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Joe Grey #8
Cat Seeing Double
Romance is in the air in the charming seaside village of Molena Point, California. Everyone is excited about the upcoming wedding of its chief of police to the lovely Charlie Getz, even cool feline detective Joe Grey. But the festivities are interrupted when two uninvited guests try to blow up the church. Then one of the bride's good friends, building contractor Ryan Flannery, lands in a heap of trouble when her philandering husband is found dead.
With suspicion falling on Ryan's shoulders, Joe Grey and his pals, Dulcie and Kit, set out to prove her innocence. Soon paw–deep in a tangle of jealousy, greed, and vengeance, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit find themselves in the biggest cat fight of their lives –– a bare–clawed battle with a prey who is as cunning as he is deadly . . .
With suspicion falling on Ryan's shoulders, Joe Grey and his pals, Dulcie and Kit, set out to prove her innocence. Soon paw–deep in a tangle of jealousy, greed, and vengeance, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit find themselves in the biggest cat fight of their lives –– a bare–clawed battle with a prey who is as cunning as he is deadly . . .
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 28, 2003
52 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
62 books513 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 40 reviews
October 30, 2019
In Molina Point romance is in the air as preparations are made for the wedding of Charlie and Max. Kit is above the church watching when see overheard a conversation about a bomb. She alerts about Cldye to the danger and stills the preps from killing the wedding party. The next morning Ryan's estranged husband is found dead in the basement of Ryan's home. Joe and Dulice work to clear Ryan while Kit sets about to find the bomber.
April 24, 2016
Due to my depression it took me a long time to finish reading this book but aside from that I still enjoyed it and was happy when I felt up to reading again so I could finish the book. As with all the other books by this author I have read, I was still captivated in the way the author understands cats.
May 8, 2019
On the Pacific Coast the enchanted village of Molena Point nestles between rolling hills. Watched over by Police Captain Max Harper and his small force of detectives, it is a safe and idyllic haven from the hustle and bustle of modern life. This pleasant community is inhabited by a wide variety of people whom we have gotten to know over the seven previous entries in this series. It is also the home of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit, three sentient cats with the ability to speak.
On a quiet Saturday in September, the residents of the village assemble at the wedding of Captain Max Harper and his bride Charlie Getz. Joe Grey’s owner Clyde Damon is the best man. The chief of detectives’ niece Ryan Flannery is maid of honor. Romance is in the air while Ryan dresses up for the first time in weeks, having just returned from the completion of her weeks-long work at a nearby construction site. Clyde loads Joe Grey and Dulcie into the rumble seat of his vintage car when he picks up Ryan.
The church is resplendent with flowers and ribbons as the villagers gather. Only Kit sees the boy with a small black box on the roof across the street watching the wrapped present tucked into the lectern. As the contents of that box dawn on Kit, she scampers down to whisper “bomb” into Clyde’s ear. Never doubting the word of one of these unique talking cats, Clyde quickly spreads the word to evacuate the church.
Charlie anticipated that her life as a police captain’s wife was going to be full of stress, and she certainly has proof of that now. However, the villagers all re-group and move the wedding to a garden down the street and hold the ceremony by candlelight, sending the happy couple off to San Francisco for their honeymoon.
Never in her wildest dreams did Ryan Flannery think she would awaken the next morning to find her estranged husband dead in her garage. Separated for months, Ryan had no desire to see Rupert, her philandering husband whom she was suing for half the value of the construction company they built together. Now the police have another investigation on their hands, one they will carry out with the utmost care to find the culprit and exonerate the family of one of their own.
I always look forward to a new entry in this enthralling series. I enjoy the steady pace of action and storytelling all bundled together with brief histories from previous books. This volume in particular fills in essential details of who the villagers are and their relationships with each other and with these exceptional cats. None of it is so overwhelming, however, to need a chart of events or list of characters.
The unique talents of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit bring an element to this cozy story that would never have been possible without them. They are good detectives, and they find brilliant ways to share the information they gather from rooftops and spying through windows and sneaking through open doors that is simply not available to the human inhabitants of the story. Their existence provides yet another enigma that is woven into the plot.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy has an exceptional way of sharing information and telling a story. The pace never stalls; it proceeds at a very comfortable speed, but it is certainly full of surprises. The same information is not reviewed over and over again, which I find fault with in so many other cozy stories, and which Murphy successfully avoids in her writing.
