Cat Fear No Evil: A Joe Grey Mystery [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2004

Six-time Winner of the Cat Writers' Association Muse Medallion

When antiques and valuables begin to disappear from residents' homes, tomcat and feline sleuth extraordinaire Joe Grey knows that something is very wrong in sleepy Molena Point, California. Could the thief be a local or, even worse, is it the old crook who may be connected to Azrael, the sinister, yellow-eyed cat who terrorized Joe and his tabby pal Dulcie years ago, and whose return has Joe's fur standing on edge?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With her latest Joe Grey mystery, Murphy moves closer to integrating the world she created in her first adult novel, The Catswold Portal (1992), which features shape changers who shift between cat and human forms. Azrael, the sinister black tomcat with burning yellow eyes introduced in Cat in the Dark (1999), has returned to Molena Point, California, to embark on another crime spree with human cohorts while he attempts to find the cat portal to the Netherworld. Kate Osborne, who moved to San Francisco three years earlier to search for information about the parents she has never known, also comes back to the village, obviously troubled and arousing great interest on the part of Azrael. The fast-paced story involves sophisticated burglary, murder, and the bizarre secret of Kate's own nature. Once again the delightful mix of humans, sentient cats, mystery, and humor remains true to the preceding books in the series, only this time with a larger dollop of fantasy, which should extend the audience beyond the usual cat-mystery buffs. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Murphy's raised the stakes of the feline sleuth genre."
-- Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Review )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 478 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (June 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078626621X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786266210
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,872,323 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

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Cat Mystery, March 2, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat Fear No Evil: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

When jewelry and antiques begin disappearing from the homes of Molena Point, California residents, and then a waiter dies at the feet of renowned artist, Charlie Harper, during the opening of her new solo art show, feline detectives Joe Grey and Dulcie know that there is something seriously wrong taking place in the sleepy town. Then, just a few miles north in the city of San Francisco, Joe Grey and Dulcie's human friend, Kate, a clever woman concealing a troubling secret, is not only followed and robbed, but also has her apartment invaded by a rogue, yet very tough tomcat named Azrael. Now, with the help of Joe's owner, Clyde Damen, Joe Grey and his partner in crime (or solving crime), Dulcie will begin clawing out the truth to uncover this frightening new mystery.

This was the first book that I have read by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, and I am quite pleased with the outcome. Joe Grey is a witty character, who's personality can change from funny to serious in the matter of seconds. Dulcie is adorable, even though she is a bit hard-headed. And Clyde is a fun character whom is lead around by the nose by two mischevious cats. Overall this was a fabulous mystery that will capture the hearts of all fans of a good animal-narrated story. Fans of Lillian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown will relish in the likeness of Shirley Rousseau Murphy's plot and characters. A must read.

Erika Sorocco

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT THE BEST, STILL FUN, June 22, 2004

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cat Fear No Evil: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I'm sure when a writer dives into a series of novels, it's bound to get a little stale. Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Gray/Dulcie series has so far been a very enjoyable series, with her feline hero/heroines (Kit's the other female)a delight to spend time with. CAT FEAR NO EVIL, while sure to please Ms. Murphy's fans, is a little stale. Murphy spends a lot of time commiserating over some of her character's dilemmas redundantly and uncolorfully. This is true in the case of both Kate and Dillon. There also isn't as much of Dulcie and Kit in this one; seems Murphy is spending a little more time on her humans in this one, and while Kate Osborne was initially fascinating, in this book she comes across pathetically inept both emotionally and physically. Azriel, the black cat, also chews up too much of the scenery. There's some far fetched plotting in this one, and resolutions come a little too easily.
But, the series isn't dead; Ms. Murphy needs to reassess why her readers have followed her---the three cats should be the focal point of the books, and let other fiction writers focus on the humans!!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Weakest "Joe Grey" yet. A "C" book., April 24, 2004

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cat Fear No Evil: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries) (Hardcover)

________________________________________
EVIL , the ninth Joe Grey, is readable, but weak and implausible. As in many long-running series, my willing suspension of disbelief suffered from the shear quantity of mayhem that happens to Our Heroes and their pals. Plus this one has a confused mishmash of plotlines. Has moments, but Murphy needs a fresh start, I guess.

Note that the first 4 or 5 Joe Greys are delightful. Just don't start here.

Happy reading!
Pete Tillman