|
Written by Cindy Rekemeyer
Joe Grey, the cat with the power of human speech is back in his twelfth mystery in Shirley Rousseau Murphy's "Cat Pay the Devil". Once again, murders are occurring in the picturesque Northen California coastal town of Molena Point and Joe, with his talking feline companions Dulcie and Kit, is
on the case. These three feline detectives have an edge over Molena Point Police Chief Max Harper's force: THEY can find clues and tail suspects, without being noticed.
The murders take backseat, however, when Dulcie's human housemate, retired Federal probation officer Wilma Getz is kidnapped by Case Jones. Jones has escaped from custody and has a powerful vendetta against Wilma - she has sent him to prison, on two occasions and Jones is convinced that Wilma stole some contraband goods from him. Chief Harper and Chief Detective Dallas Garza waste no time, searching for Wilma and Jones, while Joe and HIS human housemate Clyde Damen look for clues, too.
Things heat up, when Jones kidnaps Chief Harper's wife, Charlie, who is also Wilma's niece. Jones intends to use Charlie as a bargaining chip, to force Wilma to give up the goods, that he thinks she has.
Joe, Dulcie and Kit, with the help of a feral clowder of talking cats, nose out clues and try to figure out HOW to tip off Harper and Garza, without revealing their secret. The search for Wilma and Charlie ends in a spectacular fashion, high in the hills above Molena Point.
During the kidnapping investigation, Joe even manages to nose out some clues, to the recent murders of three women and leave them strategically placed, for Detective Garza to find.
This is a rippingly good read, fast-paced with more plot twists and turns, than a cat winding around your ankles. Sleazy characters, abused wives, stolen pre-Columbian art, and talking cats combine to keep the reader enthralled, to the last page. Recurring characters and a few loose ends bode well for more adventures with these feline detectives and their human friends.
This book is 295 pages, published by William Morrow, available Feb. 20, 2007. For more information and the previous Joe
|