Earlier entries in this purr-fectly delightful series are CAT ON THE EDGE, CAT UNDER FIRE, CAT RAISE THE DEAD, CAT IN THE DARK, CAT TO THE DOGS, CAT SPITTING MAD, and CAT LAUGHING LAST. Each book is a separate and distinct entry in the series exploring the lives of different villagers and events that are intermingled with one another, yet it is not necessary to read them all to enjoy each of the others with pure delight.
With “three cats who are like no other – not totally cat, and not human, but with talents of both” – the town of Molena Point will no doubt be safe under their watchful eyes.
On a quiet Saturday in September, the residents of the village assemble at the wedding of Captain Max Harper and his bride Charlie Getz. Joe Grey’s owner Clyde Damon is the best man. The chief of detectives’ niece Ryan Flannery is maid of honor. Romance is in the air while Ryan dresses up for the first time in weeks, having just returned from the completion of her weeks-long work at a nearby construction site. Clyde loads Joe Grey and Dulcie into the rumble seat of his vintage car when he picks up Ryan.
The church is resplendent with flowers and ribbons as the villagers gather. Only Kit sees the boy with a small black box on the roof across the street watching the wrapped present tucked into the lectern. As the contents of that box dawn on Kit, she scampers down to whisper “bomb” into Clyde’s ear. Never doubting the word of one of these unique talking cats, Clyde quickly spreads the word to evacuate the church.
Charlie anticipated that her life as a police captain’s wife was going to be full of stress, and she certainly has proof of that now. However, the villagers all re-group and move the wedding to a garden down the street and hold the ceremony by candlelight, sending the happy couple off to San Francisco for their honeymoon.
Never in her wildest dreams did Ryan Flannery think she would awaken the next morning to find her estranged husband dead in her garage. Separated for months, Ryan had no desire to see Rupert, her philandering husband whom she was suing for half the value of the construction company they built together. Now the police have another investigation on their hands, one they will carry out with the utmost care to find the culprit and exonerate the family of one of their own.
I always look forward to a new entry in this enthralling series. I enjoy the steady pace of action and storytelling all bundled together with brief histories from previous books. This volume in particular fills in essential details of who the villagers are and their relationships with each other and with these exceptional cats. None of it is so overwhelming, however, to need a chart of events or list of characters.
The unique talents of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit bring an element to this cozy story that would never have been possible without them. They are good detectives, and they find brilliant ways to share the information they gather from rooftops and spying through windows and sneaking through open doors that is simply not available to the human inhabitants of the story. Their existence provides yet another enigma that is woven into the plot.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy has an exceptional way of sharing information and telling a story. The pace never stalls; it proceeds at a very comfortable speed, but it is certainly full of surprises. The same information is not reviewed over and over again, which I find fault with in so many other cozy stories, and which Murphy successfully avoids in her writing.
Earlier entries in this purr-fectly delightful series are CAT ON THE EDGE, CAT UNDER FIRE, CAT RAISE THE DEAD, CAT IN THE DARK, CAT TO THE DOGS, CAT SPITTING MAD, and CAT LAUGHING LAST. Each book is a separate and distinct entry in the series exploring the lives of different villagers and events that are intermingled with one another, yet it is not necessary to read them all to enjoy each of the others with pure delight.
With “three cats who are like no other – not totally cat, and not human, but with talents of both” – the town of Molena Point will no doubt be safe under their watchful eyes.
June 7, 2012
These books are hilarious. Talking cat detectives. Also read Cat Breaking Free. Talk about mindless enjoyment. A couple of times I just laughed hilariously out loud at the very thought that I was reading a book about talking cats, and also because I was enjoying it!
January 24, 2019
Awesome! I just can't get another of these three felines.
