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Joe Grey #12
Cat Pay the Devil
"Wilma's in danger! You think I'm going to sit here polishing my claws?" When she first hears the news that convict Cage Jones has escaped from prison, Dulcie's fur stands on end. She knows he's after her human companion, Wilma, whom he blames for his stint in jail. She tries to enlist the help of her friend Joe Grey, but the tomcat's got his paws full investigating two local murders. It's only when Wilma disappears after an afternoon shopping trip and Cage is found lurking at her house that Joe realizes the two crimes might be more connected than he thought. Paw in hand with the unsuspecting cops, the fantastic felines must untangle Cage's devilish agenda and snare a killer if they ever want to curl up with their friend again and bring peace to their seaside village.
379 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2007
71 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
62 books515 followersShirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of over 40 books, including 24 novels for adults, the Dragonbards Trilogy and more for young adults, and many books for children. She is best known for her Joe Grey cat mystery series, consisting of 21 novels, the last of which was published when she was over 90. Now retired, she enjoys hearing from readers who write to her at her website www.srmurphy.com, where the reading order of the books in that series can be found.
Murphy grew up in southern California, riding and showing the horses her father trained. After attending the San Francisco Art institute she worked as an interior designer, and later exhibited paintings and welded metal sculpture in the West Coast juried shows. "When my husband Pat and I moved to Panama for a four-year tour in his position with the U. S . Courts, I put away the paints and welding torches, and began to write," she says. Later they lived in Oregon, then Georgia, before moving to California, where she now enjoys the sea and views of the Carmel hills.
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Murphy grew up in southern California, riding and showing the horses her father trained. After attending the San Francisco Art institute she worked as an interior designer, and later exhibited paintings and welded metal sculpture in the West Coast juried shows. "When my husband Pat and I moved to Panama for a four-year tour in his position with the U. S . Courts, I put away the paints and welding torches, and began to write," she says. Later they lived in Oregon, then Georgia, before moving to California, where she now enjoys the sea and views of the Carmel hills.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 1, 2023
Anyone who has ever lived with a cat knows they are very intelligent creatures. They hide it well, though, because that is to their advantage. This book - my first sampling of the Joe Grey series - takes it up a few notches. In the California town of Molena Point, there is a small number of cats who talk. Not only do they talk, but their human housemates have taught them how to read...and three of them have found an interest in crimes committed by humans.
Yes, a healthy suspension of disbelief is required for this series, but it isn't all that difficult (and having read enough comic books to fill a library, I could easily craft an origin story for this group of felines). The cats - the main trio of Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit - act like cats but with the added benefit of intelligence and direct communication with a select group of trusted humans. It works, and I'll confess I didn't think it would, but in this setup author Shirley Rousseau Murphy crafts a solid mystery with a good deal of suspense. That is helped in large part by the human cast (whom Murphy kindly and subtly introduces to new readers like myself) being featured equally if not more than the feline sleuths.
There are a couple of things that detracted from the book. A major subplot was summarily dismissed as having nothing to do with the main mystery; I presume it was meant as social commentary but it felt like a bit of a time waster. I was also jarred as the writing style changed noticeably when a chapter focused on a villain (for example using "should of" instead of "should have"). It is one thing to have the character speak that way, but another for the third person narrator to do so on his behalf.
I still enjoyed this book, and will continue with the next installment very soon.
Yes, a healthy suspension of disbelief is required for this series, but it isn't all that difficult (and having read enough comic books to fill a library, I could easily craft an origin story for this group of felines). The cats - the main trio of Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit - act like cats but with the added benefit of intelligence and direct communication with a select group of trusted humans. It works, and I'll confess I didn't think it would, but in this setup author Shirley Rousseau Murphy crafts a solid mystery with a good deal of suspense. That is helped in large part by the human cast (whom Murphy kindly and subtly introduces to new readers like myself) being featured equally if not more than the feline sleuths.
