cover image Camp Alien

Camp Alien

Gini Koch. DAW, $7.99 mass market (608p) ISBN 978-0-7564-1008-7

Kitty Martini’s 13th adventure (after Alien in Chief) opens with her hoping for a much-needed break after helping to stop a villain’s hyper-lethal virus, but the action never pauses in Koch’s fun, energetic series. Alpha Centaurian–American Jeff Martini is now president; fortunately, Kitty’s responsibilities as the first lady don’t interfere with her kicking butt. She’s forced back into action by a series of enemies seeking her help, android doppelgangers, captured pilots, stolen invisible helicarriers, a creepy abandoned mental hospital used as a hideout, and the Roomba of Evil. This high-spirited novel continues the balancing act between banter and action that has helped make the series successful, and Koch fills out newer characters while throwing in the occasional shake-up to keep things a little off-kilter. Fans of Kitty’s snarky, music-driven jaunts into danger will continue finding much to love in a series that shows no signs of losing its kaboom. Agent: Cherry Weiner, Cherry Weiner Literary. (May)