Cat Breaking Free: A Joe Grey Mystery

Murphy's 11th Joe Grey cat cozy (after Cat Cross Their Graves ) offers the usual winning blend of suspense and whimsy. A feral cat, a mauled and very dead motorcyclist in a ravine and a series of boutique robberies bode ill for Joe's human companion, Clyde Damen; Clyde's feisty new building contractor girlfriend, Ryan Flannery; and the other residents of scenic Molena Point, Calif. It's largely up to those incorrigible feline snoops and snitches—Joe and buddies Dulcie and Kit, who cavort over the rooftops at night and eat the best of restaurant food—to thwart a gang of thieves from Los Angeles hiding out in the nearby hills. A complex, well-crafted plot and lively, credible characters will leave fans purring with pleasure. (Dec.)