There are a couple of things that detracted from the book. A major subplot was summarily dismissed as having nothing to do with the main mystery; I presume it was meant as social commentary but it felt like a bit of a time waster. I was also jarred as the writing style changed noticeably when a chapter focused on a villain (for example using "should of" instead of "should have"). It is one thing to have the character speak that way, but another for the third person narrator to do so on his behalf.
I still enjoyed this book, and will continue with the next installment very soon.
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April 16, 2018Dulcieis worried that Wilma is not back from her visit to San Francisco and shopping. Joe is more concerned about the murders of local women. On one trip while checking out her home Dulcie finds two men rummaging throughout it and appeared to be looking for something. She calls for help and Max and Garza arrive and start a to chase for the men
who.manage to escape. Clyde and Joe take of for Gilroy to see if Wima ever arrive there.
The feral cats are living in the ruins and see when Wilma is brought into an old building tied up. After watching for the scene Cotton leaves saying he is going hunting. Willow and Coyote wonder how to help Wilma. Who kidnapped Wilma and what to they wanted.
who.manage to escape. Clyde and Joe take of for Gilroy to see if Wima ever arrive there.
The feral cats are living in the ruins and see when Wilma is brought into an old building tied up. After watching for the scene Cotton leaves saying he is going hunting. Willow and Coyote wonder how to help Wilma. Who kidnapped Wilma and what to they wanted.
June 25, 2021
I love these characters and books. This one either didn't download correctly or the ending was a little vague. I like things wrapped up and the other Joe Cat books I've read had stand alone endings.
October 18, 2015
It was a slow start and the middle was good, but I felt it went too long, as the "investigation" continued.
June 8, 2019
Every time I pick up one of these books, I fall more in love with the cats. This time though Joe is very interested in the cases that are coming into the police but Dulcie is more worried about her Wilma getting back home. She feels like she is late and is worried about her. Joe keeps pushing off her worries and telling her that Wilma will be home later. But Dulcie and Kit soon discover that her worries are well founded when they come to the house to find it being tossed by two men. One of them Cage Jones, whom had it out for her.
Joe is at the station when the call comes in from Dulcie about the house being tossed and Wilma missing. Now he feels bad for not being there for her. But where is Wilma and can they find her. What is Cage looking for? And when Max's wife and Wilma's niece Charlie gets kidnapped too, what will happen? Cotton, Willow and Coyote do their best to try to help as best as they can. Cotton even ends up facing his biggest fear to help humans of all things.
You find yourself swinging through so many heads and but it is the best way to tell the story so you don't miss anything in my thoughts. A few times I had to stop and laugh because it was hard to tell who was going to take over the story next.
Joe is at the station when the call comes in from Dulcie about the house being tossed and Wilma missing. Now he feels bad for not being there for her. But where is Wilma and can they find her. What is Cage looking for? And when Max's wife and Wilma's niece Charlie gets kidnapped too, what will happen? Cotton, Willow and Coyote do their best to try to help as best as they can. Cotton even ends up facing his biggest fear to help humans of all things.
You find yourself swinging through so many heads and but it is the best way to tell the story so you don't miss anything in my thoughts. A few times I had to stop and laugh because it was hard to tell who was going to take over the story next.
November 14, 2024
Wilma went to Seattle to testify at a parolee's hearing. The parolee cons his way out of jail, he shoots,
Wilma's partner and then goes after Wilma. He kidnaps Wilma, then takes her to a rundown house in the mountains. Him and his partner kidnap Charlie then, they take her to an old mildewed, vine-covered trailer, by the Papillon Ruins. Wilma escapes with the crooks sister and wife. They wreck but, Wilma gets away, And the woman runs away, And Wilma finds the trailer and the cats bite the ropes off Charlie. Harper and Ryan ride up on horses and Charlie is afraid the crooks will shoot her husband
She gets to the crooks car and gets a sawed off shotgun, now she is ready for the bad guys. Read this book, and see how it ends. There is plenty of suspense and panic.
