Cat Striking Back

A tomcat sleuth and his four-legged cohorts investigate a murder without a body and a criminal who hates cats in this cozy mystery.

Why is it, Joe, that you are always the one to find the body?


On a lovely moonlit night, while carrying a gift of mice to a litter of kittens, Joe Grey stumbles upon a murder scene. Behind an empty house, in an empty swimming pool, there's blood, the smell of human death, and drag marks. But there's no victim—and it's hard to prove a crime without a corpse.


Driven by stubborn feline curiosity, Joe Grey sets out to investigate. With Dulcie and Kit following him along a killer's trail, Joe discovers evidence of conflict among the residents of this seemingly peaceful neighborhood—multiple signs of breaking-and-entering, with nothing of value stolen. And they find something far worse: hints of violence yet to come . . . and more planned murder.


With the help of two local ferals, Joe, Kit, and Dulcie must now thwart a killer using the most unorthodox means at their disposal: a criminal's unnatural yet powerful fear of cats.

Praise for Cat Striking Back
"Magical." —Publishers Weekly
"Murphy's . . . premise, a mystery that withholds the identities of both the victim and the perp, is intriguing." —Kirkus Reviews