Alien Proliferation

Koch’s fourth Katherine “Kitty” Katt space adventure (after Alien in the Family) takes things up several notches: the characters develop in interesting ways, the continual banter never gets stale, and there are only a few slow moments. The pregnant Kitty and her super-sexy Alpha Centaurian husband, Jeff, are about to do their own proliferating, and their hybrid baby brings its own set of surprises. Meanwhile, a smoke-and-mirrors plot is brewing against the core of Earth’s AC society that will draw Kitty toward a horrific discovery practically at their doorstep, a stark and heartbreaking break in the story’s otherwise mostly lighthearted atmosphere. Koch still pulls the neat trick of quietly weaving in plot threads that go unrecognized until they start tying together—or snapping. This is a hyperspeed-paced addition to a series that shows no signs of slowing down. Agent: Cherry Weiner. (Dec.)