Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Gray Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) [Audio CD]

Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Author), Bill Dufris (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006 | Series: Joe Grey Mysteries

The fur starts flying when a gang from L.A. comes up to tranquil Molena Point, California, and begins breaking into the village's quaint shops. The fur of Joe Grey, Feline P.I., that is. After all, Molena Point has been his home since he was a kitten eating scraps from the garbage behind the local delicatessen, and he doesn't take well to marauding strangers. Joe even wonders whether the blonde who's moved into next to his human companion Clyde could be a part of the gang––she's been acting pretty suspicious lately. But when the strangers start trapping and caging feral cats––speaking cats like Joe and his girlfriend Dulcie––it proves too much for the intrepid four–footed detective. And when one of the gang is murdered, and a second mysterious death comes to light, he has no choice but to try to stop the crimes. Joe, Dulcie, and their tattercoat friend Kit, who used to be a stray herself, are deep into the investigation when they are able to release the three trapped cats. But as Kit leads them away to freedom, will she herself return to that wild life?

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murphy's 11th Joe Grey cat cozy (after Cat Cross Their Graves) offers the usual winning blend of suspense and whimsy. A feral cat, a mauled and very dead motorcyclist in a ravine and a series of boutique robberies bode ill for Joe's human companion, Clyde Damen; Clyde's feisty new building contractor girlfriend, Ryan Flannery; and the other residents of scenic Molena Point, Calif. It's largely up to those incorrigible feline snoops and snitches—Joe and buddies Dulcie and Kit, who cavort over the rooftops at night and eat the best of restaurant food—to thwart a gang of thieves from Los Angeles hiding out in the nearby hills. A complex, well-crafted plot and lively, credible characters will leave fans purring with pleasure. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

A roaring fire set at the high school distracts the police while three people break into a jewelry store. Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit, intrepid felines all, are once again heavily involved in investigating the latest crime spree in Molena Point, California. It all starts when an L.A. gang comes to town with big plans for multiple burglaries. Then there's the flirty blond who has moved in next door to Joe and who seems to be casing the town stores. Add a murder, another mysterious death, and caged feral cats to the action-filled plot. As usual, the three cats are true to both their feline and sentient natures. This eleventh entry in the Joe Grey Mystery series, following Cat Cross Their Graves (2005), continues to enhance characterizations, both feline and human, all the while providing an intriguing whodunit for series fans. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Sound Library (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079273811X
• ISBN-13: 978-0792738114
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,749,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shirley Rousseau Murphy grew up in southern California, riding and showing the horses her father trained. She attended the San Francisco Art institute. Shortly after graduation, she married and worked as an interior designer while her husband attended USC. "When Pat finished school, I promptly quit my job and began to exhibit paintings and welded metal sculpture in the West Coast juried shows," Murphy explains. Her work could be seen in many traveling shows in the western States and Mexico. She continues, "But when we moved to Panama for a four-year tour, in Pat's position with the U.S. Courts, I put away the paints and welding torches, and began to write."

She has published sixteen children's books, a young adult fantasy quintet, the Dragonbards fantasy trilogy, and The Catswold Portal. "It was while working on this adult fantasy that I knew I wanted to explore further the fascinating world of sentient cats. I began to see the gray tomcat, whom I knew well in real life, as a feline detective with a brash attitude--and the die was cast. I launched into the Joe Grey mystery series. I like discovering anew with each book how the three cats interact with their close-knit world of human friends--Joe Grey in-your-face abrasive, Dulcie of a gentler nature, and Kit wildly imaginative."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars purrfect Joe Grey mystery, December 14, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The small and quaint California village of Molena Point is home to very unusual creatures: Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit. The three cats have human intelligence, the digestive system of a human being and can talk to humans. Joe Grey is not happy that his human companion Clyde has a new neighbor Chicci Barb, a woman he once dated who stole five hundred dollars from him.

Spying on her, he notices that she has two rough looking hombres come to her home. The three felines also see her around town, sitting for hours in various restaurants taking notes on the comings and goings of the stores she has under surveillance. Kit sees the notes and thinks Chichi and her company are planning a robbery. It was only four days ago that the school caught on fire diverting the police from a successful jewel robbery. Three feral cats that Kit used to run with when she was a kitten are in a cage in the home of the male criminals that Chichi was entertaining. Joe and Dulcie try to free them but instead get caught. Kit must find them and free them in order to anonymously help the police stop the crooks.

The latest Joe Grey mystery is just as exciting as the other books in this purrfect series. The sentient and talkative felines are so realistically portrayed that readers will forget that such cats only exist between the pages of a book. Cat lovers, fans of the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown and anyone who likes a charming and intricately plotted who done-it will definitely want to read CAT BREAKING FREE.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate Joe Grey adventure. 4+ stars, September 22, 2006

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This is #11 in this long-running fantasy cat-detective series, and I'm pleased to report that it's another winner. There are plenty of plot-summaries nearby, so I'll simply report that CPI Joe Grey, his girlfriend Dulcie, the delightful young tattercoat Kit, and their humans are all in fine form here, defending Molena Point, CA (a thinly-disguised Carmel) from the forces of evil, eating rich food and fixing up their houses -- Joe Grey now has an amazing tower lookout, and Kit acquires a delightful treehouse at story's end. Kit steals the show this time....

If you're new to the series, you'll want to go back to the earlier ones to catch up with our furry little detectives. Fine rainy-day reading -- I read this one with alternating cats-in-lap, including our own Joe Grey, a Russian Blue who's always on the case.

Happy cat-detecting--

Peter D. Tillman

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Grey - up to his usual!, November 10, 2006

By 

Bloody Grace Read (Georgia United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have followed Joe Grey since I discovered him several years ago. Although this book started out fairly slowly, it became as fascinating and enjoyable as his other adventures solving in murder mysteries. I particularly enjoyed the newest addition to the cast of cat characters - Hellhag Hill cast, in fact. And I also enjoyed the discovery that in spite of all of Joe's diatribes, the disreputable lady turned out to be the real thing!