Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (1996, Paperback, Reprint)

I only recently learned of this cat series, having become slightly disenchanted with one other feline series I’d been reading. First off, it’s always a good idea to read a series in order rather than coming in once the characters have been introduced & situations explained. In Cat on the Edge, Joe Grey, the gray & white Tom, who had been rescued from certain death by animal-loving bachelor, Clyde, discovers powers beyond the normal cat. The book opens with Joe witnessing a murder committed one night in an alley in a California seaside town. For some reason the murderer chases him, trying to kill him. After a couple more incidents, Joe decides that it would be best to leave home in order to protect Clyde & the other dogs & cats that live there. While he’s fending for himself, he meets Dulcie & discovers that she too has the same powers that he has. Dulcie has also seen the murder & is running from the murderer. The wife of one of the accomplices has the ability to turn herself into a cat & back again. If all this sounds rather bazaar in the telling, Murphy manages to pull it off very well with her fluid writing & attention to detail. (I could have done without the detailed references to the eating of birds & mice however.) I was reminded somewhat of Watership Down & the portrayal from the rabbits point of view. I love the scene where Joe meets Dulcie & discovers that she can talk & understand. It is just so poignant.

The book is told almost entirely from the cat’s point of view, though Clyde & Dulcie’s “mom” (Clyde’s friend) have their turn. It is strictly a “what if...” kind of story that pulls you into the mystical world of cats & we know who the murderer is from the start. The story centers on how Joe & Dulcie get the humans to discover what is going on. I must admit, since reading this book, I look at my five cats a bit differently, half expecting one of them to morph into a human or phone me in the middle of the night. I definitely enjoyed this book enough to continue on with the next.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Grey is a super sleuth. I think of him as a person. While the detective is a cat, the mystery seems real. There are 13 books in the series and my only regret is that I have to wait so long for the next one in the series.