Customer Reviews

Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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

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!

I've read all the Joe Grey books, and this is one of the best ones. The plot is interesting, as well as the introduction of more of the special cats.

Book review for:
Cat Breaking Free
By Shirley Rousseau Murphy

I had never read any of this authors "Cat" mysteries before. When I read the book description, I was a bit uncertain that I would like this type of book with cats as characters that talk to each other and to some humans! I was very much surprised when I got into this book.

Joe Grey is one of these talking cats that has several other "talking" cats around him much of the time. Of course these cats have to be very careful not to speak when other humans are near. Only certain people they know well can know they talk. These are not just "cats" but are real helpers in solving mysteries that occur in their small city of Molena Point, California. The way they go about their helping the police will make you laugh, cry, and stay mystified until the last page.

You WILL enjoy this book. Do not be skeptical like I was. I am now a fan of Shirley Rousseau's cat books and will read more of them.

Review written by Cy Hilterman
January 31, 2006

This author has a series of books about Joe Grey, a male tom cat who can speak like a human being and who solves crimes. It took me a little while to get into the story line but I have grown attached to Joe Grey and his companion Dulcie. Most of the series is now in paperback and well worth buying from Amazon using their free shipping option. I read many books with feline charactors, but this is a delightfully different twist.

This is a great fantasy book with cats who speak to their house mates. It is fun to read. Joe Grey is a tomcat with a sense of humor, a sleuth, and the ability to help solve crimes. His lady love Dulcie is also intelligent,beautiful, and an ability to take care of herself. You'll love the whimsey as these two wonderful "pets" save the day and sometime the lives of their owners and friends. I bought the whole series after reading one book. I've learned a lot of facts about cats because the author is a cat lover and very knowledgeable about their ways. You can't help but fall in love with the chacters in this book. All cat lovers and even dog lovers will love this book.

Joe Grey and the other talking cats of Molena Point, California, are suspicious when beautiful Chichi moves next door to Joe's person and starts making moves on him. Chichi had stolen five hundred dollars from him earlier--was she interested in stealing more now? Or did she have some other motive--one connected with the obsessive way she watched the Molena Point shops, taking notes on who left when, and what guards were available? Joe's life gets a lot more complicated when he learns that someone is trapping wild cats--specifically the wild cats that made up the pack (clowder) that Kit, one of the three Molena Point talking cats, had once belonged to.

The Molena Point police are used to getting tips from unnamed informants who seem to observe things no human could observe, but this time, it's the cats who might need help from the cops, rather than the other way around. Because the thieves planning a major crime spree in Molena Point are the same criminals who are capturing sapient cats, planning on selling them for some television show or Hollywood movie. And they aren't going to limit themselves to just wild cats--Joe, Dulcie, and the Kit are targets as well.

Author Shirley Rousseau Murphy delivers another of her charming talking-cats stories. Despite Chichi's interference, the romantic lives of the human characters are settling down. Charlie is newly married to Chief of Police Max Harper, and Clyde is dating Ryan. The lives of the cats are in more of a disarray. The Kit longs for the wildness of her youth, despite the attraction that human love offers--along with the human food she craves. Joe Gray and Dulcie feel a responsibility for the wild sapient cats who have been captured, and of course, the need to learn what secrets Chichi is hiding.

Fans of this series will enjoy CAT BREAKING FREE. I don't recommend starting with this book if you're new to the series, though. Too much of the enjoyment comes from seeing how characters you've grown to love are adjusting to the happiness in their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was glad that Joe and Clyde were not yelling at each other so much. Looking forward to the next one!

This is the latest entry in a long line of wonderful fantasy/mysteries featuring a feline protagonist Joe Grey by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. As always the book is suspenseful and enjoyable.