Product Description

Christmas in the charming seaside village of Molena Point, California, has always been a traditional affair—but not this holiday season. Instead of singing carols and climbing into Christmas trees, Joe Grey, feline P.I., is faced with his most difficult case yet—and that's saying a lot for a wily tomcat who for years has been solving crimes the police can't even crack.

A stranger lies dead beneath the village Christmas tree, with a little child the only witness to the shooting. As the police scramble for leads, the grey tomcat, his tabby lady, Dulcie, and their tortoiseshell pal, Kit, launch their own unique investigation. As they care for the child who may be the shooter's next target, the cats realize they're facing their most heartbreaking case yet—and that they must catch a cunning killer if they have any hope of saving Christmas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #521501 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-30
• Released on: 2007-10-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
"savor the finely crafted suspense set against the backdrop of holiday feasts and festivities... " -- Publishers Weekly

Review
"savor the finely crafted suspense set against the backdrop of holiday feasts and festivities... " (Publishers Weekly )

About the Author

Shirley Rousseau Murphy has received seven national Cat Writers' Association Awards for best novel of the year, two Cat Writers' President's Awards, the "World's Best Cat Litter-ary Award" in 2006 for the Joe Grey Books, and five Council of Authors and Journalists Awards for previous books. She and her husband live in Carmel, California, where they serve as full-time household help for two demanding feline ladies.

Customer Reviews

Joe's thirteenth mystery is heartbreaking.
In the quaint little village named Molena Point (California), the police department is used to getting anonymous phone calls from a certain voice giving them help on cases. So when the voice reports a man shot dead beneath the village Christmas tree and a little girl in his arms scared and crying, Molena Point PD responds. However, upon arriving there is neither a body, nor a little girl, to be found. There is a space where a body could have once been and even traces of blood though. Searching the area, officers locate a silent and scared little girl around the age of five or six. But who is she? Where did she come from?

Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit are three felines used to secretly cracking the cases too difficult for the humans. After all, cats have much keener senses than people. Together the trio dive into the mystery as they care for the child who may be the killer's next target.

**** This is Joe Grey's thirteenth case. It is a heartbreaking predicament set around the year's busiest season. Humans with cat owners, such as myself, can't help but love these feline heroes since we often wonder just how much our cat companions understand of our language. (MINE certainly act as though they understand my words. So well that it is sometimes creepy!) Mystery fans and/or animal fans will adore this story. Excellent for reading on a silent cold night. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Cat Deck The Halls
I have enjoyed the Joe Grey stories and look forward to each new book.
Ms. Murphy is a wonderful story teller. I collect her books, so I know the intelligent way she uses words to bring the reader into the story be it one of her childrens books or a Joe Grey Mystery.
You will be brought into the world of regular people living and working in a small beach town but some of them have to deal with a secret. If it ever gets out that Clyde, Wilma and only a few others know about Joe, Dulcie and Kit what a mess that would be. Hard to keep the fact that these cats are from a spicial breed. Joe loves to snoop! Joe loves to order food from the local deli and Joe, Dulcie and Kit visit the local police department, slove crime and no one ever knows who the persons are who help the police. Cat Deck The Halls is set at the Christmas season and the cats are looking forward to the Christmas Musical and the seasons treats. Joe is a bit slow in finding out what all is going on when some suspect people move into a house down the road from Kit's house. Maybe kit is skiddish already from finding a man shot to death under the town Christmas Tree, and where is the little girl who was with him?
Great story you will enjoy.

fun personification holiday mystery
In the garden of a plaza in Molena Point, California, the assailant kills the man by the Christmas tree while a little girl clings to the victim. After the culprit fled the crime scene, Kit prowling the rooftop of one of the buildings in the plaza smells the blood and cordite. She traces the odor to the dead human and sees the frightened five or six year old (hard to judge specific age in humans as they all look the same) clinging to the dead man.

By the time the cops arrive, the killer hid the corpse and Kit and her feline pals concealed the child to insure that the culprit did not come after the only witness. While his cat pals hide the little girl, ace detective Joe Grey investigates. Meanwhile the killer and perhaps some allies seek the child so they break into Kit's home and the studio of a famous artist at the Home for Orphan Children. However, these dangerous humans have never dealt with felines as clever as Joe Grey, Kit and the rest of their meowing carol singers.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy proves that cats have at least fourteen lives as Joe Grey works his later caper while his partners keep the human girl safe. The whodunit is cleverly designed to keep the audience, the cops and the cats off balance until the final paw step. Fans of the series will appreciate this fun personification holiday mystery as the felines of Molena Point deck the halls with an entertaining mystery

Harriet Klausner