In the charming town of Molena Point on the California
coast, Joe Grey, a wily and street-smart cat, loves his role
as an investigative police informant. For this and other
skills, Joe Grey has many fans; yet, the greatest of these
are his three new kittens that his partner Dulcie gave birth
to a few weeks earlier. They just squeal with delight when
he comes to visit his family and gently wrestles with them
with his large tomcat paws and lets them maul him all over.
Both parents belong to a very small and special breed of
cats that can talk, read, and use cellphones and speak to
humans in English. The parents fiercely love their little
female calico kitten named Courtney by the late Misto before
her birth and her two very lively brothers, Striker and
Buffin. While their little kitten eyes have opened and they
each have started developing their own personalities, the
parent wonder... will they have the ability to speak as well?
Meanwhile, life for the police and the town's residents
have become difficult as a band of car thieves have been
breaking into vehicles and stealing belongings and a few
expensive cars have disappeared as well. Both Joe Grey and
the local police have been frustrated about always arriving
too late. How can the crooks always manage to get away
without a trace to track them down? Can Joe Grey find a way
to balance his new family responsibilities with his need for
investigative prowls?
CAT SHINING BRIGHT is the 20th book in Shirley Rousseau
Murphy's well-known and beloved Joe Grey
Mystery series and in my opinion CAT SHINING BRIGHT
is one of her best in the series. Murphy is a great story
teller who skillfully weaves in small clues for those who
like to figure out the WHODONEIT, but she doesn't give away
the secret quickly, and her conclusion is very exciting and
surprising. Murphy's many, many fans and readers who love
cat and/or cozy mysteries will find CAT SHINING BRIGHT a
true delight as well as any reader who loves a good story
and a mystery to solve.
While CAT SHINING BRIGHT can easily be read as a
stand-alone, this wonderful story is even more meaningful
and richer if a few of the earlier books in the series have
been read first. The talking cats have wonderful
personalities and intriguing ways to pass on information to
each other as well as to the police and humans they live
with in varying ways. The cats are always mindful of how the
humans would react and Murphy is very skilful in making both
two-leggeds and cats authentic in the actions, attitudes and
mannerisms. Truly, CAT SHINING BRIGHT is a feline reading
feast to enjoy! So, get your paws on a copy and find out why
the cat shines so bright!
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.