Elvis the Gunslinger

In Connell’s earnest Old West fantasy, talking cats are the reigning species and trusty dogs wear reins and saddles. Elvis and his swift mount, Daisy the golden retriever, use their combined forepaws to battle a fire in their barn in the town of Woodville. This leads Elvis to investigate a ransom catnapping of the Pusserschmott heir and his wife. With two pistols in his gun belt, an emerald-eyed poker face, and interchangeable beauties by his side, the appealing Elvis comes across as a mini Wild Bill Hickok, who can shoot the hat off a sneering gunman and saddle up with his posse with equal ease. Unfortunately, Connell makes frequent feline puns: places like San Catin prison and Littermark Station, drinks like Catgnac and Scatch, and thugs like Fatscat and Tony the Tiger abound. At times he even interrupts the narrative to apologize for all the cat references, though they do serve to reinforce the novel’s lighthearted tone. [em](BookLife) [/em]