Grey Expectations

Dulcie Schwartz #4

by Clea Simon, Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

Could a missing book be haunted? Dulcie Schwartz doesn't want to think so, but ever since it disappeared from the university, things have gone from bad to worse - one of her colleagues accused of homicide, and another revealed as an impostor. To top it all off, both the ghost cat Mr Grey and the kitten Esm‚ seem to have switched their allegiance to her boyfriend. Deprived of feline assistance, Dulcie must uncover the truth by herself, or else find herself on the hook for the theft - and murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cats, Animals, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Boston Globe-bestselling author Clea Simon is the author of The Butterfly Trap, a sinister slow-build "he said/she said" that will definitely surprise you.

This follows Bad Boy Beat a fast-paced amateur sleuth mystery featuring a novice crime reporter with a nose for news who is convinced a series of street-level killings are connected.

In a different mood, Clea's most recent cozy is The Cat's Eye Charm, the fifth in her "Witch Cats of Cambridge" series.

She is also the author of the psychological suspense novels, Hold Me Down and World Enough, both named "Must Reads" by the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as the dystopian Blackie and Care black cat series (The Ninth Life), the Dulcie Schwartz feline/academic mysteries (Shades of Grey), the Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (Dogs Don't Lie), and the Theda Krakow cats & crime & rock & roll mysteries (Mew is for Murder), as well as three nonfiction books: Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings; Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads; and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats.

The recipient of multiple honors, including the Cat Writers Associations Presidents Award, she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jon Garelick, and their cat, Thisbe. Find her at Clea Simon.com

Reviews

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

We join Dulcie Schwartz in a happy place. She is actually writing her Dissertation, she has a wonderful, live-in, boyfriend, Chris, and a loving new kitty, Esme. The only slight cloud in Dulcie's life is her continued sadness over the passing of Mr. Grey, her beloved Cat. Mr. Grey was and is able to communicate with Dulcie and Chris psychically. This helps ease the pain of loss.

Then, Dulcie receives a panicked phone call from her friend, Trista. Suddenly, Dulcie and Chris are thrown into the dark grey world of stolen codexes, missing friends, stolen identities, men in black, and murder!

Dulcie finds herself framed by an unknown quantity. Add a conspiracy and we have a captivating story. Add, the underlining mystery hunt for the actual author of the Dissertation's main theme,a Gothic book written in 1790, and you have two spell-binding mysteries. Can Mr. Grey and Esme save their precious humans?

The psychic element of the ghost cat and communication flows realistically throughout the book. In fact this is a common element of Gothic literature and make no mistake, "Grey Expectations" is a work of literature.

[Larraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be prepared to suspend belief and have a little fun. For a cat and mystery lover, Clea Simon provides yet another fun romp with the inimitable Dulcie Schwartz, her kitten, Esme and the ghost of her now departed cat, Mr. Grey. Yes, Mr. Grey comes back periodically giving her advice and comfort, instructing Esme as to how a proper young kitten should behave, and even communicating with Dulcie's boyfriend, Chris. Having moved in with him and still living the life of doctoral candidate/thesis writers, Dulcie is still trying to prove that the obscure Gothic novel she has found called, of all things, The Ravages of Umbria, is more than must an 18th century trifle. In the meantime, her friend, Trista, a Victorian specialist is presenting her own thesis and disappears after telling her that she is in trouble and has been accused of murder. Dulcie, of course, tries to track her down. In the meantime, a rare manuscript is missing from the college library. Then the professor who brought the manuscript to the library is murdered....... This is a fun book. You'll need to go with the flow here and suspend belief. However, it's a fun and relaxing read. Besides, who can resist a kitten?

