Joe Grey and his talking cat companions return to solve a particularly gruesome Christmas-time murder, a crime that strikes too close to home.
All is calm and decorated for the holidays in the small northern California coastal town of Molena Point. It's just a few days before Christmas and Joe Grey and his girlfriend, Dulcie, are snuggled in their cozy homes. Another of their gang, a tortoise-shell cat named Kit, is out at the plaza admiring the outdoor Christmas tree when she senses, and smells, something amiss.
What the little cat finds is upsetting, to say the least. A man has been recently stabbed right under the tree and a little girl, not more than five years old, is clinging desperately to the dead man. Kit runs off for help, but when the police arrive minutes later, there is no body and no child.
Consoling Cats
Enlisting the aid of her companions, Joe Grey and Dulcie, the cats find the little girl trembling in a nearby shed, too shocked to speak, even when the police officers discover the girl. Finally, she agrees to leave with a female officer. She is, presumably, the only witness to a brutal murder. Will the limited staff of the small town police department be able to keep the child safe?
A Murder at Christmas
The cats, careful not to reveal to anyone but a select few humans that they can speak, prowl around the crime scene and the town for clues, aided by their superior sense of smell and by the fact that few people take note of a cat. What they find strikes at the very heart of the small community. Will they be able to warn their human friends in time to avoid another murder?
Cat Deck the Halls is a tight, well-written mystery, an ideal choice for lovers of cat fiction. The holiday setting makes it a good choice for a holiday gift and lovers of the series will enjoy visiting with their old friends again. If you've never read any of the Joe Grey mysteries, you're well-advised to start at the beginning with Cat on the Edge.
About Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of thirteen mystery novels, featuring Joe Grey and his friends. She has earned seven national Cat Writers' Association Awards for best novel of the year as well as several other honors. She and her husband live in Carmel, California with their two feline companions.