January 27, 2020
So enjoyable, as usual. I’d taken a little break from these for a few weeks to read something else, some local history. Coming back to characters I know & love, including animals, was so delightful—like getting to dessert after making myself finish some overcooked peas. (Not that the history book was bad—if it was bad I would’ve compared it to lima beans 😁—just that I struggle lately to finish nonfiction. But it was a library book, so I pushed myself to finish it.) I’m not entirely sure about the meaning of the title. In this one we learn how Ryan got her dog.
February 17, 2020
Of course, if anyone looks at my track record, they will see that I am so drawn to the stories about Joe Gray and his antics, there will not be a surprise that, once again, I loved this story. It was on the dark side only due to the characters in the book. Gramps, Mariana, Loren Mitchell....just horrible people. Hopefully being shown kindness by good people, Curtis will become a valued member of society. Happy ending.....bad guys caught. Good Guys win. I loved this one too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2019
Popsugar 2019 - A book told from multiple POVs
I really enjoy that you can read this series out of order and still follow with no real issues. This is probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4-star rating because of some dull parts that I sort of skimmed over. But the mystery is solid. And I love the antics of the cats. Kit is really developing her own personality.
I really enjoy that you can read this series out of order and still follow with no real issues. This is probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4-star rating because of some dull parts that I sort of skimmed over. But the mystery is solid. And I love the antics of the cats. Kit is really developing her own personality.
March 27, 2025
molena point at it again
More mayhem in Molena Point as Charlie and Max’s wedding is interrupted with a bomb. The tension builds up after that with a murder and all kinds of madness. The trio of cats are kept busy informing the law as well as some private citizens. Also a new character is introduced, Rock.
More mayhem in Molena Point as Charlie and Max’s wedding is interrupted with a bomb. The tension builds up after that with a murder and all kinds of madness. The trio of cats are kept busy informing the law as well as some private citizens. Also a new character is introduced, Rock.
October 23, 2024
This book had a lot of characters, good and bad and of course the cat detectives. There is a lot of scary action. Also a house raising, murder, a near miss of a bomb in the middle of a wedding. Read this great book and find out what happens.
April 4, 2025
Unfortunately "cat murder mystery" is NOT my cup of tea. Too wordy describing irrelevant things for my taste. I didn't get why the cats seem to not understand human nature one moment, but then the next they fully understand CA gun law?
June 29, 2017
The saga continues
A well written addition to the Joe Grey Mystery series.
A number of characters from previous books brought together and developed.
A well written addition to the Joe Grey Mystery series.
A number of characters from previous books brought together and developed.
October 25, 2018
A delight pallet cleanser between heavier fare. Funny talking cats who investigate murders.
May 9, 2019
Great book! Love this series. Kit is so cute.
July 31, 2019
Another excellent book featuring Joe Grey, Dulcie, Kit and their human companions.
August 3, 2019
Hadn’t expected a detective novel dedicated to cats. With animals serving the keys, everything became too easy.
Not so funny.
Not so funny.
February 18, 2020
Out of the 8 to 10 that I've read of this series, this was one of the better ones. I do have a soft spot for little Kit and she had a big part in solving this mystery.
May 16, 2020
Cute, but kind of wordy. Not my cup of tea, but maybe others would enjoy it more.
May 19, 2020
Love these cats and their crew
My favorite so far.
Opened with a bang.
Grabbed my attention and held on tight.
Can’t wait to start the next book
My favorite so far.
Opened with a bang.
Grabbed my attention and held on tight.
Can’t wait to start the next book
February 18, 2021
Another great story! Characters continue to be built upon and learn. The cats are great! Can’t wait to read the next.
August 26, 2023
Book 8 of the series and not falling off. Consistently snarky kitties solving crimes.
January 16, 2024
Every clue is relevant, so the mysteries are never terribly difficult, but this one's still fun enough.
February 3, 2024
As usual, a delightful easy read, between heavier stuff. Why is it called "Cat Seeing Double?" I can't figure out why its named that.
July 29, 2021
On the Pacific Coast the enchanted village of Molena Point nestles between rolling hills. Watched over by Police Captain Max Harper and his small force of detectives, it is a safe and idyllic haven from the hustle and bustle of modern life. This pleasant community is inhabited by a wide variety of people whom we have gotten to know over seven previous entries in this series. It is also the home of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit, three sentient cats with the ability to speak.
