You've seen them. Hanging on telephone poles and posted on supermarket bulletin boards. But have you ever wondered about the stories behind them? When her orange tabby, Zak, disappeared, Nancy Davidson did what countless people before her had done. She made a lost cat poster. And after days of frantic searching, she found him. Nancy was ecstatic. Zak seemed happy, too—although being a cat, it was hard to tell. Zak may have remained his old self, but Nancy had changed. From that moment on, she became acutely aware of lost cat posters. She studied their language, composition, and design. She was drawn to their folk art. Mostly, however, she was intrigued by the messages themselves—the stories behind the posters. It wasn't long before Nancy reached out to other owners of lost and found cats to offer empathy and support. They told hilarious and often poignant stories. They sought advice. That's when Dr. Nancy, the cat lover and the seasoned therapist, stepped in and offered insights brought to light by her shrewd, but never self-serious analysis. What they told her—and what she learns – creates a captivating look into the heart of our relationships with our pets and each other. For seven years, Dr. Nancy followed the lost cat trail discovering answers to a question that eventually touches all of us: What will you do for love? The Secrets of Lost Cats traces the evolution of Nancy Davidson's seven-year passion for lost cat posters. From the astonishing, almost implausible posters she encounters across the country—and indeed, the world—to the daring, dedication, and emotional complexity of the cat owners themselves, The Secrets of Lost Cats offers readers an absorbing journey that illuminates love, loss, and learning to love again, even more deeply.

You've seen them. Hanging on telephone poles and posted on supermarket bulletin boards. But have you ever wondered about the stories behind them? When her orange tabby, Zak, disappeared, Nancy Davidson did what countless people before her had done. She made a lost cat poster. And after days of frantic searching, she found him. Nancy was ecstatic. Zak seemed happy, too—although being a cat, it was hard to tell. Zak may have remained his old self, but Nancy had changed. From that moment on, she became acutely aware of lost cat posters. She studied their language, composition, and design. She was drawn to their folk art. Mostly, however, she was intrigued by the messages themselves—the stories behind the posters. It wasn't long before Nancy reached out to other owners of lost and found cats to offer empathy and support. They told hilarious and often poignant stories. They sought advice. That's when Dr. Nancy, the cat lover and the seasoned therapist, stepped in and offered insights brought to light by her shrewd, but never self-serious analysis. What they told her—and what she learns – creates a captivating look into the heart of our relationships with our pets and each other. For seven years, Dr. Nancy followed the lost cat trail discovering answers to a question that eventually touches all of us: What will you do for love? The Secrets of Lost Cats traces the evolution of Nancy Davidson's seven-year passion for lost cat posters. From the astonishing, almost implausible posters she encounters across the country—and indeed, the world—to the daring, dedication, and emotional complexity of the cat owners themselves, The Secrets of Lost Cats offers readers an absorbing journey that illuminates love, loss, and learning to love again, even more deeply.

You've seen them. Hanging on telephone poles and posted on supermarket bulletin boards. But have you ever wondered about the stories behind them? When her orange tabby, Zak, disappeared, Nancy Davidson did what countless people before her had done. She made a lost cat poster. And after days of frantic searching, she found him. Nancy was ecstatic. Zak seemed happy, too—although being a cat, it was hard to tell. Zak may have remained his old self, but Nancy had changed. From that moment on, she became acutely aware of lost cat posters. She studied their language, composition, and design. She was drawn to their folk art. Mostly, however, she was intrigued by the messages themselves—the stories behind the posters. It wasn't long before Nancy reached out to other owners of lost and found cats to offer empathy and support. They told hilarious and often poignant stories. They sought advice. That's when Dr. Nancy, the cat lover and the seasoned therapist, stepped in and offered insights brought to light by her shrewd, but never self-serious analysis. What they told her—and what she learns – creates a captivating look into the heart of our relationships with our pets and each other. For seven years, Dr. Nancy followed the lost cat trail discovering answers to a question that eventually touches all of us: What will you do for love? The Secrets of Lost Cats traces the evolution of Nancy Davidson's seven-year passion for lost cat posters. From the astonishing, almost implausible posters she encounters across the country—and indeed, the world—to the daring, dedication, and emotional complexity of the cat owners themselves, The Secrets of Lost Cats offers readers an absorbing journey that illuminates love, loss, and learning to love again, even more deeply.

I'm sorry—this book is not for you. This book is for CATS ONLY. What's that you say? You are a cat? Okay . . . get ready to prove it!

In this cozy mystery, a feline P.I. and his four-legged friends investigate a suspicious—and deadly—house fire in a California seaside town. Even the bright seaside village of Molena Point has been hit hard by the economic downturn, and many residents are abandoning their pets. While feline P.I. Joe Grey’s human friends join together to care for their starving cats, a fire leaves a twelve-year-old boy homeless, the body of his alcoholic guardian discovered in the smoldering ruins. Meanwhile, Debbie Kraft descends uninvited on the Damens’ home with her two children, claiming that she has no money and nowhere else to go. But when Joe learns that the victim of the fire was Debbie’s estranged mother, and that Debbie’s ex-husband may be involved in several intricate real estate scams, his fur is on end with suspicion. But it’s not until Debbie’s abandoned tomcat arrives that the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together for Joe and his feline detective pals. Praise for Cat Telling Tales “A must-read for Murphy’s devoted audience and a good choice for those who enjoy Rita Mae Brown’s Sneaky Pie Brown novels.” —Booklist “Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Grey Mysteries are always excellent, and Cat Telling Tales is no exception.” —Fresh Fiction

Originally published: New York: St. Martin's Press, 2013.

"Rick Brant is the boy who with his pal Scotty lives on an island called Spindrift and takes part in so many thrilling adventures and baffling mysteries involving science and electronics"--P. 4 of cover.