Grey Matters

Dulcie Schwartz #2

by Clea Simon

For Harvard doctoral candidate Dulcie Schwartz, the pressure to finish her thesis is murder—and so is the body she discovers on the steps of her professor's office. The male victim, a fellow grad student, was a brilliant linguist and charmer who had stolen more than a few ladies' hearts. But now he's dead, and Dulcie's quiet world of academia is rife with mystery, manipulation…and danger.

The clues soon lead Dulcie deeper into her professor's obsessive world and produce an odd list of suspects, at the top of which is the strange man himself. Adding to the puzzle is the curious behavior of his two assistants and a suspicious rare book dealer. With the ghost of her beloved cat, Mr. Grey, offering cryptic messages, Dulcie attempts to piece together the events that led to murder, all the while fighting to keep a grip on her grant money, sanity and life.

Genres: Mystery, Animals, Fiction, Cozy, Fantasy, Cats, Cozy Mystery

300 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Boston Globe-bestselling author Clea Simon is the author of The Butterfly Trap, a sinister slow-build "he said/she said" that will definitely surprise you.

This follows Bad Boy Beat a fast-paced amateur sleuth mystery featuring a novice crime reporter with a nose for news who is convinced a series of street-level killings are connected.

In a different mood, Clea's most recent cozy is The Cat's Eye Charm, the fifth in her "Witch Cats of Cambridge" series.

She is also the author of the psychological suspense novels, Hold Me Down and World Enough, both named "Must Reads" by the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as the dystopian Blackie and Care black cat series (The Ninth Life), the Dulcie Schwartz feline/academic mysteries (Shades of Grey), the Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (Dogs Don't Lie), and the Theda Krakow cats & crime & rock & roll mysteries (Mew is for Murder), as well as three nonfiction books: Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings; Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads; and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats.

The recipient of multiple honors, including the Cat Writers Associations Presidents Award, she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jon Garelick, and their cat, Thisbe. Find her at Clea Simon.com

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Harvard Doctoral Thesis candidate finds the body of one of her peers at the front door of her professor's house.

From there, she tries to solve the mystery.

The book really made me think Harvard is not all it's cracked up to be.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery with Gothic undertones seems a fitting book to read on a rainy day; at least I think so. I enjoyed my introduction to author Clea Simon's latest series in Shades of Grey, and looked forward to revisiting Dulcie and friends in the second novel, Grey Matters. A murder, dark secrets, a ghostly cat, and a dash of romance make for an entertaining read.

Dulcie Schwartz hasn't had a particularly good week. Her roommate Suze is busy with her final year of law school and a new boyfriend. Dulcie's own boyfriend, Chris, seems distracted, always working with hardly any time for her these days. The new kitten in her life is no substitute for her beloved Mr. Grey, who seems to only appear to her in ghostly form when she needs a little nudge or to be comforted. Her thesis adviser isn't on the same page in terms of her research, and Dulcie feels at a loose ends as a result. After a meeting with her adviser, she nearly stumbles over the dead body of a fellow graduate student right outside her adviser's house. As she looks at those around her as possible clues as to why he was murdered, she discovers that quite a few people around her are holding secrets of their own. Dulcie does not like to think the worst of her friends and colleagues, but she cannot ignore that something is going on, and one of them just might be involved in the murder.

The kinship I felt with the main protagonist in the first book was renewed in the second as I stepped into Dulcie's life again. I cannot help but think just how much she and I are alike personality wise. We both have a penchant for letting our minds wander--and analyzing just about everything we hear and see. She is rather soft-spoken and kindhearted. Dulcie may not always say what is on her mind immediately, but she is not afraid to take risks or do what must be done. She is ever curious, a trait that occasionally puts her in the middle of danger, however unintentional.

Throughout the novel, Dulcie continues to struggle with her graduate thesis. Her recent research threatens to derail all the progress she has made. My own graduate school experience was quite different from Dulcie's, but then, so was my discipline. The self-doubt and challenges that come with research and juggling other academic responsibilities is something I remember all too well.

