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Review of CAT SEEING DOUBLE by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
A JOE GREY MYSTERY
HarperCollins, 2003
A boy tries to blow up the town of Molena Point, California and is only prevented from doing so by an attacking cat. But no one protects Rupert, who is found dead in his ex-wife's truck. Suspicion naturally points to the ex-wife and three cats, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and the Kit, are the only hope for justice. Fortunately, these cats can talk, dial the phone, and unlock deadbolts.
I'm a fan of cat stories. For me, the best cat stories thrive on the relationship between animal and human. CAT SEEING DOUBLE is really about the cats. In general, the people are there as props. When author Shirley Rousseau Murphy tries to get into the emotions of primary character and suspect Ryan Flannery, I found myself losing sympathy for this woman whose primary goal in life seemed to be to stick her ex-husband with an expensive lawsuit.
Long sections of human introspection slow down the novel's flow without adding much to the story (much of the introspection is repeated for those of us who were tempted to skip ahead looking for action).
Fortunately, the stars of the novel are the cats and Murphy does a fine job describing the cats' activities (since the cats are the only detectives who actually do any detecting, they get all the action). Things pick up after the first hundred pages as the cats really get into their job, frequently calling in tips to the police who seem otherwise incapable of accomplishing anything.
See more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Shirley Rousseau Murphy.
Two Stars
Reviewed 4/19/03
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