Product Description

The beautiful, serene village of Molena Point, California is the type of place where people go to get away from the harsher realities of life––which is what attracted classic film star Patty Rose to buy the village inn, and settle down to enjoy her golden years. But as the town gathers to celebrate and honor the beautiful, aging actress with a festival of her old films, Patty is brutally murdered––to the horror and shock of this peaceful burg.

A gentle tortoiseshell cat, Kit, has been enjoying a retreat to the animal–loving actress's inn, where she's spending time with her feline friends Dulcie, and the slick tomcat sleuth, Joe Grey. But her relaxation is cut short when she hears the gunshots that end Patty's life, and sees her dead body sprawled on the inn's front steps. She glimpses the killer racing into the parking garage, and soon follows his trail.

Joe and Dulcie must now follow the naïve Kit's trail, and keep her from getting into serious trouble. To complicate matters, Joe discovers that Dulcie has been hiding a runaway child––one of the lucky humans that these special cats choose to talk to––who has now been kidnapped, likely by the same man who killed their famous friend. In the end, the little girl's abduction leads them to Patty's killer, and the feline friends are all united––but they all must mourn a departed friend as they stand beside the newly laid grave of Patty Rose.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #214098 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-01
• Released on: 2005-09-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 400 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060578114
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
The beginning of Murphy's 10th Joe Grey mystery (after 2004's Cat Fear No Evil) signals that this won't be your typical light cat cozy ("On winter evenings the shadow of a tall, old house struck down across the graves like a long black arrow, and from the canyon below, errant winds sang to the small, dead children"). True, talking tomcat Joe Grey and his comrades, Dulcie and Kit, can squinch their furry paws to punch in 911 or phone in anonymous leads to Molena Point's police captain, Max Harper. These descendants of ancient sentient Celtic cats can also read forensics reports like CSI experts and interact with humans who guard their secret, but this time, such antics take a backseat to the gravity of the murder of local inn owner and retired screen star, Patty Rose, as well as the plight of Lori, a young runaway hiding in a library basement cubby hole, and the discovery of a child predator lurking in the California coastal town. A skilled YA author, Murphy handles such sensitive issues as child endangerment and death well. The large cast of characters may confuse new readers, but established fans will welcome back all their old friends, both feline and human.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
In the latest Joe Grey mystery, Joe and his fellow sentient feline sleuths, lovely Dulcie and the reckless tattercoat Kit, find themselves facing yet more murder in the otherwise peaceful town of Molena Point, California. This time the victim is the well-liked former film star Patty Rose, who had settled in the village. In the course of the investigation, the bodies of children murdered years earlier are discovered in a backyard garden. Is there a connection to Patty's brutal death? Also involved is a runaway 12-year-old girl hiding in the local library who is kidnapped by a vicious man seen near Patty's murder scene. The investigation seems to be going nowhere until Kit unearths some secrets and phones the police. Fans of the series will welcome this new episode, which maintains the expected suspense and investigative skills of the cats. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Fans of the series will welcome this new episode, which maintains the expected suspense and investigative skills of the cats." -- Booklist

Customer Reviews

magical Joe Grey mystery
In the town of Molena Point, three sentient intelligent cats live with their human companions who love them dearly but the felines keep a secret even from their closest human friends. The youngest cat Kit hears a shot ring out at the Otter Pine Inn and when she goes to investigate she finds the body of the proprietor, ex-movie star Patty Rose. Kit loved Polly so when she got the scent of the gunman, she followed him to his house where she finds evidence that would convict him in court if she could ever figure out a way out of the cottage.

Dulcie, the more mature feline, is worried about a young girl Lori who is hiding out in a secret place in the library. Her father is keeping her a prisoner, locking all the doors and windows so she can't get out. When the man who killed Polly kidnaps Lori, Kit chews on the ropes while the man is sleeping enabling them to escape. Kit calls in a tip to the police but the horror is far from over leaving it to the third cat Joe Grey to try to link the three crimes.

There's a special kind of magic in a Joe Grey mystery even when he steps out of the lime light to allow his female felines to shine. The trio are so believably portrayed readers will actually accept these intelligent cats exist somewhere in California. CAT CROSS THEIR GRAVES is a fantastic mystery where humans are only minor feeders, villains, or victims as the police department relies on the anonymous tips of the felines to solve crimes.

Harriet Klausner

Cat mystery without the fluff--a good one
Molena Point, California is an affluent community and proud of it's retired film star, Patty Rose. When Patty is murdered, the only witness is Kit, a tortoiseshell cat. Fortunately, Kit can talk--and dial the phone. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a good look at the killer--she's got to follow him and get the evidence. With Kit vanished, fellow talking cats Joe Grey and Dulcie worry--but Joe Grey has another worry--Dulcie has been keeping secrets from him. Could another Tom have moved into town?

The day after Patty is murdered, a woman's group turns up a child's skeleton--and evidence of more murder. And runaway child Lori hides in a secret basement under the library and worries about the strange twist in her father's reaction to her and about the dangerous people out there.

Author Shirley Rousseau Murphy tells a dark tale of murder--both recent and in the past. Once again, the three talking cats manage to do most of the detecting--informing the police by calling line-ID protected phones. Because although Patty is dead, the murderer(s) may be seeking more victims.

CAT CROSS THEIR GRAVES is not the usual fluffy cat mystery. Its darker themes of endangered children, deranged religious fanatics, and over-possessive paternal love are certain to disturb the reader. But the clever cats offset the dark tone and provide plenty of hope. Murphy's strong writing keeps the reader invested in the story and the cats are developing into fairly complex and three-dimensional characters.

CAT CROSS is a different cat mystery but in this case, that doesn't mean worse. I enjoyed this story very much.

Charming
Ms. Murphy's books just keep getting better and better. This latest installment will keep your interest from the very first page. Even though the three cats have human characteristics, Ms. Murphy easily captures their natuaral feline characteristics. She describes Joe Grey perfectly as he has trouble understanding where his soul-mate, Dulcie, is spending her time lately. Kit is maturing and will probably be a force to reckon with in future books. I love this series; I hope Ms. Murphy keeps them coming.