Thank you, again, to Sandie Herron, who stepped in this week with a couple of reviews. This one is of an audiobook, so it falls under Have You Heard?
Cat Shout for Joy
Written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Narrated by Susan Boyce
Series: Joe Grey mystery #19
Unabridged Audiobook
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: February 23, 2016
ASIN: B01BE1PDGE
***** 5 stars
Molena Point, California is alive with the activities of its human and feline populations. Sentient cat Joe Grey’s lady love Dulcie has good news for everyone: she is expecting kittens! Joe Grey is beside himself with joy and wonder as Dulcie’s pregnancy progresses. However, they are saddened as the old yellow cat Misto is dieing. He says it is only his time on earth that is ending. He gives them many prophecies and says an exciting future awaits them all. He predicts that Dulcie will have three kittens, one of which will be a calico marked with the ancient markings of three black bands on her front paw. This kitten will have lived before and will bring an ancient adventurous spirit.
While everyone protects Dulcie and her unborn babies, their humans have their hands full with a mugger who attacks the elderly, leaving them injured and humiliated. When one victim dies, it becomes a homicide for Captain Max Harper and his men to solve. Of course, Joe Grey is there to help as the “snitch” who calls in tips to the Molena Point Police Department. The reader must suspend their disbelief over this community of talking cats. Their secret is only known by a select few humans, and they prefer to stay anonymous to protect their secret. Keeping silent can be a daunting task.
Kate Osborne is busy after buying the old Pamillon estate, including the ruins of the Pamillon mansion where the wild band of felines is currently living. It is on this estate that Ryan Flannery is building a new cat shelter to serve the volunteer effort of rescuing cats. During construction, several of the sentient feral cats lead Kit and Pan to the secret Netherworld to see the place from where the talking cats have risen. It is a harrowing trip through tunnels, dark places, and decay. The pair see artwork and porcelain and many treasures that picture the cats of the Celtic myths. The cats above worry about their return. Misto, Pan’s father, magically knows they are safe and allays their fears.
This nineteenth entry in the Joe Grey series is a bittersweet mix of happy and sad, endings and beginnings. As Misto passes from this world, Dulcie has her three kittens including the calico girl he predicted. The other two kittens are boys; one is named Striker and the other is Buffin, both tan colored tabbies. While the cats and their humans wonder over their birth, the rest of Molena Point is still plagued by the street prowler. With no witnesses and few clues, they are at a loss as to who the criminal is and why he is preying on the elderly.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy has written another enchanting tale which follows in the series beautifully. It can, however, also be read as a standalone mystery with some back story provided throughout. Mrs. Murphy creates a mystery full of twists and turns in the midst of a charming feline tale. There are many storylines swirled together. Narrator Susan Boyce leads us through them with ease.
Highly recommended.
