Actually, this is a book review today, not a review of an audio. But, Sandie Herron reviewed Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s latest mystery, Cat Shining Bright, so it falls under “Have You Heard?” Check out Sandie’s review.
![Cat Shining Bright: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mystery Series Book 20) by [Murphy, Shirley Rousseau]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IPVsyRdc8A7H5dlLXDZdrBPJhbFk9sCu1ZJqvfi6C5zo6Ij071TicQtymJ2aFl3OhLHvTDxuhfe-oTD_rqOg-9ZH-MS-FbfFQORUdF9b8EJhbNMjmh4lDfCqtSS6gBlIiVw2EhHYoN0OowWM9A)
Cat Shining Bright
Written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Series: Joe Grey mystery #20
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: August 15, 2017
ISBN: 0062460315 (ISBN13: 9780062460318)
***** 5 stars
CAT SHINING BRIGHT is about coming of age and changes in the lives of the magical sentient felines that live in Molena Point, California. Joe Grey and his love Dulcie are marveling over the birth of their three kittens, two boys and a girl, waiting to see if they, too, will speak and read human language. The boys Striker and Buffin are buff colored. The third kitten, Courtney, is the calico female that Misto, the wise old yellow tomcat, had predicted would return from the lands in the Celtic myths.
On the night of severe rain storms and howling winds, a car theft ring skulks through the village breaking into cars, driving those they can away and stealing any valuables left inside the cars they can’t start. Felines Kit and Pan brave the storms and follow detectives from MPPD compiling a description of two thieves and observing their actions. Joe Grey still enjoys his investigative work as snitch for the Molena Point Police Department but has cut his hours drastically to save more time for his family. When he reads the newspaper account of the car thefts, Dulcie urges him to go be part of what he loves at MPPD. Up until now the kittens had been sheltered from learning any bad news, but they latch onto these stories wanting to be part of detecting work too.
Unknown to Joe, the kittens sneak out of the house and follow him to MPPD. They watch as Joe appears to sleep on the police captain’s desk, when he is actually stealing glances at reports and listening to detectives discuss the day’s events. When the police chief’s wife calls 911 to report the shooting deaths of her beautician and a customer in the salon, Joe follows detectives toward the MPPD exit to head for the scene. Just then, moving shadows alert him to the presence of his kittens! He is mortified to see them there, but he is compelled to visit the crime scene. Promising to stick close to Joe, the kittens follow him to the scene. Dulcie has discovered the kittens missing from home and hears the sirens; she knows then where the kittens have gone.
Dulcie and the kittens are no longer safe at Wilma Getz’s home after a stranger lurking outside breaks in. Wilma scares him away before knowing what he was after, but she suspects it is an ancient hand printed book on the wild sentient cats. Discovering who broke into Wilma’s home and why gets tangled together with investigations into the murders and car thefts. Kit and Pan and the feral cat clowder are led to connections between the new cat shelter and its closest neighbor. Shelter owner Kate Osborne and construction worker Scotty Flannery observe strange happenings near the shelter. Joe Grey has a plan to tie everything together and entice the thieves out of hiding right into the arms of MPPD detectives.
This 20th entry in the charming Joe Grey series takes us deeper into the lives of human and feline residents of Molena Point. Joe and Dulcie watch their kittens grow up and discover new passions and new alliances. They know their trusted friends will help guide their kittens into their adult lives.
Highly recommended.
Thank you for running this review Lesa. I truly enjoyed this book. If the reader can suspend disbelief long enough to accept talking cats, I hope they will enjoy it, too.
You're welcome, Sandie. Thanks for reviewing it!