Cat To The Dogs: A Joe Grey Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2000 | Series: Joe Grey Mysteries

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Recommended only for dedicated cat lovers, this lackluster tale is the latest outing (after Cat in the Dark) featuring the feline Sherlock Holmes named Joe Grey and his companion, Dulcie. As usual, the cats not only outsmart most humans, but also make telephone calls, order take-out and speak perfect English, although only to each other and a few favored people. Hunting in Hellhag Canyon, Joe witnesses a fatal car accident that appears to be murder. While local police search for the victim's identity, Dulcie is keeping an eye on neighbor Lucinda Greenlaw's house. Just widowed, Lucinda, who's waiting for the funeral and a possible inheritance, has been surrounded by her husband's unsavory relatives. Joe and Dulcie suspect that Shamas Greenlaw's death while boating was no accident, especially when his black market business dealings come to light. Now it remains for the feline duo to lead human investigators to connect the suspicious car accident to some of the Greenlaw clan and to prove that the two deaths are related. Murphy's fifth novel moves at a snail's pace and the humans involved, such as Joe's housemate, Clyde, are mere window dressing. Cat fans may fancy the story in any case, but others won't enjoy the plot digressions into the history and mythology of felines. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Joe Grey, the talking cat (Cat in the Dark), and friend Dulcie help police solve a suspicious fatal car accident. A special treat for cat mystery fans who like a little more feline participation.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Avon (October 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061059889
• ISBN-13: 978-0061059889
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,920 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

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Yet in Series!, January 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cat to the Dogs: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Joe Grey and Dulcie strike again. Murphy has written a real page-turner--I was up until 3 a.m. finishing it. Lots of suspense with the ongoing characters (will Harper find out about the cats or won't he?) and some new animal characters that add complications and humor. Murphy manages to make these cats that investigate (and talk) utterly believable.. Great setting, and good story. Not to be missed!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feline Groovy, October 4, 2000

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat To The Dogs: A Joe Grey Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

With this fifth entry in her well-done series, Shirley Rousseau Murphy gives us the best yet.

Joe Grey and Dulcie, two talking and intelligent, cats are catapulted into a labyrinthine mystery of murder, embezzlement, shoplifting, and deceit. Joe and Dulcie are wonderful characters, imbued with such human characteristics, that you almost forget they are cats. Joe's repartee with his human, Clyde, is delightful, and the way they play the informants to hapless Det. Harper is lots of fun.

The addition of the Tortoiseshell kit is a nice touch, too.

As in all of these mysteries, the plot is not the main thing, but the way these cats go about solving the murders. This one has a tightly woven plot, and even though the identity of the culprits is revealed earlier than usual, the way they are captured and the resultant aftermath are delightful.

A great entry in this series, can't wait for her next one!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Feline Fantasy, November 28, 2001

By 

Brent (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat To The Dogs: A Joe Grey Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Further into the story of talking cats Joe and Dulcie, Cat to the Dogs is another fantasy story in which two cats try to solve a crime that happened in Hellhag Canyon. This all takes place in Molina Point, California. Joe and Dulcie are able to talk to each other and their respective owners, as well as reading the newspaper and using the phone. Dulcie is spying on the house next door. This is where Lucinda Greenlaw lives. Two weeks before, her husband Shamus was drowned. She is trying to fend off Greenlaw relatives who are waiting for the funeral in a nearby trailer park. This is all happening when Joe is hunting on Hellhag Conyon when a car came skidding off of the street down a cliff. Joe studied the car and found the driver to be dead, and a break line to be cut through. Joe always tries to keep the sheriff, Max Harper, alert to the murder. Joe discovers that the victim was part of Shamus's business operations. Later it is found out that his nephews Dirken and Newlon along with his cousin Sam were also part of the business. When Shamus's last mistress Cara Ray Crisp appears, complications escalate. It takes Joe and Dulcie, helped by a tiny nameless cat to bring the killer of Newlon to justice. Clyde, the owner of Dulcie locks both of the cats out of the house when officer Harper comes over to play a game of poker. He does this because he thinks that cats should stay out of police business. He is also afraid that they will give away their secrets. That these cats can talk, read, and even use the telephone. Joe will not give up until the killer of Hellhag hill is brought to justice. Feline worshipers will enjoy countless situations of cat adoration in Cat to the Dogs. It is a book of feline fantasy and will meet up to the cat lover's standards.