Cat Fear No Evil by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Ah....feel the love. I love love love this book. Hell, the whole series even though I haven't read all of them. Who can resist a mystery series with cats, especially when it's the cats who help solve the mystery. Did I mention that they also talk? And the mystery is pretty good, too? I tried explaining it to Màili the other day, but I don't think she was feeling it.

Evil has crept into Molena Point, California, on stealthy cat feet. A rash of brazen burglaries, from antique jewelry to vintage cars, coincides with the unwelcome appearance of yellow-eyed Azrael, feline nemesis of crime-solving cats Joe Grey and Dulcie. But what follows soon after really has Joe's fur standing on edge. A young, healthy waiter drops dead at a reception for local artist Charlie Harper. And when the trail of big-time thefts leads up to San Francisco, the dark beast Azrael is on the scene. Does he have contact as well with a stalker and a handsome philanderer? If Joe and Dulcie don't get to the bottom of these misdeeds soon, they and all their human friends will have ample reasons to be afraid ... to be very afraid.

I really can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It's preferable to have read at least some of the previous books, but not truly necessary. Back story is added in pretty well for those who haven't. It has talking cats. Very cool talking cats. And made me cry in places. Takes a special book to make me cry.

Another thing I love about the book is the sense of place. I felt I could picture the town and many of the places depicted. I loved the cats. An Azrael...don't think we've seen the last of him. There's a bit of paranormal stuff you have to believe to enjoy the book, but it's not a huge stretch and I liked it. Maybe because I like the idea of a world where some cats can talk.

So...go, read a Joe Grey Mystery.