Cat Cross Their Graves

The Barnes & Noble ReviewShirley Rousseau Murphy's popular mystery series features quick-witted cats who are also expert investigators. This installment finds the quiet town of Molena Point, California, devastated by the murder of local celebrity Patty Rose: A former actress famed for her WWII-era Hollywood musicals, Patty was beloved for her many acts of kindness and generosity in the town she'd called home since her retirement. First on the scene after her famous friend is killed, the extraordinary young tortoiseshell Kit takes the lead in this investigation. Trained by one of the finest feline detectives in town, the large gray tomcat named Joe Grey, Kit puts her every instinct to work, following the perpetrator and gathering at great risk all the evidence humans will need to see justice done. Sentient felines Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit soon discover that this brutal crime has far-reaching ties and is more complex than anyone -- human or animal -- suspects. As usual, the humans who are lucky enough to share the lives of these curiously clever cats do their part -- including a frightened child who's taken refuge in a hidden room with only Dulcie to offer her company and comfort and the first faint hope of freedom. Sue Stone