As a book lover, I really like the bookish side of Dulcie and her love for books. Her interest in 18th century Gothic literature seemed particularly intriguing to me this round, having just read a historical fiction book set in that time. A book had been alluded to in that particular novel that stirred my interest and I found myself researching novels written during that time. Even though I hadn't yet begun reading Grey Matters, I had, in fact, thought about Dulcie and Clea Simon, wondering if they had come across the same titles in their own research.

The cats are as delightful as ever, and not at all overbearing to the story. I couldn't help but see my Anya in the kitten Dulcie had taken in and Parker in Mr. Grey. While Mr. Grey occasionally offers Dulcie cryptic advice, his appearances are more often than not rather vague--did Dulcie really see a swish of a tail or feel a presence rub against her leg? While it's clear that Dulcie believes so, others around her aren't so sure.

All of this is wrapped around the murder mystery in such a way that made it all the more intriguing. I was never quite sure who to suspect of what, but I knew something was up just as Dulcie did. Although I have enjoyed each of the books author Clea Simon has written that I have read, both in her Theda Krakow series and in this one, I must say that Grey Matters is her best book yet.

Source: Book provided by author for review.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ducie is a grad student working on her thesis. Just after she meets with her advisor, she comes out of the building only to stumble upon a murder victim, another man in the English department. In her personal life, she is feeling lonely as her boyfriend is spending almost all his time working; her best friend/roommate has a new boyfriend; her beloved pet cat, Mr. Grey, had recently passed away, although his ghost visits her, still, and she has a new black and white, still unnamed, kitten.

Like with the first book in the series (this is the 2nd), there was more academic-speak in the book than I would have liked. I wasn’t necessarily all that excited to hear, in so much detail, about Dulcie’s thesis. I wasn’t sure initially if I would continue the series after this one (primarily) because of that. Not a big fan of ghost-cats talking, either. But as the end came around, I decided I like it enough that I would try the next book, as well.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery. A hint of paranormal. And talking cats…? I’m in - at least for part.

With all mystery stories I must know “who done it?” - preferably figuring out the major points before the conclusion is revealed. My immediate suspicions didn’t pay off, in the end I must say I was surprised.

Dulcie is an average daughter of a psychic hippie, with aspiration of finding more about the world than the safety of her west cost commune. A grad student of an English department Dulcie is obsessed with one book and focuses her doctoral thesis on unraveling the mysteries of a Gothic novel. However, the book is the least of Dulcie’s troubles. A murder has been committed. With the curiosity of a cat – which happens to be her spirit guide – she unwittingly untangles an ugly mess of lies.

I love a good paranormal mystery, but a talking dead cat? I went with it. I did like the entwining story of secretes, murder and misdirection. However, Grey Matters didn’t pull me in immediately, gratefully ending in a whirlwind of activity and summed up the “who done it” succinctly.

All in all it was a nice read. I’m curious as to what the future holds for Dulcie. And her cat

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I seriously enjoyed this book, I still remain, at times, over my educational level. So, I do alot of re-reading and hitting my dictionary, which is never a bad thing.

The mystery is very solid and I love the characters!

[LyD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming read. Not terribly complicated. Focus is on Dulcie's state of mind, more so than "solving a mystery." Dulcie's current feline relationships mirrored my own so I felt great empathy with Dulcie this time.

[Kathei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard graduate student Dulcie Schwartz stumbles across a murder.

Along with her deceased cat, Mr. Grey, she is unable to stop herself from spending her time attempting to solve the murder rather than spending the needed time on her thesis.

Since I lived for many years in Cambridge MA I enjoyed the accurate details of streets and landmarks used by Clea Simon in Grey Matters.

I really liked this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so enjoying this series! TINY SPOILER, but not really...the psychic hints that Dulcie gets from both her former cat and her mother are just as cryptic as things tend to be in actuality. And they tend to confuse her and send her down the wrong path just as in actuality. I keep on giggling.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dulcie finds another murdered student at Harvard. Thank goodness for her deceased cat
Mr. Grey, who helps her through the next few days. She finally selects a name for her
small cute kitten. I love this series and can't wait for the next book!

