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Dulcie Schwartz #3
Grey Zone: A Dulcie Schwartz Feline Mystery, Book 3
When a student goes missing and a professor ends up dead, Dulcie Schwartz realizes that midterms are going to be worse than ever. She's hard at work on her thesis, but present day concerns - including the destructive mischief of her growing kitten - keep dragging her back into a tangle of motive, misbehavior, and maybe even murder. If only Mr. Grey, her beloved feline ghost, would lend a hand, at least with that rambunctious kitten...
Audible Audio
First published April 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Clea Simon
57 books405 followersBoston 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 22, 2011
Ms. Simon's series "A Dulcie Schwartz Feline mystery" always leaves me feeling that I have learned something about English Literature while romping through University life and playing with a wonderful kitten named 'Esme.' This book was no different.
Together with the help of Dulcie, I learned about the feminist movement in the latter 1790's in Britain and how the movement was progressing here in the United States as well. I also learned more about a different aspect of sexual abuse.
Finally, we are treated by a simple lesson on Love in it's purest form and this is taught to us by a ghost Cat, Mr. Grey, Esme, and a young gentleman, Chris. You will have to read the book to find out what the reminder is of.
The flavor of life on Harvard is portrayed very well through description and action.
This book left me feeling more educated, and at the same time wanting to learn more. I wish there was going to be a stand-alone book on Dulcie's Thesis. I can only hope the series continues for dozens of books.
Together with the help of Dulcie, I learned about the feminist movement in the latter 1790's in Britain and how the movement was progressing here in the United States as well. I also learned more about a different aspect of sexual abuse.
Finally, we are treated by a simple lesson on Love in it's purest form and this is taught to us by a ghost Cat, Mr. Grey, Esme, and a young gentleman, Chris. You will have to read the book to find out what the reminder is of.
The flavor of life on Harvard is portrayed very well through description and action.
This book left me feeling more educated, and at the same time wanting to learn more. I wish there was going to be a stand-alone book on Dulcie's Thesis. I can only hope the series continues for dozens of books.
June 11, 2011
I like this series. The story and mystery are well developed, and overall, I like the characters. But I'm still somewhat irritated by main character Dulcie. For a doctoral candidate, she does some awfully dumb-cluck stuff sometimes. Then again, her flaws do help make her more realistic as a character than many other mystery-series protagonists.
June 13, 2011
I've enjoyed Clea Simon's Theda Krakow series, but i found this book just hard to get through. I'm not sure why, i think it just got too wound up with her ghost cat Mr Grey and just utter confusion for Dulcie. Nice ending but getting there was tough.
March 22, 2011
Grey Zone
By: Clea Simon
Publisher: Severn House
Copyright – April 2011
When a student goes missing, and a professor ends up dead, Dulcie Schwartz realizes that midterms are going to be worse than ever. If only Mr. Grey, her beloved feline ghost, would lend a hand, at least with that rambunctious kitten.
Dulcie is in the middle of trying to get her Thesis looking into a 200 year old Gothic Mystery which she must whip into good enough shape to show to her thesis advisor. She’s also looking for time to finish grading her class’s midterm papers and do student reviews. She doesn’t have time to get caught up in campus troubles, missing students, a dead professor and a boyfriend who is working himself to death.
She is also finding her new kitten to be a bit more obstreperous then her beloved Mr. Grey who had recently passed on. Clea Simon has a fantastic way with words, cats and even dogs.
FTC Full Disclosure: I was sent this book as an ARC by the author in the hope that I would review it.
Clea Simon's other series include: the Theda Krakow Mysteries and the Pru Marlow Mysteries. Visit her website at http://cleasimon.com/
By: Clea Simon
Publisher: Severn House
Copyright – April 2011
When a student goes missing, and a professor ends up dead, Dulcie Schwartz realizes that midterms are going to be worse than ever. If only Mr. Grey, her beloved feline ghost, would lend a hand, at least with that rambunctious kitten.
Dulcie is in the middle of trying to get her Thesis looking into a 200 year old Gothic Mystery which she must whip into good enough shape to show to her thesis advisor. She’s also looking for time to finish grading her class’s midterm papers and do student reviews. She doesn’t have time to get caught up in campus troubles, missing students, a dead professor and a boyfriend who is working himself to death.
