FICTION · CATS
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
During the first week of October, when an icy wind blew off the Pacific, rattling the windows of Molena Point's shops, and the shops, half buried beneath blowing oaks, were bright with expensive gifts and fall colors, residents were startled by three unusual burglaries.
— from Cat Fear No Evil
Most acclaimed
Cat Fear No Evil
What's the perfect read for fans of New York Times bestselling mystery authors Lilian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown? This delightful ninth Joe Grey Mystery from award–winning author Shirley Rousseau Murphy.When antiques and valuables begin to disappear from residents' homes, Joe Grey, Feline Detective, knows that something is very wrong in sleepy Molena Point, California. Lost are a five hundred thousand dollar painting, a diamond choker, and most shocking to Joe, his owner Clyde's vintage Packard roadster. But even a seasoned tomcat like Joe isn't prepared for the return of a yellow–eyed, sinister black cat who had terrorized him and his girlfriend Dulcie years before. The acid–tongued Azrael had paired with an old crook to loot the town and spread fear among the unsuspecting residents. Could Azrael and his partner be connected to this new set of crimes? But when a local waiter dies mysteriously at the art opening of one of Joe and Dulcie's closest human friends, the pair know that someone much more powerful and evil than Azrael's aging human friend is involved. And when miles away in San Francisco the cats' friend Kate––a woman with a mysterious, troubling secret––is followed by a stranger and robbed, the cats dig in their claws and investigate. Along with their tattercoat friend Kit, they pass clues to the police, and under the often sceptical eye of Clyde, slowly begin to sniff out the truth.
Cat Playing Cupid
Love — and murder — is in the air. . . .It took Joe Grey's human, Clyde, nearly forever to pop the question to Ryan Flannery, and what more romantic time to tie the knot than on Valentine's Day? But dark secrets from the past, uncovered by Joe and his feline pals, threaten to ruin the happy union.First, a body discovered many miles away reopens a ten-year-old cold case involving a man who disappeared days before his own wedding. The jilted bride is back in town and eager to find the truth . . . or to hide evidence of her own wrongdoing. Trouble is, she's soon involved with Ryan's father, who is house-sitting and preparing meals for Joe Grey while Clyde and Ryan are on their honeymoon.Then another body is found closer to home on the grounds of a ruined estate, deserted save for a band of unusual feral cats. Around the wrist of the corpse is a bracelet bearing the image of a rearing cat, and the cats discover a rare literary volume hidden nearby that divulges their own secret: their special ability to speak. But as the police investigate the two murders, located more than five hundred miles apart, only Joe Grey suspects that the crimes are related. It takes a chase from which the tomcat wonders if he'll emerge alive for anyone to hone in on the connection between the murders. Finally, feline perception and cop sense combine to bring a killer to justice in this delightful new tale involving Shirley Rousseau Murphy's three amazing cats.
Cat to the dogs
A recent earthquake was only the beginning of the big trouble that plagues Molena Point, California. Joe Grey may be merely a cat, but he's already solved more murders than your average human detective, and he knows the "accident" on Hellhag Hill was anything but. Unfortunately Joe's somewhat erratic, if lovable, owner Clyde thinks cats should keep their paws out of police work, and locks Joe and his feline lady friend Dulcie out of the house when Officer Max Harper pays a social call.But Joe can be a very stubborn tomcat when he sets his mind to it. And he's not about to give up the hunt. A killer needs to be apprehended, and Joe Grey's just the cat for the job -- especially since the humans who should be on the case don't seem to have a clue.