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Shirley Rousseau Murphy

A team of feline sleuths investigate when a wedding is spoiled by murder in this cozy mystery by the author of Cat Laughing Last.

Romance is in the air in the charming seaside village of Molena Point, California. Everyone is excited about the upcoming wedding of its chief of police to the lovely Charlie Getz, even cool feline detective Joe Grey. But the festivities are interrupted when two uninvited guests try to blow up the church. Then one of the bride’s good friends, building contractor Ryan Flannery, lands in a heap of trouble when her philandering husband is found dead.

With suspicion falling on Ryan’s shoulders, Joe Grey and his pals, Dulcie and Kit, set out to prove her innocence. Soon paw–deep in a tangle of jealousy, greed, and vengeance, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit find themselves in the biggest cat fight of their lives—a bare–clawed battle with a prey who is as cunning as he is deadly . . .

HarperCollins e-books

The Joe Grey Mysteries

Cat Seeing Double

In this cozy mystery, a talking cat and his four-legged friends investigate cat trappers and murder in smalltown California.

The fur starts flying—the fur of Joe Grey, Feline P.I., that is—when a gang from L.A. comes up to tranquil Molena Point, California, and begins breaking into the village’s quaint shops. 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 in next door to 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 Kit, who used to be a stray herself, are deep into the investigation when they are able to release the three trapped felines. But as Kit leads them away to freedom, will she herself return to that wild life?

In this marvelous book that once again opens the door to the spectacular world of Joe Grey, meet three new cats—winning cats drawn from among hundreds of their owners’ entries and chosen at random to appear in this book—and join old friends and new in this ambitious and enjoyable entry in the series.

Praise for Cat Breaking Free

“Murphy’s 11th Joe Grey cat cozy . . . offers the usual winning blend of suspense and whimsy. . . . A complex, well-crafted plot and lively, credible characters will leave fans purring with pleasure.” —Publishers Weekly

“[An] 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 . . . continues to enhance characterizations, both feline and human, all the while providing an intriguing whodunit for series fans.” —Booklist

Cat Breaking Free

Whiskered sleuths Joe Grey and Dulcie return in the “seventh cute feline mystery of theft, intrigue and murder” from the author of Cat Spitting Mad (Publishers Weekly).

Famous novelist Elliot Traynor is temporarily living in Molena Point. He and his wife don’t have much to do with the villagers, which is fine with them since no one particularly likes Vivi. But their arrival has coincided with some peculiar happenings in the town, culminating with a botched burglary in the home of 60-something Susan Brittain. Susan is a friend to feline detectives Joe Grey and Dulcie and they aren’t going to let this crime go unpunished. With whiskers twitching they investigate the crime and soon find themselves on the scent of a killer.

“As always, Murphy successfully walks the fine line between maintaining the cathood of her felines and endowing them with sentiency. Round up the usual readers; they will be delighted.” —Booklist

“The series premise remains delicious, executed with wry pungency and affection for life’s small pleasures.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fun fare for cat fans.” —Library Journal

Cat Laughing Last

A feline P.I. and his four-legged friends investigate murder, robbery, and an evil cat in California in this cozy mystery.

When antiques and valuables begin to disappear from residents’ homes, 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 Dulcie years ago, and whose return has Joe’s fur standing on edge?

Even seasoned tomcat like Joe isn’t prepared for the shock that awaits Molena Point residents at the opening for artist Charlie Harper. While guests are dining on hors d’oeuvres and fine wine at the celebration, a young, healthy waiter drops dead at Charlie’s feet.

Meanwhile, just north of Molena Point, in San Francisco, the cats’ friend Kate, a woman with a troubling secret, is followed by a stranger and robbed. Her apartment is then gutted, with claw marks and black cat hair leading her to suspect the vicious tomcat Azrael. In the most dramatic investigation of their lives, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit, following diverse leads, scratch out the truth and, with cunning feline skills, restore a distraught village to its usual cozy tranquility.

Praise for Cat Fear No Evil

“[A] superior cat cozy. . . . As usual, the relationships between the lively human characters and the talking cats in whom they confide their problems provide as much interest as the crime solving. The intricate and absorbing plot keeps the reader in suspense throughout.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“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.” —Booklist

Cat Fear No Evil

The award-winning author of Cat Breaking Free delivers “an irresistible mix of riveting action and purr-fectly marvelous two- and four-footed characters” (Monterey County Herald).

Molena Point, California, should be a tranquil place. Nestled quietly on the Pacific coast miles below San Francisco, it’s not the kind of town escaped convicts seek out. But if you’re a thief named Cage Jones, you’ve just sprung yourself from the clink, and the woman who turned state’s witness and helped put you behind bars lives there––where better to go than Molena Point?

Wily tomcat Joe Grey knows that something sinister is afoot when he hears about Cage Jones, but he doubts that his girlfriend Dulcie’s suspicions—that the escaped thief is after her human companion—are justified. But when Jones shoots a federal officer, and the bodies of two peaceful, local residents are found brutally murdered in their home, even the suspicious Feline Detective knows that things are only going to get worse. Joe, Dulcie, and their tattercoat friend Kit—an indomitable feline trio with special powers that only a few select humans are privy to––team up to capture the thief, and in one of award-winning author Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s most suspenseful and unforgettable books to date, bring peace to the town they love.

“As usual, the felines and their human coterie are appealing (at least to cat fanciers), and the virtually nonstop action will keep the series’ fans whipping through the pages.” —Booklist

“Engaging . . . Murphy’s surefire plotting makes this more than just another cute cat cozy.” —Publishers Weekly

Cat Pay the Devil

A tomcat sleuth and his four-legged cohorts investigate a murder without a body and a criminal who hates cats in this cozy mystery.

Why is it, Joe, that you are always the one to find the body?

On a lovely moonlit night, while carrying a gift of mice to a litter of kittens, Joe Grey stumbles upon a murder scene. Behind an empty house, in an empty swimming pool, there’s blood, the smell of human death, and drag marks. But there’s no victim—and it’s hard to prove a crime without a corpse.

Driven by stubborn feline curiosity, Joe Grey sets out to investigate. With Dulcie and Kit following him along a killer’s trail, Joe discovers evidence of conflict among the residents of this seemingly peaceful neighborhood—multiple signs of breaking-and-entering, with nothing of value stolen. And they find something far worse: hints of violence yet to come . . . and more planned murder.

With the help of two local ferals, Joe, Kit, and Dulcie must now thwart a killer using the most unorthodox means at their disposal: a criminal’s unnatural yet powerful fear of cats.

Praise for Cat Striking Back

“Magical.” —Publishers Weekly

“Murphy’s . . . premise, a mystery that withholds the identities of both the victim and the perp, is intriguing.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Joe Grey Mysteries - The book series

The Joe Grey Mysteries - The book series

The Joe Grey Mysteries books in order

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