Cat on the Edge

Joe Grey is a cat who has inexplicably found himself possessed of human-style intelligence and the capacity for human speech, although he doesn't like to do it in front of people. Then he witnesses a murder and has reason to believe someone is going to try to pin it on his human.

It's a really cute idea, but I have to say the execution just felt kind of... weird... to me. The author is prone to describing things, especially the cats, in this slightly over-done, almost flowery-feeling way that kept making me stop and wonder if it was meant to be some sort of self-parody. I don't think it was, though, which is kind of a shame, because I think this could have been really fun if it had leaned into the absurdity of its premise a little more show more and thrown in some humor.

It did still have an entertaining moment or two, and I like the author's spot-on observations about how normal cats communicate using body language, but mostly I think reading it just gave me lots of distracting thoughts of how I would have written everything in it differently. show less

I was expecting Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s Cat on the Edge to be — well, different. It wasn’t twee at all, but plausible in a paranormal kind of way. I really loved main character Joe Grey, a sentient tomcat, and his scruffy owner, Clyde Damon.

And the book was surprisingly suspenseful. I read much too late into the night to find out the fate of Joe and Clyde, the unusual Kate Osborne, and Joe’s lady-love kitty, Dulcie. This is the cozy mystery for people who don’t like cozies. Highly recommended.

Joe Grey is a cat who has been through a lot of changes in the last week or two. He can suddenly understand human language. Sitting with his human, Clyde, while Clyde reads out loud to him, he finds he can even read the words on the page.

That's unsettling enough. Then he discovers he can speak human language.

Joe does not regard this as a Great Step Forward. It's very upsetting to him. He likes being a cat. Clyde's human friends are a lot more annoying, now that he can understand their conversation--entirely focused on things cats consider trivial.

But he might have found ways to appreciate these changes, with some time. Instead, he and one of his cat friends, Dulcie, who has experienced the same changes, witness the murder of a business show more associate of Clyde's. And the killer sees them. Not only sees them, but apparently realizes that they can tell what they've seen--that they are witnesses who matter.

They each go home, Joe to Clyde and Dulcie to Wilma, but it's not long before they both realize the killer knows where they live. They're on the run, and they need to solve the crime if they are ever going to be able to be safe again.

They start investigating, and discover the human world is ridiculously complicated. Clyde runs a service garage in space he rents from a car dealership, and part of the deal is providing service to the dealership's cars. He connected with the owner of the dealership originally through an old school acquaintance, Jimmy Osborn, who is employed as the manager. Jimmy is married to Kate, whom Clyde really likes, and is friendlier with than Jimmy, but, you know, married to Jimmy. The owner of the dealership, Samuel Beckwhite, is the man who was murdered. He was married to Sheril, who has been having an affair with Jimmy. Jimmy has a connection with Lee whose last name I won't even guess at the spelling of. (I listened to the audiobook.) Lee is Welsh, and he grew up listening to all sorts of Welsh stories about cats, which, yes, is highly relevant to events.

This book was first published in 1996, and in some respects it shows its age. It's trivial that this is set some years before cellphones were everywhere, and this piece of tech we take for granted comes up only in passing, near the end, as something the mayor thinks is too fancy and expensive for the police, who could really use them. More annoying for the current reader will be he fact that there's some lazy stereotyping, the slut-shaming of Sheril, and the Latino waiter who doesn't speak English too good. Kate is a housewife, making Jimmy's home beautiful and a good showplace for his success.This was still pretty normal for the time, and Wilma, for instance, has a very different background. It's still a bit jarring for today's readers, though. I will say, in Kate's and Murphy's defense, when push comes to shove, she proves to be no spineless pushover.

I enjoyed this. It's a lot of fun. It does have some flaws, though, and won't be for everyone.

I bought this audiobook. show less

I read a lot of books that involve cats helping solve crimes. I love cats. I love reading mysteries. Why not combine the two? Out of all the books I've read that combine cats and murder, I have to say that this one is the most imaginative and original.

