From Publishers Weekly
Debonair detective Joe Grey lives and sleuths along northern California's rugged coast, in the quaintAbut dangerousAvillage of Molena Point. In this sixth of Murphy's books named for Joe, passions rise and two women exsanguinate on a mountain riding trail, their throats slashed, while their mounts run free in an ecstasy of fear. Dashing, silver-haired Joe has enough trouble just getting along with his housemate, crusty car mechanic Clyde Damen. But add bloody murder and the kidnapping of a terrified teenager, and Joe gets cat spitting mad! When Clyde's best friend, police chief Max Harper, is named top suspect and suspended from his job, Joe goes ballistic. Aided by his friends Dulcie and Kit, Joe stalks the killer in the dark niches of the crumbling Pamillon EstateAsite of a potentially profitable land ventureAwhere a wild cougar also lurks. Up the coast in San Francisco, gorgeous Kate Osborne has cause to worry when a murderer escapes from prison and comes after her. In addition to humans, someone is killing the cats of San Francisco. Speaking of cats: fans of Joe Grey recognize that he (and Dulcie and Kit) are felines themselves, though capable of communicating with select humans. Cat lovers will cuddle right up to Joe and his pals, but the story has plenty of murder and mayhem for those who like to take their detective fiction straight up. (Jan. 8) consecutive years. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Cats Joe, Dulcie, and Kit understand, speak, and read English, and they are veteran sleuths in Molena Point, CA. Someone has framed the chief of police for the murder of two friends and the probable kidnapping of the child who was riding with them. Furthermore, someone is killing cats in San Francisco. The main characters are excellent spies, gaining clues by hiding under desks, eavesdropping when they are supposed to be asleep, and carefully moving evidence to trap a villain. Although many characters and motives are related to earlier books in the series, it is not necessary to have read them to enjoy this mysterious flight of fancy.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Feline "sleuths" Joe Grey and Dulcie come to the rescue of Max Harper, the chief of police in Molena Point, CA, who is being framed for a gruesome double murder and the kidnap of a little girl. A special treat for those cat mystery fans. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The sixth mystery featuring sentient, talking felines Joe Grey and Dulcie, now abetted in their investigations by the tortoise-shell kitten introduced in Cat to the Dogs,^B will have their fans wanting to down the sometimes scary, madcap tale in one gulp. Yet again, murder shocks the small town of Molena Point, California, but what gets Joe spitting mad is the fact that some lowlife has done a masterful job of framing Chief of Police Max Harper. Although Joe delights in his ability to disquiet the chief with anonymous phone tips, the crusty cat has a deep respect for Max. Add to the mix the 13-year-old girl who witnessed the murders and then disappeared, a puma roaming the wooded hills outside of town, and an escaped con who kills cats and hates Max, and the pace never falters. The felines work around the humans to solve the case, and, as usual, the cat-human interactions and repartee enhance the plot. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

Hell hath no fury like a feline enraged. Though Joe Grey and Dulcie are merely housecats, they each have a strong sense of justice -- to complement their uncanny ability to read, speak, and use the telephone. And they're furious that Max Harper, police chief of Molena Point and preferred target for Joe's harmless pranks, has been accused of a gruesome double murder.

The fleet-footed sleuthing duo is intent upon restoring an old friend's good name. But finding the missing little girl who was sole witness to the crime won't be easy -- especially with a hungry cougar on the prowl, a cat-killer on the loose ... and the kittenish antics of Joe and Dulcie's playful new "ward" causing big trouble that could take more than nine lives to survive.


About the Author
Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of Cat in the Dark, Cat on the Edge, Cat Under Fire, and Cat Raise the Dead, and has received five Council of Authors and Journalists Awards for previous books. She graduated from San Francisco Art Institute, has worked as a commercial artist and has exhibited paintings and sculptures extensively on the West Coast. She and her husband live in Carmel, California. Their cats have included a tom that twice warned them of burglars in the middle of the night by growling, and a cat that liked to ride horseback.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Feline sleuths Joe Grey and Dulcie dig in their claws to snag the killer who is framing police chief Max Harper for a horrendous double murder.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Joe Grey is so mad his whiskers are twitching. not only has someone destroyed the charm of sleepy California town Molena Point with a terrible double murder, but now they're trying to frame Chief of Police Max Harper for the killing. Joe and the Chief may not always get along, but Joe knows that Harper is no murderer and certainly wouldn't kidnap little Dillon, the only potential witness to the bloody homicide. Now, all that Joe and his feline sidekick Dulcie have to do is track down the real killer, rescue a little girl, and untangle a web of high-stakes illegal real estate speculation—all the while keeping their remarkable powers of human speech safe from prying ears!

About the Author:Shirley Rousseau Murphy is a five-time recipient of the Council of Authors and Journalists Award. She lives in Carmel, CA.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Debonair detective Joe Grey lives and sleuths along northern California's rugged coast, in the quaint--but dangerous--village of Molena Point. In this sixth of Murphy's books named for Joe, passions rise and two women exsanguinate on a mountain riding trail, their throats slashed, while their mounts run free in an ecstasy of fear. Dashing, silver-haired Joe has enough trouble just getting along with his housemate, crusty car mechanic Clyde Damen. But add bloody murder and the kidnapping of a terrified teenager, and Joe gets cat spitting mad! When Clyde's best friend, police chief Max Harper, is named top suspect and suspended from his job, Joe goes ballistic. Aided by his friends Dulcie and Kit, Joe stalks the killer in the dark niches of the crumbling Pamillon Estate--site of a potentially profitable land venture--where a wild cougar also lurks. Up the coast in San Francisco, gorgeous Kate Osborne has cause to worry when a murderer escapes from prison and comes after her. In addition to humans, someone is killing the cats of San Francisco. Speaking of cats: fans of Joe Grey recognize that he (and Dulcie and Kit) are felines themselves, though capable of communicating with select humans. Cat lovers will cuddle right up to Joe and his pals, but the story has plenty of murder and mayhem for those who like to take their detective fiction straight up. (Jan. 8) FYI: This series has won the Cat Writers Association Muse medallion for three consecutive years. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Feline "sleuths" Joe Grey and Dulcie come to the rescue of Max Harper, the chief of police in Molena Point, CA, who is being framed for a gruesome double murder and the kidnap of a little girl. A special treat for those cat mystery fans. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Cats Joe, Dulcie, and Kit understand, speak, and read English, and they are veteran sleuths in Molena Point, CA. Someone has framed the chief of police for the murder of two friends and the probable kidnapping of the child who was riding with them. Furthermore, someone is killing cats in San Francisco. The main characters are excellent spies, gaining clues by hiding under desks, eavesdropping when they are supposed to be asleep, and carefully moving evidence to trap a villain. Although many characters and motives are related to earlier books in the series, it is not necessary to have read them to enjoy this mysterious flight of fancy.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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