Works by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

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Cat on the Edge
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperPrism, 1996
ISBN: 0-06-105600-6
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: Witnessing a murder shocks the tomcat into a life-change: Suddenly he can speak, is thinking like a human, and running, himself, from the killer.
Character notes: Joe Grey is all cat, a predator whose feline skills and human skills blend perfectly into a fine sleuth.

Cat Under Fire
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperPrism, 1997
ISBN: 0-06-105601-4
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: Death by fire of a famous artist leads Dulcie to eavesdrop as a "lost cat," and Joe Grey to unearth a clue that no cop could ever find.
Character notes: Dulcie's love of the dead artist's paintings add a poignant contrast to the fire's ugly aftermath.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 1997

Cat Raise the Dead
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperPrism, 1998
ISBN: 0-06-105602-2
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: Playing animal therapist at the old folk's home leads Joe Grey and Dulcie to mysteriously missing seniors, a faceless cat burglar, a severed finger and a very busy open grave.
Character notes: These two rat killers speak, read the morning paper, and pass vital information to the Chief via anonymous phone calls.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 1998; Cat Writers Association Best of the Best 1998

Cat in the Dark
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-105096-2 (hardcover); 0-06-105947-1 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: The new, renegade tomcat, stealing with a human partner, has dark powers as well, predicting three murders that nearly blow Joe Grey's cover.
Character notes: The dark tomcat from Central America makes a play for Dulcie that frightens and intrigues her.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 1999

Cat to the Dogs
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-105097-0 (hardcover); 0-06-105988-9 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: The town philanderer's death, with relatives and mistress flocking to share the widow's rumored gold, stirs an outbreak of family-generated crimes that only the cats can untangle.
Character notes: A new young cat joins Joe Grey and Dulcie, a wild creature smitten with Celtic history and with the magical background of their kind.

Cat Spitting Mad
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2001
ISBN: 0-06-105098-9 (hardcover); 0-06-105989-7 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: When the police chief is set up to take the fall for a double murder, the enraged cats track the killer in village apartments and in the ruins of an old mansion.
Character notes: Tortoiseshell Kit not only discovers the two murdered women but runs head-on into a mountain lion that stirs more wonder than fear.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 2001

Cat Laughing Last
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-620951-X (hardcover); 0-06-101562-8 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: From the murder of a famous writer to an amazing little theater performance and treasures hidden at yard sales, the three cats stalk trouble.
Character notes: Kit’s surprise appearance as an actress thrills her and delights audiences.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 2002

Cat Seeing Double
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-620950-1 (hardcover); 0-06-101561-X (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: When a bomb explodes at the wedding of the police chief, and a friend’s husband is found dead in her garage, and the cats have their paws full.
Character notes: A beautiful, stray Weimaraner offers his own take on the killer.
Awards: Cat Writers Association Best Novel 2003

Cat Fear No Evil
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2004
ISBN: 0-06-620949-8 (hardcover); 0-06-101560-1 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: Brazen burglaries from Jewelry to vintage cars, lay a trail to San Francisco, to a stalker, and to hints of a dark, secret world.
Character notes: The thieving black tomcat Azrael returns, winding through the crimes his own aura of evil.

Cat Cross Their Graves
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-057808-4 (hardcover); 0-06-057811-4 (paperback)
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: Murder of a famous 40s actress beloved in the small village, the discovery of the secret graves of murdered children, and a runaway child hiding in the library basement, set the stage.
Character notes: The determined and resourceful little girl is a charmer.

Cat Breaking Free
Type of work: Novel
Published by: HarperCollins, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-057809-2
Setting: A coastal California village reminiscent of Carmel; present.
Brief plot description: A multiple jewel robbery, the accompanying murders and the cruel capture of three frightened feral cats turns into a surprising sting.
Character notes: The three new cats, winners of Joe Grey’s national contest, are charming additions to the cast of speaking cats.

URL: http://socalmwa.com/works/murphy.htm
Last updated: September 30, 2005