Joe Grey Mystery

21 primary works • 23 total works

Cat on the Edge

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 9 December 1998

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.

Cat Under Fire

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 9 December 1998

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!

Cat Raise the Dead

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 9 December 1999

Joe Grey can't believe his human housemate Clyde would even consider volunteering him for the Animal Therapy program at the local nursing home, just when Joe was on the verge of solving the string of burglaries that has Molena Point residents shaking in their collective boots. But it turns out it's Dulcie, Joe's pretty little cat-friend, who came up with the idea of subjecting Joe to the cooing attentions of a bunch of doddering old coots. Dulcie believes there's more going on at the old folks' home than the care and feeding of lonely seniors. And she needs Joe's help in getting to the bottom of a conspiracy ... and a very suspicious set of deaths.

Cat in the Dark

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 9 December 1998

Cat to the Dogs

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 8 December 1999

Cat Spitting Mad

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 26 December 2000

Cat Laughing Last

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 1 September 2002

When celebrated novelist Elliot Traynor and his wife arrive in Molena Point, strange events begin to occur, and feline sleuth Joe Grey and his cat companion Dulcie must delve into their latest mystery and soon find themselves tracking a killer--Novelist.

Cat Seeing Double

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 7 January 2003

Cat Fear No Evil

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 2 March 2004

Cat Cross Their Graves

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 4 January 2005

Cat Breaking Free

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 1 December 2005

Cat Pay the Devil

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 20 February 2007

"Wilma's in danger! You think I'm going to sit here polishing my claws?" When she first hears the news that convict Cage Jones has escaped from prison, Dulcie's fur stands on end. She knows he's after her human companion, Wilma, whom he blames for his stint in jail. She tries to enlist the help of her friend Joe Grey, but the tomcat's got his paws full investigating two local murders. It's only when Wilma disappears after an afternoon shopping trip-and Cage is found lurking at her house-that Joe realizes the two crimes might be more connected than he thought. Paw in hand with the unsuspecting cops, the fantastic felines must untangle Cage's devilish agenda and snare a killer if they ever want to curl up with their friend again and bring peace to their seaside village.

Cat Deck the Halls

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 30 October 2007

The beautiful, serene village of Molena Point, California is the type of place that evokes images of a quiet, traditional Christmas with family. But instead of singing carols and climbing into Christmas trees, the talking tomcat Joe Grey, Feline P.I., is faced with his most heartwrenching case yet, and it comes with a deadline. He employs the help of his girlfriend, Dulcie, and their tortoiseshell coated friend, Kit, to follow the trail. Kit has found a man shot dead beneath a Christmas tree, and the only witness is the child found clinging to his body.But there are no clues when the police finally arrive and the child is rendered speechless from shock. The police worry that they have hit a dead end. Luckily the cats have an advantage over the police in that they can follow suspects without being a detected threat. But Joe, Dulcie, and Kit have their paws full with a series of break-ins, robberies and Christmas parties. The savvy feline detectives find that everything is not as it first appears, after all, in small villages like Moreno Point, everything is connected...

Cat Playing Cupid

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 3 February 2009

This is the fourteenth delightful and sophisticated cat mystery from award-winning author Shirley Rousseau. Murphy finds Joe Grey, Feline P.I., and his friends Dulcie and Kit on a mission to stop a crime spree that endangers love on Valentine's Day.

Cat Striking Back

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 27 October 2009

Joe Grey is carrying a gift of mice to a litter of local kittens when he stumbles upon a murder scene that lacks its most vital ingredient-a victim. All the signs are there: blood, the smell of human death, drag marks across an empty swimming pool. But no body. As Joe, Dulcie, and Kit search for clues, they find that more than murder is afoot in the neighborhood. Many of the houses bear signs of break ins, but nothing appears missing. Somebody is searching for something, or, perhaps, somewhere to hide evidence of a terrible crime. Then, when Ryan Damen's construction company and Charlie Harper's cleaning service come under threat, it's not the intrepid feline detectives that save the day. Instead, a feral cat from the wild band joins forces with the three on their mission to thwart a very clever killer. For Joe will not stand to see the livelihoods-or lives-of his beloved humans in danger. The culprit had better watch out for the cat striking back!

