Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy – Review

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Joe Grey and his partner, Dulcie, are frantic when Courtney, their pretty teen-kitten goes missing. Aided by their two- and four-legged friends, they hit the streets of Molina Point in search of their calico girl. Has Joe Grey and Dulcie’s only daughter been lured away by someone and stolen? Is she lying somewhere hurt, or worse?

Courtney has no idea that everyone is desperately looking for her. Locked in an upstairs apartment above the local antiques shop, she’s enjoying her first solo adventure. When she first met Ulrich Seaver, the shop’s owner, Courtney was frightened. But the human has coddled and pampered her, winning her trust. Sheltered by her parents, her brothers, and her kind human companions, the innocent Courtney is unaware of how deceptive strangers can be. She doesn’t know that Ulrich is hiding a dangerous secret that could threaten her and everyone in this charming California coastal village.

With his focus on finding Courtney, Joe Grey has neglected his detective work with the Molina Point Police Department. Before his daughter disappeared, Joe found a viciously beaten woman lying near the beach. Now the police investigation has stalled, and the clever feline worries his human colleagues may have missed a vital clue. Joe is also concerned about a family of newcomers whose domestic battles are disturbing the town’s tranquility. Loud and abrasive, the Luthers’ angry arguing, shouting, and swearing in the early hours of the night have neighbors on edge and the cops’ on alert. One of the couple’s late-night shouting matches masked the sounds of a burglary, and now a criminal is on the loose.

Though the crimes are as crisscrossed as the strands of a ball of yarn, Joe Grey’s cat senses tell him they may somehow be linked. It’s up to the fleet-footed feline and his crime-solving coterie to untangle the mysteries before it’s too late.

Review:

Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the 21st book in her fun Joe Grey series.  I have read every book in this series, and it is one of my favorite go to books when I want a fun relaxing story to read.  Refresher:  Joe Grey series is always sweet lighthearted mysteries with a group of wonderful talking cats, and their humans.  These are magical sentient cats that live in Molena Point, California, but only their humans close to them know they can talk, and the cats are the real ones who solve the crimes.   I am still amazed that into the 21sth book, Murphy can still win us over each and every time.  I adore our cats, Joe, Dulcie, Kit, Pan & the kittens.  They are awesome, sweet, daring, and clever.  The humans who are a major part of this series, are Clyde and Ryan; Wilma, Charlie (who is married to the police chief, and he does not know about the cats).  They are all an awesome group that makes this series so much fun and exciting.

In Cat Chase the Moon there is another mystery starting with a women found badly beaten, which will lead to a family involved in stolen goods, as well as being very abrasive and loud.  The town of Molena Point does not take well to the Luthers, who also do not take good care of their young daughter,Mindy, who runs away to find her grandpa.  The police and Joe Grey keep a close eye on the Luthers, especially trying to discover about the stolen goods. 

While this is going on, Courtney, Joe and Dulcie’s daughter suddenly goes missing.  This will bring everyone, cats and family humans desperately trying to find her.   When they finally find her locked up in a antique store and apartment,  Courtney wants to say to find out more information to help find why they kidnapped her, and what are their plans for her.  Currently they are treating her nice, but Joe and Dulcie worry. 

What follows is an exciting mystery, trying to help the beaten woman hide from those who are trying to harm her from revealing information about them; as well as trying to get Courtney out of the house she is locked in.  The police bring the women to a hiding place to protect her, and in time when Courtney is rescued, she will be put there too. 

There are trying times  for Joe and Dulcie, who know their sweet little girl is in danger, and perhaps moving on with her life away from them.  I loved how Charlie, Ryan, Wilma, Clyde all work closely with our wonderful smart talking cats, to solve the crimes.  Even 21 books later, the Molena Point police like the snitches who give them info, but they are still stumped who they are.  Of course, would they believe it is the cats that are snitches?  lol

Cat Chase Moon was a good exciting mystery with some very bad villains; who have to deal with Joe Grey on the job, and his little group of friends. This is a fun series, exciting mysteries, and fantastic characters, including cats and humans.  Do not let that fact that these cats can talk deter you into reading this series. It is a fun and awesome series, and so well written my Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Give yourself a chance to read this enjoyable series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher