A cat as the detective. I mean you'd think it would be kind of anthropomorphic, eh? But it is a good read. ( )

Cat in the Dark introduces another talking cat, Azrael, a big black tomcat from Panama. He isn't even remotely nice, except that he apparently cares about his human, Greeley Urzey. Azrael wants to convince the lovely little tabby, Dulcie, to come over to the dark side. Dulcie is attracted and repulsed. Azrael is no Joe Grey.

Azrael predicts three murders and that's what we get. I can't help wondering if Azrael was secretly hoping for some of them.

There are characters introduced who aren't what they seem as well as characters who are exactly what they seem. When is Chief Harper going to get a call from his mysterious informants?

There's a subplot involving a head librarian whose character is a disgrace to her profession. She wants Dulcie, the popular library cat, out. The library patrons and other citizens are signing petitions to keep their cat in.

I enjoyed the interaction among the characters, good and bad. There are some interesting arguments for or against our feline friends meddling in crime investigation. Chief Harper fears he's losing his mind. Poor Clyde is caught between his human and furry friends.

I've been liking the books more as the series progresses. ( )

Cat in the Dark (#4 of Joe Grey Mysteries) starts with a series of burglaries, which Joe and Dulcie discover are aided by another talking cat, Azreal. And then, a couple are murdered, another person is murdered, and a dear friend is assaulted. Again, the two cats step in to help the police.

Compared to the previous book, this one took a small step backwards. The plot seemed to drag through the first half of the book, as the murders themselves didn't occur until well into the second half. The writing was confusing in various spots, so that I had to reread a numerous short passages to figure out who was being referred to. The transitions from one scene to another were non-existent in a couple of cases. The author, Shirley Rousseau Murphy, seemed to be trying too hard. She even created another talking cat, Azreal, who embodied evil, and then left this cat in Molena Point (maybe to reappear in a future book?).

Overall, this was barely 3.5 stars -- the cats saved it with some interesting observations and comments. ( )

I love this series. There's something about talking cats that makes me happy. ( )