Cat Coming Home

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 26 October 2010

Joe Grey and his pals provide the link between Maudie Toola son's recent murder in Los Angeles and a series of brutal assaults in the small seaside village of Molena Point.

Cat Telling Tales

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 22 November 2011

In the 17th Joe Grey mystery, unexpected houseguests of both the human and feline varieties inspire intrigue - and possibly love.

Cat Bearing Gifts

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 20 November 2012

It's December in Molena Point, and while most of the quaint seaside village's felines are dreaming of feathered play toys and stockings filled with catnip, five special cats-Joe Grey, Dulcie, Misto, Kit, and her true love, Pan-are plunged into a nightmarish mystery involving a series of strange events. First, interior decorator Kate Osborne, the beguiling blond divorcee, reappears with a fortune and a strange story about how she got it. Then, there is the terrible car crash on the winding coastal road involving tortoiseshell Kit and her elderly housemates, Lucinda and Pedric Greenlaw. The accident is terrifying enough, but then two mysterious men steal the Greenlaw's car and the secret treasure they carefully hid inside its doors. And there is the old, faded photograph that appears to awaken long-buried memories for Misto, the yellow tomcat. The fur starts to fly when one of the thieves ends up dead. To find the truth, Joe Grey must discover if the strange events are connected-and why. Luckily, Misto and his unfailing memory might provide some answers.
But the feline detectives' efforts are nearly derailed when Misto's son, Pan, is struck by a case of wanderlust that drives a sad and angry Kit up a tree. With the investigation in trouble, will the feline detectives solve the mystery ...or will a clever killer leave them chasing their own tails?

Cat Shout for Joy

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 23 February 2016

From award-winning author Shirley Rousseau Murphy comes the next charming mystery in the critically acclaimed Joe Grey series ...Joe Grey and Dulcie are thrilled to be awaiting their first litter, but their joy is bittersweet. They are also sad for Pan's father, the old yellow cat Misto, whose time on earth is drawing to a close. While the proud parents await the birth of their babies, the criminals are busy, too. The Molena Point PD has stepped up patrols to apprehend a street prowler who has been attacking the village's elderly citizens. Neither the police nor the cats have a clue about the culprit's identity or what is motivating the attacks. There are no witnesses, and even more puzzling, the assailant has left no clues behind at any of the scenes, not even a trace of evidence-no hairs or fabric particles, not even a lost button. It's as if the perpetrator is a ghost. The case becomes a homicide when one of the victims dies, leaving everyone in the town-including Joe Grey and his furry sleuthing companions-on edge, just as the kittens arrive ...

Cat Shining Bright

by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Published 15 August 2017

"The stakes are higher and more personal than ever for feline investigator Joe Grey when death comes to his beloved coastal California town in this twentieth installment of the enchanting cat mystery series. While new father Joe Grey is overjoyed to teach his three young kittens about the world, he misses his cop work -- secretly helping solve crimes alongside his human friends at Molena Point P.D. But when beautician Barbara Conley and one of her customers are found dead in the salon, Joe makes an exception, he heads for the crime scene. He has no idea that the kittens are following him, or how they will complicate the investigation. But this is not the only danger to the kittens. A stranger is lurking around the home of Joe's tabby lady, Dulcie, where the kittens were born. Both parents' backs are up and their claws out, ready to protect their babies and to protect Wilma Getz, Dulcie's human housemate. As the death of the beautician becomes entangled with a gang of thieves working the village, Joe, Dulcie, Kit and Pan are all into the investigation; and they are led to unexpected connections, to the building of the new cat shelter and to a neighbor who becomes suddenly an unexpected part of the tangle. Joe Grey fans will relish this latest installment following their favorite feline detective and his growing group of friends"--