A striking new reissue of an epic fantasy by popular Harper author Shirley Rousseau Murphy, featuring a princess's dangerous quest to reclaim her throne...and, of course, cats! There is a door in an artist's garden: an elaborate carved passageway into a realm ruled by a dark sorceress queen. There entities strange and wondrous roam the Netherworld––yet none as astonishing as the shape–shifting Catswold... Raised by the oldwitch Mag, Melissa discovers a perilous secret. She has more than one form––human girl and magical cat––and once inhabited two worlds. And it is her destiny to return to a mystic realm of wonder and terror, to do battle for her people's liberation and the crown that is rightfully hers. A man beset by tragedy, painter Braden West is intrigued by the calico cat who has charmed her way into his studio. But his "guest" is more than she seems, and Braden's very existence will be radically altered as he follows Melissa from the Hell Pit into the dread perils of an evil ruling court, thrust into the heart of a magical conflict with more at stake than he could possibly have imagined.

A car crash, stolen treasure, a dead thief, and a blonde divorcée have a feline P.I. and his four-legged cohorts clawing for justice in this cozy mystery. On the twisting road home from San Francisco, tortoiseshell Kit and her elderly housemates, Lucinda and Pedric Greenlaw, are hurt in a terrible car crash. The accident is terrifying enough, but then two dangerous men steal the Greenlaw’s town car, making off with a hoard of jewels and gold carefully hidden in the car. As paramedics rush the Greenlaws to the emergency room, a badly shaken Kit hides from hungry coyotes, waiting for Joe and their human friends to rescue her. Back home in Molena Point, Joe Grey and his tabby lady prowl an abandoned stone cottage where they’ve discovered two rough-looking men hiding. Determined to help the Greenlaws, Kit follows the two housebreakers: one badly injured, the other eager to end his partner’s misery in order to make off with more wealth than he realizes. But the cat’s investigation is in trouble as they claw their way to the truth, hoping that tomcat Misto and his unfailing memory might provide some answers to their questions. Praise for Cat Bearing Gifts “Talking cat fans will welcome Murphy’s exciting 18th mystery featuring feline Joe Grey. . . . Anyone unfamiliar with this cozy series will be quickly drawn in by the complete believability of Murphy’s crime-solving felines and their helpful human companions.” —Publishers Weekly

A big, powerful, gray feline, Joe Grey is perfectly content with his remarkable ability to understand and communicate with humans -- especially now that he has company. A mysterious accident similar to the one that enabled him to speak and read has transformed his friend Dulcie as well. The trouble is, the cute tabby female not only hears human words, she believes them. Now she's convinced the man who was jailed for murdering a famous local artist and burning down her studio is innocent -- simply because he says so -- and she's willing to do whatever it takes to dig up the evidence that will exonerate the accused. Joe would much prefer just lazing around the house doing kitty things, but the lady cat is determined. And Joe must admit that he is curious ... though everyone knows what that can lead to!

It's been quite a week for Joe Grey. First the large, powerful feline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language. Then he discovers he can speak it as well! It's a nightmare for a cat who'd prefer to sleep the day away carefree, but Joe can handle it. That is, until he has the misfortune to witness a murder in the alley behind Jolly's Deli -- and worse, to be seen witnessing it. With all of his nine lives suddenly at risk, Joe's got no choice but to get to the bottom of the heinous crime -- because his mouse-hunting days are over for good unless he can help bring a killer to justice.

Hell hath no fury like a feline enraged. Though Joe Greyand Dulcie are merely housecats, they each have astrong sense of justice -- to complement their uncannyability to read, speak, and use the telephone. And they'refurious that Max Harper, police chief of Molena Pointand preferred target for Joe's harmless pranks, has beenaccused of a gruesome double murder. The fleet-footed sleuthing duo is intent upon restoringan old friend's good name. But finding the missing littlegirl who was sole witness to the crime won't be easy -- especially with a hungry cougar on the prowl, a cat-killeron the loose ... and the kittenish antics of Joe and Dulcie'splayful new "ward" causing big trouble that could takemore than nine lives to survive.

A ghost cat, the Devil, a deceitful criminal, a father framed for murder, and a vulnerable young girl combine in this magical tale from the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of the Joe Grey feline mysteries, Shirley Rousseau Murphy, and her husband Pat J.J. Murphy. The Devil has been up to no good . . . Brad Falon, one of Satan’s longtime puppets, orchestrated a deadly robbery and set up his old friend Morgan Blake to take the fall. Now, Morgan has been sentenced to life in prison, and his wife Becky and young daughter Sammie are devastated. Alone and afraid, in need of comfort and a friend, Sammie turns to Misto, the ghost cat. Behind bars, her father Morgan makes fast friends with an old con named Lee Fontana who knows a few tricks about outwitting evil. They plan a wily escape to bring the real killer to justice and clear Morgan’s name for good. All it will take is outsmarting the Devil one more time. . . .

The award-winning author of the Joe Grey mystery series teams up with her husband to conjure a charming adventure involving the devil, a thief, a bet, and a phantom cat. Bringing to life an old legend about a ghost cat who helps his pal outsmart the devil himself—introduced in Cat Bearing Gifts—The Cat, the Devil, and Lee Fontana is a tale of magic that illuminates a new dimension behind the mysterious lives of the talking felines, a story that longtime fans of the Joe Grey series won't want to miss. To the devil, the span of a human life is as brief as spit on the wind. But the challenge of playing with flawed humans, like a cat toying with a mouse, is endlessly amusing. If the devil loses a wager, though, he will harass a person's descendants until he eventually gets his due—which is why he is tormenting Lee Fontana. The night before Lee, a train robber, is paroled from jail, Satan terrifies and tempts him with the promise of one more successful heist. As Lee goes on, struggling to live an honest life working on a farm in Southern California with old friends, opportunities to get rich quick seem to appear at every turn and the temptation becomes too much to bear. But Lee has a secret ally looking out for him. The prison cat Misto, a yellow-tabby ghost, will tail the ex-con on his dangerous mission—an adventure that will leave a long legacy for everyone's favorite sleuthing cat, Joe Grey, and his pals in the charming California coastal town of Molena Point.