REVIEWS

A Christmas catastrophe and murder mystery

Cat Deck The Halls by: Shirley Rousseau Murphy William Morrow, 2007 352 pages ISBN#: 9780061123955 ISBN 10: 0061123951

It is the time of year that miracles and magnificent things occur. Keeping that in mind, a good read is Cat Deck The Halls by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. You will be in the hands of a master writer of contemporary mysteries.

Cat Deck The Halls is the 13th entry into the Joe Gray feline grey detective series. Here is how it unfolds...

The beautiful seaside village of Molena Point, California should be a haven during the end of year holidays. One might assume a quiet traditional season with companionship of friends and family. Not so fast! Instead of singing carols and climbing Christmas trees, Joe Grey, feline private investigator, faces his most difficult case yet. Joe Grey has deciphered clues and cases in the past that left the police stumped. Can he do it again?

The midnight calm of the empty gardens of the shopping plaza is the scene of a murder. Indeed, instead of gaily wrapped gifts under the village Christmas tree, there is the dead body of a stranger. Key to the crime is small child who is the only witness. But, when the police are summoned by an anonymous 911 call made by a discreet feline, the body and the child are not to be found! Enter Joe Grey, his tabby lady-love, and their friend, Kitt who begin their own investigation.

This case pulls on the strings of the heart because the small child, who is the only witness, may be the next victim. Amid all the joy of the season, Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit investigate clues and follow potential suspects. It is possible that both the feline trio as well as the police have overlooked something and the murderer is among the cast of characters. The last pages of Cat Deck The Halls reveal the killer's surprising identity.

Again, Ms. Murphy's careful plotting and fine attention to detail have produced an excellent feline mystery sure to delight everyone.

Shirely Rousseau Murphy has received seven national Cat Writers Association Awards for best novel of the year and two Cat Writers' President's Awards. The Joe Grey series has won the World's Best Cat Literary Award in 2006. Ms. Rousseau has won five Council of Authors and Journalists Awards for previous books. Ms. Murphy and her husband live in Carmel, California with 2 very special lady felines.