It's been quite a week for Joe Grey. First the large, powerfulfeline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language. Then he discovers he can speak it as well! It's a nightmare for a cat who'd prefer to sleep the day away carefree, but Joe can handle it. That is, until he has the misfortune to witness a murder in the alley behind Jolly's Deli -- and worse, to be seen witnessing it. With all of his nine lives suddenly at risk, Joe's got no choice but to get to the bottom of the heinous crime -- because his mouse-hunting days are over for good unless he can help bring a killer to justice.

It's been quite a week for Joe Grey. First the large, powerful feline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language. Then he discovers he can speak it as well! It's a nightmare for a cat who'd prefer to sleep the day away carefree, but Joe can handle it. That is, until he has the misfortune to witness a murder in the alley behind Jolly's Deli -- and worse, to be seen witnessing it. With all of his nine lives suddenly at risk, Joe's got no choice but to get to the bottom of the heinous crime -- because his mouse-hunting days are over for good unless he can help bring a killer to justice.

A big, powerful, gray feline, Joe Grey is perfectly content with his remarkable ability to understand and communicate with humans -- especially now that he has company. A mysterious accident similar to the one that enabled him to speak and read has transformed his friend Dulcie as well. The trouble is, the cute tabby female not only hears human words, she believes them. Now she's convinced the man who was jailed for murdering a famous local artist and burning down her studio is innocent -- simply because he says so -- and she's willing to do whatever it takes to dig up the evidence that will exonerate the accused. Joe would much prefer just lazing around the house doing kitty things, but the lady cat is determined. And Joe must admit that he is curious ... though everyone knows what that can lead to!

“Murphy’s series is top-notch...a real treat.” —Cats magazine The acclaimed mystery writer whom Kirkus Reviews praises for having “raised the stakes of the feline sleuth genre,” Shirley Rousseau Murphy brings back cat detectives Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit in Cat Striking Back. Arguably the most unusual sleuth in contemporary crime fiction, Joe Grey is at his curious best when he pads across evidence of a heinous crime but with no victim in sight. Cat Striking Back is a treat for readers of Lillian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown, and Carole Nelson Douglas—for cat people and anyone who loves a good whodunit—a bravura display of the mastery that has won Murphy an unprecedented seven straight Muse Medallions from the national Cat Writers Association.

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

Feline P. I. Joe Grey and his friends pounce on three investigations that may connect to one larger mystery—including one case that is very personal—in this hair-raising installment in Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s beloved, award-winning series. Joe Grey and his partner, Dulcie, are frantic when Courtney, their pretty teen-kitten goes missing. Aided by their two- and four-legged friends, they hit the streets of Molina Point in search of their calico girl. Has Joe Grey and Dulcie’s only daughter been lured away by someone and stolen? Is she lying somewhere hurt, or worse? Courtney has no idea that everyone is desperately looking for her. Locked in an upstairs apartment above the local antiques shop, she’s enjoying her first solo adventure. When she first met Ulrich Seaver, the shop’s owner, Courtney was frightened. But the human has coddled and pampered her, winning her trust. Sheltered by her parents, her brothers, and her kind human companions, the innocent Courtney is unaware of how deceptive strangers can be. She doesn’t know that Ulrich is hiding a dangerous secret that could threaten her and everyone in this charming California coastal village. With his focus on finding Courtney, Joe Grey has neglected his detective work with the Molina Point Police Department. Before his daughter disappeared, Joe found a viciously beaten woman lying near the beach. Now the police investigation has stalled, and the clever feline worries his human colleagues may have missed a vital clue. Joe is also concerned about a family of newcomers whose domestic battles are disturbing the town’s tranquility. Loud and abrasive, the Luthers’ angry arguing, shouting, and swearing in the early hours of the night have neighbors on edge and the cops on alert. One of the couple’s late-night shouting matches masked the sounds of a burglary, and now a criminal is on the loose. Though the crimes are as crisscrossed as the strands of a ball of yarn, Joe Grey’s cat senses tell him they may somehow be linked. It’s up to the fleet-footed feline and his crime-solving coterie to untangle the mysteries before it’s too late.

Fans of Lillian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown and cat lovers everywhere will delight in this newest mystery featuring two furry felines on the scent of a killer. 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 Brittian. 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.