[February Four · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series brings back fond memories of college. I liked the much-less-overwrought-ness too.

[Curt Bobbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic politics within a university English department (Harvard) mix with a character's early-onset dementia and the spirit of a dead cat. Readers liking the former plot elements might find the novels of Amanda Cross (Carolyn Heilbrun) starring Kate Fansler more appealing, particularly Death in a Tenured Position, the sixth of the series.

Dulcinea "Dulcie" Schwartz struggles to narrow a dissertation topic about a fragment of a (supposed) late eighteenth-century gothic novel titled The Ravages of Umbria. Her thesis director, an endowed chair with no recent publications, shows signs of forgetfulness and intemperate behavior, so she worries even more. The actions of this novel take place in November, leading up to Thanksgiving, a few months after the action of the first novel in the series, Shades of Grey. Many of the same characters appear, including Dulcie’s loopy, counter-culture mother, her roommate, Suze (a law student), and fellow graduate students.

The third-person narrator uses a few catch-phrases of literary criticism and theory, but nothing off-putting or specialized enough to distract readers. A few allusions and references to British literary works and authors characterize Dulcie and her peers. Most of the details about libraries, school offices, and small Cambridge apartments relate to the plot conflicts. Dulcie’s affection for gothic novels affects her judgment of characters as in this take on an older student: “Polly looked like one of the ghostly spirits from Dulcie’s novels. Dulcie might be fair-skinned, more prone to freckle than to tan, but Polly was spectral, with white-blonde hair that hung as lank as seaweed.”

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I bothered to finish this book. It has potential, certainly, but fails to rise past the manuscript stage. Dulcie, a grad student in English lit, loves books, cats, and three-bean burgers. When another grad student in her program is murdered, Dulcie finds the mystery of his death intertwined with problems of authenticity in her own thesis. Unfortunately for the reader, Dulcie suffers from the humanities scholar's all too common malady - obsessive introspection. Clea Simon, the author, never let's us out of Dulcie's head, which is especially disconcerting since the book is written in the third person. My other bone of contention is the pacing. The murder takes place within pages of the opening chapter, Dulcie broods about it and her thesis for 200 pages, and then all is solved in three pages. Simon, I believe in an effort to spread suspicion among the characters, makes the characters needlessly complex but never gives them the substance to support such roles.

[Roxann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the whole idea of a talking dead cat, murder, a non-cop trying to solve the murder, etc. but the whole story seemed to drag on and on. The main character, Dulcie, is a PhD candidate who seems 'dumb'. She also has a mother who thinks she has visions. I did stick it out to the end and was surprised by the ending (who did the murder) though.

[Shay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. One of those boring mysteries that just drags; had to force myself through it. You know, one of those books where you tell yourself to read 20 pages of it, then you can read something you really want to read. If it weren't so short, I don't think I would have finished it.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tight little detective tale. I like Dulcie, I like the background of academia, I like the cats and the story was fine.

Dulcie seemed to get more work done on her thesis in this one and of course solved her immediate worries over the Ravages

[Clea Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in my Dulcie Schwartz series will be out in the US this spring.

[Janet Armentani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, I had problems (myself) with some of the deeper acedemics, but the story and characters were very good.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obvious from the beginning. Clueless female Harvard PhD candidate. The author attempts to cover way too many subplots in this book.

[Shirley Cochran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow start and way too much academic exposition.

[Amy Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dulcie stumbles onto another murder after consulting with her advisor about her thesis. A fellow grad student is dead on the professor's front walk.

Forged books, questions of provenance, a kleptomaniac assistant, and a respected scholar sliding into dementia all form a backdrop for this mystery.

Dulcie also adapts to life with a small kitten, while Mr Grey provides her occasional guidance in his ghost form.