[Amy Shojai · Rating 5 out of 5]

A litter-ary mystery puzzler, with Dulcie aided by tips from her new kitten and the ghost of dearly departed cat-friend Mr Grey. When a student friend calls frantic for help, and then disappears, Dulcie is thrust into a search for her missing friend that may be tied to the theft of a priceless manuscript, with both good guys and bad guys suspecting Dulcie played a part. Highly recommended.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, well developed plot. Great addition to the series.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. While I do believe in the intelligence and intuitiveness of our feline companions, communing with a ghost cat whom is as all knowing as God, and two gray squirrels that project warnings is too ludicrous to even be believable. I think the author has a fascination with the paranormal and wants to weave it into her mysteries as her own special cozy mystery novelty. This definitely would have been a 5 star book without it. An academic researcher of gothic novels of the late 18th century, especially by unknown strong, independent thinking females is preparing her thesis as a doctoral candidate. The book is fascinating involving missing friends, ancient documents, murder and the main character which always seem to be in the middle of it. She has a kitten, that loves to bite and brings laughter just after intense moments. Dreams which give clues to the author she's studying. A very enjoyable mystery if you ignore the fantasy/sci-fi.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange things are happening in Dulcie’s world. Her research is interrupted when one colleague goes missing, another is afraid she may be arrested for his murder, and an expensive book is discovered to be missing from the university library. Dulcie’s research may be all for naught, jeopardizing her degree. And things to go downhill from there. Her little cat Esme seems to have more affection for Dulcie’s boyfriend than for Dulcie, and even Mr. Grey – ghost cat – seems to be visiting Dulcie less and less. A delightful mystery with enchanting felines – what more could you ask for!

[Mary Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

A post grad student is struggling to write her thesis on gothic literature. Meantime she has a mystery of a stolen valuable document to solve- with help from her ghost cat and her live kitten.

I picked this book up at random from the 'just arrived' at my library- attracted by the cat on the dust cover.

This is a fresh, open read,loved all the cat stuff

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Dulcie doesn't know which way to turn in this one. She's spinning like a top with more problems than ever before. I'll put my review into a more coherent form later. Right now I have to help my partner do some more Passover prep work.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spectural cat?? Communicating with squirrels? A bid weird, but a pleasant listen.

[February Four · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! What a crazy story, but still entirely within the realm of possibility.

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun cozy mystery.

[Diana Petty-stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mystery on a college campus with lots of intrigue and an adorable kitten as well as a ghost cat.

[Cindy Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Matthews’ mystery novel, wealthy Cleon Dobbs is planning his own suicide and wants all of his extended family in attendance. Dinah Pelerin travels to Australia because Dobbs had once been married to her mother and she actually liked him. She hopes to learn some things about her own father but as she picks Dobbs brain, bodies begin piling up as the feuding family gets caught up in the dying man’s manipulation, taking her along for the ride.

A fast-paced addition to the A Dinah Pelerin Mystery series.

[Merceda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was okay. Wasn't a totally great read though. Finally ended up finishing it though in the afternoon because I wasn't reading enough of it at night to get through with it. A bit weird about how people kept disappearing, and the Dunster Codex went missing, and the professor died, and Dulcie kept showing up in everything although she had nothing to do with any of it.

[S.e. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy academic mystery with a ghost cat and a living kitten helping an amateur sleuth grad student - why not. I thought that the crime part was a bit weak, but the characters are likable.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: A Dulcie Schwartz Feline Mystery

[LInda L]

May have this mixed up with "grayed expectations", but not so sure.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little read. A bit slow starting but a good finish.

[DJ =^^= · Rating 1 out of 5]

such a shame :( but not interested in a cat ghost.

[Amy Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare manuscript is stolen from the rare books collection at the university and Dulcie is a suspect, a record showing her accessing the book. But Dulcie hadn’t been in the rare books section recently and definitely had not viewed the manuscript, it being from a much earlier time period than her area of study.

A missing friend, a colleague who isn't who he said he was, creepy plainclothes detectives, and a murdered curator make for confusion as Dulcie tries to do more research on essays written by the author of The Ravages of Umbria so she can get more of her thesis done.