Life is filled with transitions. Some are joyful and some are not. Known only to a few humans, the small circle of cats with the special ability to converse with humans are going through their own cycle of life transitions. In the charming vacation town of Molena Point on the California coast, Misto, the old yellow tomcat, is nearing his end and his humans, veterinarian John Firetti and his wife, are doing their best to keep him comfortable.

Also keeping watch over Misto are Dulcie and Joe Grey, two more of the unique breed of cats who can talk, read, and use phones and computers. When not with Misto, the two cats have been busy patrolling from the rooftops and the ground to get new clues. Joe uses special "cop-thinking" and detection abilities to anonymously keep Max Harper, the Police Chief, in the loop on important information they discover, especially on a series of unusual and seemingly senseless attacks on very vulnerable people. Their good feline friends, Kit and Pan, are off on a long journey and so Dulcie and Joe are doing more patrols. This is making both cats tired, but Dulcie has another reason for slowing down a bit more. She is nervous about telling Joe her secret... How will he react to finding out she is having kittens and he is the father? What will happen when she tells him?

Lovingly written by the talented Shirley Rousseau Murphy, CAT SHOUT FOR JOY is the nineteenth book in her well known Joe Grey mystery series. Murphy's many fans are sure to love this latest addition to the series as well as the introduction of some new intriguing little kitten characters. Yet, CAT SHOUT FOR JOY also is a delightful stand alone mystery, especially for readers who love cat and/or cozy mysteries. The characters, both feline and human, are realistic in thought and action and spring vividly to life. The plot is well-developed with an exciting ending with just enough to leave the reader wanting to read on and find out more about the antics of this unique breed of cats.

I particularly enjoy how Murphy easily moves between the perspectives and interests from the cats' to human points of views and how Joe, Dulcie, Pan and Kit ferret out what they need to know and how they pass on the info they gain. The cats have their worries about too many humans finding out about their abilities, and Joe is concerned if Max is on to him or is now trusting him. Trust me, if you like cat mysteries, you will find joy in CAT SHOUT FOR JOY!