On a quiet Saturday in September, the residents of the village assemble at the wedding of Captain Max Harper and his bride Charlie Getz. Joe Grey’s owner Clyde Damon is the best man. The chief of detectives’ niece Ryan Flannery is maid of honor. Clyde loads Joe Grey and Dulcie into the rumble seat of his vintage car when he picks up Ryan.
The church is resplendent with flowers and ribbons as the villagers gather. Only Kit sees the boy with a small black box on the roof across the street watching the wrapped present tucked into the lectern. As the contents of that box dawn on Kit, she scampers down to whisper “bomb” into Clyde’s ear. Never doubting the word of one of these unique talking cats, Clyde quickly spreads the word to evacuate the church.
Charlie anticipated that her life as a police captain’s wife was going to be full of stress, and she certainly has proof of that now. However, the villagers all re-group and move the wedding to a garden down the street and hold the ceremony by candlelight, sending the happy couple to San Francisco for their honeymoon.
Never in her wildest dreams did Ryan Flannery think she would awaken the next morning to find her estranged husband dead in her garage. Separated for months, Ryan had no desire to see Rupert, her philandering husband whom she was suing for half the value of the construction company they built together. Now the police have another investigation on their hands, one they will carry out with the utmost care to find the culprit and exonerate the family of one of their own.
I always look forward to a new entry in this enthralling series. I enjoy the steady pace of action and storytelling all bundled together with brief histories from previous books. This volume in particular fills in essential details of who the villagers are and their relationships with each other and with these exceptional cats.
The unique talents of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit bring an element to this cozy story that would never have been possible without them. They are good detectives, and they find brilliant ways to share the information they gather from rooftops and spying through windows and sneaking through open doors that is simply not available to the human inhabitants of the story. Their existence provides yet another enigma that is woven into the plot.
Each earlier entry in this purr-fectly delightful series is a separate and distinct entry in the series exploring the lives of different villagers and events that are intermingled with one another, yet it is not necessary to read them all to enjoy each of the others with pure delight.
With “three cats who are like no other – not totally cat, and not human, but with talents of both” – the town of Molena Point will no doubt be safe under their watchful eyes.
On a quiet Saturday in September, the residents of the village assemble at the wedding of Captain Max Harper and his bride Charlie Getz. Joe Grey’s owner Clyde Damon is the best man. The chief of detectives’ niece Ryan Flannery is maid of honor. Clyde loads Joe Grey and Dulcie into the rumble seat of his vintage car when he picks up Ryan.
The church is resplendent with flowers and ribbons as the villagers gather. Only Kit sees the boy with a small black box on the roof across the street watching the wrapped present tucked into the lectern. As the contents of that box dawn on Kit, she scampers down to whisper “bomb” into Clyde’s ear. Never doubting the word of one of these unique talking cats, Clyde quickly spreads the word to evacuate the church.
Charlie anticipated that her life as a police captain’s wife was going to be full of stress, and she certainly has proof of that now. However, the villagers all re-group and move the wedding to a garden down the street and hold the ceremony by candlelight, sending the happy couple to San Francisco for their honeymoon.
Never in her wildest dreams did Ryan Flannery think she would awaken the next morning to find her estranged husband dead in her garage. Separated for months, Ryan had no desire to see Rupert, her philandering husband whom she was suing for half the value of the construction company they built together. Now the police have another investigation on their hands, one they will carry out with the utmost care to find the culprit and exonerate the family of one of their own.
I always look forward to a new entry in this enthralling series. I enjoy the steady pace of action and storytelling all bundled together with brief histories from previous books. This volume in particular fills in essential details of who the villagers are and their relationships with each other and with these exceptional cats.
The unique talents of Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit bring an element to this cozy story that would never have been possible without them. They are good detectives, and they find brilliant ways to share the information they gather from rooftops and spying through windows and sneaking through open doors that is simply not available to the human inhabitants of the story. Their existence provides yet another enigma that is woven into the plot.
Each earlier entry in this purr-fectly delightful series is a separate and distinct entry in the series exploring the lives of different villagers and events that are intermingled with one another, yet it is not necessary to read them all to enjoy each of the others with pure delight.
