From Shirley Rousseau Murphy, six-time winner of the Cat Writers' Association Muse Medallion, here is crime-solving from the paws of the most cunning and intelligent feline detectives around: tomcat and feline sleuth extraordinaire Joe Grey, his tabby pal Dulcie, and their tattercoat friend Kit.

When antiques and valuables begin to disappear from residents' homes, Joe Grey knows that something is very wrong in sleepy Molena Point, California. Could the thief be a local or, even worse, is it the old crook who may be connected to Azrael, the sinister, yellow-eyed cat who terrorized Joe and Dulcie years ago, and whose return has Joe's fur standing on edge? Even a seasoned tomcat like Joe isn't prepared for the shock that awaits Molena Point residents at the opening for artist Charlie Harper.

While guests are dining on hors d'oeuvres and fine wine at the joyous celebration, a young, healthy waiter drops dead at Charlie's feet.

Meanwhile, just north of Molena Point, in San Francisco, the cats' friend Kate, a woman with a troubling secret, is followed by a stranger and robbed. Her apartment is then gutted, with claw marks and black cat hairs leading her to suspect the vicious tomcat Azrael. In the most dramatic investigation of their lives, Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit, following diverse leads, scratch out the truth and, with cunning feline skills, restore a distraught village to its usual cozy tranquility.