Wilma's partner and then goes after Wilma. He kidnaps Wilma, then takes her to a rundown house in the mountains. Him and his partner kidnap Charlie then, they take her to an old mildewed, vine-covered trailer, by the Papillon Ruins. Wilma escapes with the crooks sister and wife. They wreck but, Wilma gets away, And the woman runs away, And Wilma finds the trailer and the cats bite the ropes off Charlie. Harper and Ryan ride up on horses and Charlie is afraid the crooks will shoot her husband
She gets to the crooks car and gets a sawed off shotgun, now she is ready for the bad guys. Read this book, and see how it ends. There is plenty of suspense and panic.
October 6, 2024
***Review for personal recollection and reflection only***
Women are turning up dead in Molena Point. These women had one thing in common: difficult marriages and possible spousal abuse. Joe Gray, Dulcie, and Kit are on the case, but then another case captures their attention: Wilma (Dulcie's human) is kidnapped. The suspect is a man she previously supervised on parole. A man she was forced to testify against at another parole hearing who then escaped from prison.
The cats work together, and separately, to solve the various cases.
Joe Gray wasn't in this novel enough, as Dulcie and Kit did a majority of the sleuthing. Still, the story was cute.
Women are turning up dead in Molena Point. These women had one thing in common: difficult marriages and possible spousal abuse. Joe Gray, Dulcie, and Kit are on the case, but then another case captures their attention: Wilma (Dulcie's human) is kidnapped. The suspect is a man she previously supervised on parole. A man she was forced to testify against at another parole hearing who then escaped from prison.
The cats work together, and separately, to solve the various cases.
Joe Gray wasn't in this novel enough, as Dulcie and Kit did a majority of the sleuthing. Still, the story was cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2020
Overall, good action & story line. But I think there was one huge error. Little bit of a spoiler here. AFTER Wilma’s car has been found IN her own garage, Clyde & Joe go to where she’d been to look for clues, & it says that “no one had seen her car yet, CHP was on the lookout for it”! Is that what’s called a plot hole?? I liked the involvement of the 3 ferals from the last book, but I thought something concrete should’ve bedn done to thank them for their help—like bring them a platter from Jolly’s Deli.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2018
If you can accept talking cats, this is another good read in the Joe Grey series. Joe and his cat friends Dulcie and Kit are hoping to solve a series of murders of battered wives. Meanwhile, an escaped convict is in town and he kidnaps two local women while an old accomplice is quietly following him and annoying his sister. Recommended. You can read this alone but the characters' subtleties are easier to understand if you read the previous books.
April 26, 2020
Very interesting....different subjects covered. Once again, I think the stories about these little cats are amazing. Can I imagine the possibilities of the legends being real? I have a wonderful old cat, who is 16. Oscar lets me know when it is around time for his dinner, but telling me precisely what his kitty heart desires.....nope.
Stolen priceless artifacts. Spouse abuse. Interesting. This was an audiobook.
Stolen priceless artifacts. Spouse abuse. Interesting. This was an audiobook.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2017
Gulped this one down. Can't wait for Cat Deck the Halls!
July 17, 2017
More good everything
Best so far. Introduced new characters. More action and suspense.
Opened so much for future plots.
Many questions to be answered in future books.
Best so far. Introduced new characters. More action and suspense.
Opened so much for future plots.
Many questions to be answered in future books.
October 2, 2017
Wilma has some...weird views about battered women. Also, I feel like the break in murders plotline never really got resolved.
January 3, 2018
bizarre - least favorite so far
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October 10, 2019I love the characters. Having cats I totally relate to the antics and characterizations and behaviors.
October 18, 2024
I listened to the audio. These are cute little stories. They fill a gap when I can't find what I really want available on Libby.