With “three cats who are like no other – not totally cat, and not human, but with talents of both” – the town of Molena Point will no doubt be safe under their watchful eyes.
January 22, 2024
such fun reading
I love the people, the cats,, the dogs and the little village and surrounding areas of California. The writing is excellent. I’ve started from the end and now have to go to the beginning. Can’t wait to start #1.
I love the people, the cats,, the dogs and the little village and surrounding areas of California. The writing is excellent. I’ve started from the end and now have to go to the beginning. Can’t wait to start #1.
May 27, 2014
I thought this breathed a bit of life into the series in terms of having the cats be cats for a while; the first chunk of the book is seen through the eyes of people who don't know that Kit, Joe, and Dulcie can talk, so they get to be just odd cats. I liked this in terms of being reminded that they aren't, in fact, human, because you kind of forget that sometimes.
But heavens above, if there had been one more "little did s/he know" moment, I would've chucked the thing. There were SO MANY asides by Murphy talking about the peace of the moment that would soon be crushed by whatever, and that just gets wearisome. Yes, dramatic irony, good. A little goes a long way.
As a relative of law enforcement folks, I also appreciated the references in Charlie and Max's new marriage to the constant stress of worrying about safety on some level (also in Ryan's view of Dallas), but it was again a tad overdone. Yes, you worry, but you move forward, and I felt some of the characters almost didn't.
All in all, it was enjoyable, but trite. I was never concerned about any of the characters, and I still really don't like the Kit much. A beach read, I think.
But heavens above, if there had been one more "little did s/he know" moment, I would've chucked the thing. There were SO MANY asides by Murphy talking about the peace of the moment that would soon be crushed by whatever, and that just gets wearisome. Yes, dramatic irony, good. A little goes a long way.
As a relative of law enforcement folks, I also appreciated the references in Charlie and Max's new marriage to the constant stress of worrying about safety on some level (also in Ryan's view of Dallas), but it was again a tad overdone. Yes, you worry, but you move forward, and I felt some of the characters almost didn't.
All in all, it was enjoyable, but trite. I was never concerned about any of the characters, and I still really don't like the Kit much. A beach read, I think.
November 28, 2013
If you like cats, and believe they talk back when you converse with them, this is a series you'll love. These are not your ordinary house cats. There's a pretty stupendous dog in this one, as well. And a woman who runs a contracting company, alone.
However, the plot was pretty mundane. In fact, I'm not even sure how all the "mysteries" actually came to be solved. There were several typos, lots of editing errors. These are the things that can ruin a book for me. And if the cats had "scorched" (instead of "racing," "running," or "tearing") one more time, I would have screamed.
Light and fluffy, good for a trip or some other time when your attention isn't focused on your book. Buy the paperback, though (or get it from the 'brary). Again, the cats are the stars, even more so than Lilian Jackson Braun's cats.
However, the plot was pretty mundane. In fact, I'm not even sure how all the "mysteries" actually came to be solved. There were several typos, lots of editing errors. These are the things that can ruin a book for me. And if the cats had "scorched" (instead of "racing," "running," or "tearing") one more time, I would have screamed.
Light and fluffy, good for a trip or some other time when your attention isn't focused on your book. Buy the paperback, though (or get it from the 'brary). Again, the cats are the stars, even more so than Lilian Jackson Braun's cats.
January 12, 2017
It's a romantic day in the coastal town of Molena Point, CA. The chief of police is set to get married when a bomb explodes in the church. Besides that crisis, Clyde's friend Ryan Flannery's husband is found murdered in her garage leaving her the number one suspect. The Joe Gray cozy mystery series is unique in that the cats help solve the mysteries. They can also talk, read and make calls to the police. If you love cats, this series is for you, even better if you enjoy a bit of fantasy!
March 9, 2014
I've read several of these Joe Grey cat mysteries now. The cats being "informants" is getting a bit old and predictable. The only thing that stood out for me in this book was the giant new grey dog, Rock. It seemed that maybe he should be able to talk too.
October 7, 2008
I could never get into this book...I thought it was too slow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews