“Over the top” best sums up Dan Leissner’s COOL CAT, a love letter to the exploitation genre. We’re talking Russ Meyer-like women, black militants, a secret spy agency and, of course, Nazis from space. If that doesn’t have you ordering a copy of this total blast of fun, you are coming to the wrong site for book reviews.

Leissner has done some serious homework or perhaps just grew up on old-school exploitation flicks. Catherine “Cat” Warburton seems to have stepped out of a casting session for FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! A buxom blonde with a body that can kill, Cat is a little rich girl who knows the score and is employed by a secret agency that works above the law.

After her latest assignment, she is told to go on a vacation, so she visits her now-hippie Uncle Jon, a former millionaire who has dropped out of society to live on some sort of love commune. On her travels there, Cat manages to stay out of trouble, even with a group of truckers who want a little piece of her, or the stereotypical ’70s cops.

But soon, Cat witnesses something awful: a group of safari suit-wearing men kidnapping young blondes. “But for what?” is Cat’s question. Their leader is delusional, getting thrills by dressing like old Southern generals and Napoleon.

But, wait, there’s more! In fact, COOL CAT is packed to the gills with action. When you think things will slow down, there is a cameo from the movie VANISHING POINT – not a quick reference to the film, but I’m talking an entire scene reworked into the plot. It makes you wish COOL CAT could’ve been a part of GRINDHOUSE instead of Quentin Tarantino’s DEATH PROOF.

I could go on about plot points, but they’re best experienced from reading it and not just my rambling. So put down whatever you are reading right now and get COOL CAT. You won’t regret a single pulse-pounding moment.

So crank up your copy of BITCHES BREW and drive your muscle car all over Route 66, because Leissner has written the best female empowerment/blaxploitation/alien invasion/gearhead Nazi book out there. –Bruce Grossman

Buy it at Midnight Marquee.