July 1, 2025
vaguely good
August 14, 2012
2007, #12 Joe Grey/Dulcie, Molena Point, CA; fantastical PI. Dulcie’s beloved human Wilma is missing, and a nasty con she helped put behind bars is too, raising hackles on both humans and felines. And the cruel and evil Utley has returned from South America seeking something valuable he and his accomplice left behind in Molena Point years ago. Somehow Wilma is at the center of it all, but she’s nowhere to be found.
Another superb visit to that most beautiful and enjoyable of small towns, with some of my favorite characters ever, marred slightly by occasionally awkward pacing and the feeling Ms. Murphy has begun to recycle some plot threads. Still a magnificent “journey” with those wonderful cats ad their humans, though.
One of my all-time favorite series, and highly recommended to those who enjoy strong, darkly twisted plotting, and cats, but not her best. The pacing is “off”, reaching a peak at around the 75% point, and fading off for the last quarter. And several themes are recycled from previous books, an annoying thing. Too much “friends in peril”... too much “idyllic Charlie and Max”... too much sweet Lucinda and Padric and coy Kit... But I love these people, that place, those cats, and hate it that I’m caught up with the series now. Write faster, Ms. Murphy, please!!!
Another superb visit to that most beautiful and enjoyable of small towns, with some of my favorite characters ever, marred slightly by occasionally awkward pacing and the feeling Ms. Murphy has begun to recycle some plot threads. Still a magnificent “journey” with those wonderful cats ad their humans, though.
One of my all-time favorite series, and highly recommended to those who enjoy strong, darkly twisted plotting, and cats, but not her best. The pacing is “off”, reaching a peak at around the 75% point, and fading off for the last quarter. And several themes are recycled from previous books, an annoying thing. Too much “friends in peril”... too much “idyllic Charlie and Max”... too much sweet Lucinda and Padric and coy Kit... But I love these people, that place, those cats, and hate it that I’m caught up with the series now. Write faster, Ms. Murphy, please!!!
January 4, 2012
Why oh why does my library only have three out of this whole series? These books are great, but I'm reading them all out of order and I'd love to start at the beginning! The plot is fast paced and fresh, although I'm a little confused by the characters names (Charlie and Ryan are female lol, I was a little confused) But the cats are the real drawcards. The burly, break the rules tomcat Joe, sweet, worrier Dulcie, inquisitive and slightly mistrustful Kit. They are what I read for, the reason I've returned to this series. They are the reason I'm begging my inlaws in the next town over to get a library card so I can hire this series from their library for free (It's a five dollar fee to get a book from their library to mine, or a 45 minute drive. Guess which method I'll be choosing!)
That being said, you have to get used to the cats talking. The idea that they are talking cats takes some getting used to, and not just talking cats, but feeling, smart and almost human cats.
I'll be returning to this series whenever I can, once the library arrangements are secured. Until then, I bid this series farewell, and grumble about my annoying library for not owning more of them!
That being said, you have to get used to the cats talking. The idea that they are talking cats takes some getting used to, and not just talking cats, but feeling, smart and almost human cats.
I'll be returning to this series whenever I can, once the library arrangements are secured. Until then, I bid this series farewell, and grumble about my annoying library for not owning more of them!
May 11, 2013
One of Murphy's better books, both for suspense and character development. Wilma, a retired officer who helped put Cage Jones in prison, is kidnapped, possibly for revenge, although that doesn't make sense to Police Chief Max Harper. Then Max's wife, Ryan, is missing, presumably as part of the larger plot involving Wilma. Murphy does a nice job of depicting Wilma's fear during her captivity and her frustration with Violet, the wife of Jones's partner in crime Eddie Sears. Violet could have helped Wilma escape, could have escaped from Jones and Sears herself, but she was a typical abuse victim, afraid to stand up for herself and unwilling to try. Also well portrayed are the emotions of those close to the two kidnapped women--fear, dread, panic, and feelings of helplessness and rage. She closes this book in the series with Ryan's anguish at having caused a man's death, despite the fact that her actions saved the lives of everyone else.
