Cat Deck the Halls (Joe Grey Mysteries, Book 13)
Cat Deck the Halls (Joe Grey Mysteries, Book 13) book cover

Cat Deck the Halls (Joe Grey Mysteries, Book 13)

Hardcover – October 30, 2007

Price
$14.25
Format
Hardcover
Pages
352
Publisher
William Morrow
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0061123955
Dimensions
5.5 x 1.13 x 8.25 inches
Weight
13.6 ounces

Description

Review “savor the finely crafted suspense set against the backdrop of holiday feasts and festivities... ” — Publishers Weekly About the Author Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of twenty mysteries in the Joe Grey series, for which she has won the Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion nine years running, and has received ten national Cat Writers’ Association Awards for best novel of the year. She is also a noted children’s book author, and has received five Council of Authors and Journalists Awards. She lives in Carmel, California, where she serves as full-time household help to two demanding feline ladies.

Features & Highlights

  • The cats who saved Christmas . . .
  • The charming seaside village of Molena Point, California, leads one to expect a quiet traditional Christmas surrounded by family and friends—but not this holiday season. Instead of singing carols and climbing into Christmas trees, Joe Grey, feline P.I., is faced with his most difficult case yet—and that's saying a lot for a wily tomcat who for years has been solving crimes the police can't even crack.
  • At midnight in the deserted gardens of the shopping plaza, a stranger lies dead beneath the village Christmas tree; the only witness to the shooting is a little child. But when the police arrive, summoned by an anonymous phone call of feline origin, both the body and the child have disappeared. As police scramble for leads, the grey tomcat, his tabby lady, and their tortoiseshell pal, Kit, launch their own unique investigation.
  • Together Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit face their most heartbreaking case yet as they care for the child who may be the killer's next target. Trying to sort out perplexing clues amidst the happiness of the season, they shadow a cast of colorful characters. But neither the police nor their unknown feline assistants are aware that they might have stumbled over the murderer and never known it, until an electrifying final scene when the killer's identity is revealed.
  • For years Shirley Rousseau Murphy has written tales that have delighted readers and critics alike. With her lyrical prose and fast-paced plotting, Murphy has created another delightfully absorbing trip to a magical place populated by unforgettable characters whom readers have come to think of as friends.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(174)
★★★★
25%
(73)
★★★
15%
(44)
★★
7%
(20)
-7%
(-21)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Joe's thirteenth mystery is heartbreaking.

In the quaint little village named Molena Point (California), the police department is used to getting anonymous phone calls from a certain voice giving them help on cases. So when the voice reports a man shot dead beneath the village Christmas tree and a little girl in his arms scared and crying, Molena Point PD responds. However, upon arriving there is neither a body, nor a little girl, to be found. There is a space where a body could have once been and even traces of blood though. Searching the area, officers locate a silent and scared little girl around the age of five or six. But who is she? Where did she come from?

Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit are three felines used to secretly cracking the cases too difficult for the humans. After all, cats have much keener senses than people. Together the trio dive into the mystery as they care for the child who may be the killer's next target.

**** This is Joe Grey's thirteenth case. It is a heartbreaking predicament set around the year's busiest season. Humans with cat owners, such as myself, can't help but love these feline heroes since we often wonder just how much our cat companions understand of our language. (MINE certainly act as though they understand my words. So well that it is sometimes creepy!) Mystery fans and/or animal fans will adore this story. Excellent for reading on a silent cold night. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
17 people found this helpful
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Cat Deck The Halls

I have enjoyed the Joe Grey stories and look forward to each new book.
Ms. Murphy is a wonderful story teller. I collect her books, so I know the intelligent way she uses words to bring the reader into the story be it one of her childrens books or a Joe Grey Mystery.
You will be brought into the world of regular people living and working in a small beach town but some of them have to deal with a secret. If it ever gets out that Clyde, Wilma and only a few others know about Joe, Dulcie and Kit what a mess that would be. Hard to keep the fact that these cats are from a spicial breed. Joe loves to snoop! Joe loves to order food from the local deli and Joe, Dulcie and Kit visit the local police department, slove crime and no one ever knows who the persons are who help the police. Cat Deck The Halls is set at the Christmas season and the cats are looking forward to the Christmas Musical and the seasons treats. Joe is a bit slow in finding out what all is going on when some suspect people move into a house down the road from Kit's house. Maybe kit is skiddish already from finding a man shot to death under the town Christmas Tree, and where is the little girl who was with him?
Great story you will enjoy.
8 people found this helpful
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Joe Grey does it again!

These three cats keep me wanting more. They are pure delight and there is a wonderful cast of "humans" to go along with them.
3 people found this helpful
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Shirley Murphy does it again!

In Shirley Murphy's 'Cat Deck the Halls', Joe Grey and his feline companions have to help solve a Christmas murder and help friends figure out what is going on with their strange neighbors. The warmth of the setting, the unique characters, and the mystery sleuthing done by everyone provides for a short, funny, and entertaining light read. A must read by cat fans everywhere!
3 people found this helpful
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The Cats Have What It Takes

If only the police were as quick and competent as these cats are. This book is something that all cat lovers should read, especially around Christmastime. The team of three felines is delightful, and their care and concern for the child is heart-warming. This is the first Joe Gray book I've read, but I'll be reading more of them.
1 people found this helpful
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Talking cat? Fun book.

A trio of cats set on protecting a six year old crime victim from a killer. The same man she watched gun down the man holding her. Was it her father? The body is taken from the shopping center and the girl hid. One of the cats calls 911 (yes, that's right.)

The cats and later the police is found and taken into protective custody with the extra help from the feline trio. They try to identify the girl and find the missing body.

Mysterious neighbors; intruders; pictures of children; broken locks and talking cats; all add up to a thrilling, fun to read, fast moving, complex tale.

This was my first Joe Grey Mystery, but it won't be my last. Shirley Rousseau Murphy raises a question in my mind. Do I wish my five cats could talk? I'm thinking, No, but I'm glad hers do.

Review by Wanda C. Keesey (author Lost In The Mist release May 2008)
1 people found this helpful
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Cat Mystery

I liked it
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!

The book arrived in good condition. I'm very pleased!
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Love them.

I have only 4 more books to read and then I have read all 18 books. Love them.
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Five Stars

Love the whole series and can't wait for next book about Joe Grey and friends to come out.