carrie Vaughn’s popular Kitty Norville series might be chick lit for a supernatural age but it’s not as heavy on the sex as, say, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake or Merry Gentry series. That said, there’s very little originality to the story (as summed up by the title) and all the subjects covered in the book – barring perhaps the supernatural cult leader – have been done before.

Kitty’s single selling point (aside from her name) is her ability to talk her way out of otherwise deadly situations rather than use violence. While novel, it becomes a tad annoying by the end of the book. However, for those looking for an easy but well written read which doesn’t stretch suspension of disbelief to breaking point then this is the ideal book. Kitty is a strong narrator and can certainly hold her own, but this is nothing more than a one-read wonder. Lesley Smith

VERDICT: 4/10
While unoriginal, Kitty Goes to Washington is an amusing enough diversion – for about ten minutes anyway.