October 7, 2008
I was unable to get past the premise of the series, that three cats have learned the human language and can actually speak it. So they and a few select individuals literally talk to each other and of course, solve crimes.
However, beyond that, I was not enjoying the story as it was set up or the way the cats talked to each other. I tried skipping ahead to see if it got better, but finally gave up and returned it to the library. Maybe if I start with the first book in the series, I'd be able to get into it. Until then, I'll stick to Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series (a pair of mysterious siamese who might or might not be helping the main character solve mysteries...he's never quite sure) and Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series (a cat and a corgi can communicate with each other, though humans only hear traditional animal noises, and they help the main character solve mysteries.)
However, beyond that, I was not enjoying the story as it was set up or the way the cats talked to each other. I tried skipping ahead to see if it got better, but finally gave up and returned it to the library. Maybe if I start with the first book in the series, I'd be able to get into it. Until then, I'll stick to Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series (a pair of mysterious siamese who might or might not be helping the main character solve mysteries...he's never quite sure) and Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series (a cat and a corgi can communicate with each other, though humans only hear traditional animal noises, and they help the main character solve mysteries.)
September 25, 2014
Cat Pay the Devil is a charming, yet dark, mystery—darker than the usual cutesy cat “tale.” ;-)
Ms. Murphy has assembled a great cast of characters, both feline and human. Being a cat lover, I got a kick out of the “law enforcement” cats who hang around police stations and crime scenes, eavesdropping and “sniffing around.” Ms. Murphy weaves a theme of domestic violence into the story.
The main mystery was solved in a satisfactory manner, but the subplots didn’t quite pull together at the end. Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out how one of the victims was killed.
All in all, Cat Pay the Devil is an enjoyable story. I discovered it in the ship’s library during my recent Alaskan cruise. I got half way through but had to return it when I disembarked. As soon as I got home, I ordered a copy from my library.
Ms. Murphy has assembled a great cast of characters, both feline and human. Being a cat lover, I got a kick out of the “law enforcement” cats who hang around police stations and crime scenes, eavesdropping and “sniffing around.” Ms. Murphy weaves a theme of domestic violence into the story.
The main mystery was solved in a satisfactory manner, but the subplots didn’t quite pull together at the end. Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out how one of the victims was killed.
All in all, Cat Pay the Devil is an enjoyable story. I discovered it in the ship’s library during my recent Alaskan cruise. I got half way through but had to return it when I disembarked. As soon as I got home, I ordered a copy from my library.
October 24, 2016
When talking about mystery books involving cats & their various merits, or lack thereof, a friend asked whether I'd read the ones about the cats that talk. My reaction wasn't positive, thinking it'd just be too hokey to enjoy. However, after picking this one up at our library book sale & getting started, I had to take it with me to finish when I left on vacation. The communicating cats are few; they know to keep it on the downlow; and they're imbued with some logic & intelligence. This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery solved by Dulcie, Joe Grey, and their shy, reticent friends.
October 15, 2016
I couldn't stick with this audio book. I've listened to other books narrated by William Dufries and I really admired his work, but this time I didn't think he and the story fit well. Also, I thought the storyline was kind of tired -- aside from the talking cats that is Much prefer Rita Mae Brown's books.
August 27, 2009
Much as I like revisiting my Molena Point "family" there was almost too much emphasis on the relationships & personal issues at the expense of mystery in this one. Left lots of loose ends to be picked up in future books. Not my favorite of the series.
October 14, 2009
An enjoyable mystery read. The theory of the cats is entertaining but... I will probably read more of her books when the opportunity arises. However, I still have many other books to read. I will be passing it on to cat loving friends.
January 28, 2009
Loved it!!!!! So much going on that it kept you wanting to read the whole book in one sitting. Throughly loved it!!!!!!!
January 17, 2009
Pretty good
March 8, 2009
I just can't get enough of Joe Grey and his friends.
February 5, 2010
It was OK, filled up a rainy night, but I had a time really getting into it. It was enjoyed but without enthusiasm.
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