Joe Grey is a typical tom cat. He roams the streets looking for lady-cats, hunting for food and investigating his neighborhood. He naps in the sun and has a pretty great life, as cat's lives go, thanks to his owner, Clyde. One day, Joe's life is turned upside down when he suddenly has the power to understand human speech. Not only that, he can read, too. And, as if that wasn't enough, he can also talk. Before the shock of his new talents can even begin to wear off, Joe Grey witnesses a show more murder in an alleyway, and the murderer follows him home. Joe needs to investigate the case to protect his owner from the killer.

Readers definitely need to be able to suspend reality for this book. The concept was cute enough for me to be able to temporarily believe that a cat could suddenly have the power to speak and read. Why not? :) It made for a fun read. The plot was a bit predictable....but I'm willing to let that go because...well....talking cats. :)

There are 17 books in the Joe Grey Mystery Series. I don't know if I will read them all, but I will definitely be reading more in this series! Readers who enjoy mysteries, and who also love cats, should definitely try this series.

My rating: 7/10
Ages: 10 show less

Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the first in her Joe Grey series. Joe in this instance is a cat, who somehow has acquired the knowledge and use of the English Language. For all Joe knows he's the only cat with this ability, and he's feeling rather lonely and sorry for himself when he witnesses a murder. The murder victim is a business associate of his owner, Clyde. The murderer sees Joe and tries to kill him. Joe runs away from home in an effort to protect his owner from the murderer. He meets up with another cat, Dulcie, who shares his unique abilities. Together they work to bring the murderer to justice, and save not only themselves, but their beloved owners.

It's an interesting take on anthropomorphic animals. The author show more doesn't try to explain why these two cats have this ability, and many times seems to forget that her protagonists are cats. Their antics many times don't seem to be something that would be possible for actual cats to do. Who knows maybe with their human language capabilities they've also aquired superpowers. All in all it's an entertaining read, just check your knowledge of cat behaviours and abilities at the door. show less

My introduction to the Joe Grey books was the unabridged audio edition of book 18. I love cats (as Kai and Cosmo can attest), love fantasy, love mysteries, and have no problem with mixed genres. Cats Bearing Gifts was pleasant enough for me to decide to check out the series from the beginning.

Joe Grey (who, unlike the cat on the cover, is a gray cat with white markings who lost most of his tail to a bad infection that had set in before his human, Clyde Damen, found him), has no idea why he can suddenly understand, speak, and read English. He witnessed a murder and the killer is trying to kill him. It's as if the man knows that Joe could tattle.

Dulcie is a lovely female cat who lives with retired parole officer Wilma Getz. Dulcie has a show more thing about stealing soft and pretty objects from the neighbors, which Wilma returns. Dulcie is like Joe. Her life is also in danger.

A mysterious amnesiac cat we meet turns out to be a shape-shifting woman. A character who came from Wales may be responsible.

I enjoyed the cats' adventures, especially Joe trying to use a phone to let Clyde know that he's okay while he's hiding from the killer. I also enjoyed Joe's reaction to Clyde's dates now that he can understand what they're talking about. The narration is fine.

If you're looking for a cozy series to listen to while you're getting other things done, this one will do. I must admit, though, that while my disbelief was willing to be suspended for talking literate cats and a were-cat, it was not willing to swallow Joe thinking that he's only a cat. I'm sure our cats wouldn't believe that, either. show less

Molena Point is a quaint seaside town near the Bay Area of California. Everything is fairly peaceful right up until a body is discovered in the alley behind the local Deli. It seemed like the perfect crime with the only witness being a cat. And everyone knows cat's can't talk.

Cat on the Edge is the first in the Joe Grey Mysteries. This is slightly different than your average murder mystery as the murderer is identified fairly early on and it is the secondary story. Instead the real mystery lies with the cats, how they became the way they are, how they adapt to the situation and how their humans handle it all. The story has a slow reveal of the cat's nature while they put together the pieces of the murder to capture the killer. I read show more Murphy's Catsworld Portal years ago, which does tie in somewhat. It is not necessary to read that to enjoy this book though it will explain the mythology a bit more.

I quite enjoyed this cozy little mystery and plan to continue the series for a few books. It is a nice, light entrance to a mystery series for cat fans. show less