She is also finding her new kitten to be a bit more obstreperous then her beloved Mr. Grey who had recently passed on. Clea Simon has a fantastic way with words, cats and even dogs.
FTC Full Disclosure: I was sent this book as an ARC by the author in the hope that I would review it.
Clea Simon's other series include: the Theda Krakow Mysteries and the Pru Marlow Mysteries. Visit her website at http://cleasimon.com/
September 1, 2014
This series as an audio book rocks! Especially with the narrator on this package - she does individual characters incredibly well. I have picked up 2 of the other Dulcie books and it will be interesting to see if they are as fun to actually read as they are to listen to.
Dulcie is a rather naive grad student and her group of friends are interesting character studies of 'types'.
Dulcie is a rather naive grad student and her group of friends are interesting character studies of 'types'.
February 17, 2012
I *should* have liked this book more: interested in literature (tick); lost a much loved pet/love animals (tick); love crime/mystery books (tick) but for some reason I found Grey Zone incredibly hard to get through. Good ending but it wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped.
January 12, 2014
The relationships that Dulcie has with her cats, both spirit and physical cats, is very endearing and helps to make Dulcie's flaws acceptable. Dulcie is a very relatable character and the stories are light and digestible. Good, breezy read with just the right amount of emotional investment.
June 20, 2022
This was the first book of the series that I’ve read, I picked it up on sale as an audiobook and I am honestly a little bit disappointed, I definitely will try and read the first book in the series I think it’s on sale or in the library, because I am curious to see how it all started. However, the main character throughout this whole book was beyond needy, self-centered and boring. She kept making very simple mistakes and it would never speak up for what she really wanted, it was very frustrating and completely unenjoyable, I like the idea of the book, but like I said this is the first of the series and I would be curious to see what the first book would be like compared to this.
May 22, 2017
The trials and tribulations of an academic! The story worked, though. On to the next one.
October 30, 2018
Could not even finish
January 13, 2017
I recently realized that I have not been reading this series in order, as is my usual practice. Kindle to the rescue, and immediate gratification of my desire to read #3. Dulcie Schwartz is still mourning her cat Mr. Grey, although she has a new kitten at home. Her roommate is in love and not home much, her boyfriend is working late hours at the computer lab, and her new advisor has strong doubts about some of her thesis ideas. Add to that a missing student and a dead professor, and nasty wintry weather in Cambridge, and Dulcie has a lot of problems. I really enjoy these books, especially the parts dealing with Dulcie's research into a lost Gothic novelist. The one thing that didn't quite ring true for me was Dulcie's overwrought concern about the missing student, for whom she feels responsible because the woman had been (very briefly) in one of her freshman English sections. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I doubt there are many grad students who think that deeply about the undergrads they are required to teach! Still, I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes academic mysteries and can stand a little (very little) supernatural action.
August 11, 2021
Another of Clea Simon's wonderful intelligently written mysteries set at Harvard University.
I've learned a great deal about the difficulties faced by graduate students working to finish their degrees. Especially how difficult it is while attempting to solve crimes as you receive emotional support from your deceased cat Mr. Grey. Lots of fun.
I've learned a great deal about the difficulties faced by graduate students working to finish their degrees. Especially how difficult it is while attempting to solve crimes as you receive emotional support from your deceased cat Mr. Grey. Lots of fun.
August 26, 2012
Its very comfortable to join Dulcie and Esme for a quick read. I worry tho that she does nt get on with her thesis. Looking forward to another.
February 27, 2015
Interesting book between a cat (Deceased) and his master. New kitten and weird murders in the college.
May 18, 2015
Gave up on page 30 - couldn't get into it somehow. Perhaps too American for me
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December 27, 2014Category: Mystery
March 27, 2017
Working with a new thesis advisor, Dulcie encounters obstacles as he dismisses her theories on why the author of The Ravages of Umbria seemed to have disappeared after 1794.
She also feels responsible when a girl who had dropped out of one of her sections goes missing. And then a psychology prof falls to his death outside the new building.
Sexual harassment, ethics, and more delving into historical sources swirl around as Dulcie tries to support her students, her former student - and satisfy her thesis advisor with her progress.
She also feels responsible when a girl who had dropped out of one of her sections goes missing. And then a psychology prof falls to his death outside the new building.
Sexual harassment, ethics, and more delving into historical sources swirl around as Dulcie tries to support her students, her former student - and satisfy her thesis advisor with her progress.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews