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Lee Fontana #1
The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana
A ghost cat defies pure evil in this gritty but tender tale of an old train robber facing off the devil. The big, golden tomcat accompanies Lee when he’s paroled from federal prison: a cat sometimes seen, sometimes invisible. Lee is set on committing one last robbery to support him in his failing years--but the devil has darker plans. Satan means to crush Lee for the three-generation vendetta he holds against Lee’s family. Only the ghost cat understands fully. Fiercely he confronts the dark spirit, encouraging Lee’s moral side, shaming Lee when he is tempted by Lucifer’s hypnotic lust.
Shirley Rousseau Murphy, author of the award-winning Joe Grey mystery series--a writer hailed for her “magical whimsy and deft writing” (Cats Magazine) who "has raised the stakes of the feline sleuth genre” (Kirkus Reviews)--teams up with her husband to conjure this gripping supernatural adventure, sprinkled with lighter moments of feline clowning.
"This compelling departure from the Joe Grey series will have you flying through the pages, anxious to find out what happens next.... The relationships are complex and true-to-life, and the post-World War II landscape is drawn beautifully.... This is one mystery not to miss!" --Amy Sikes, ReaderToReader.com
Shirley Rousseau Murphy, author of the award-winning Joe Grey mystery series--a writer hailed for her “magical whimsy and deft writing” (Cats Magazine) who "has raised the stakes of the feline sleuth genre” (Kirkus Reviews)--teams up with her husband to conjure this gripping supernatural adventure, sprinkled with lighter moments of feline clowning.
"This compelling departure from the Joe Grey series will have you flying through the pages, anxious to find out what happens next.... The relationships are complex and true-to-life, and the post-World War II landscape is drawn beautifully.... This is one mystery not to miss!" --Amy Sikes, ReaderToReader.com
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2014
About the author
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
62 books525 followersShirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of over 40 books, including 24 novels for adults, the Dragonbards Trilogy and more for young adults, and many books for children. She is best known for her Joe Grey cat mystery series, consisting of 21 novels, the last of which was published when she was over 90. Now retired, she enjoys hearing from readers who write to her at her website www.srmurphy.com, where the reading order of the books in that series can be found.
Murphy grew up in southern California, riding and showing the horses her father trained. After attending the San Francisco Art institute she worked as an interior designer, and later exhibited paintings and welded metal sculpture in the West Coast juried shows. "When my husband Pat and I moved to Panama for a four-year tour in his position with the U. S . Courts, I put away the paints and welding torches, and began to write," she says. Later they lived in Oregon, then Georgia, before moving to California, where she now enjoys the sea and views of the Carmel hills.
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Murphy grew up in southern California, riding and showing the horses her father trained. After attending the San Francisco Art institute she worked as an interior designer, and later exhibited paintings and welded metal sculpture in the West Coast juried shows. "When my husband Pat and I moved to Panama for a four-year tour in his position with the U. S . Courts, I put away the paints and welding torches, and began to write," she says. Later they lived in Oregon, then Georgia, before moving to California, where she now enjoys the sea and views of the Carmel hills.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 5, 2014
I never thought I would find a book by one of my favorite authors that I could not even finish. I adore the Joe Grey series and have fondest memories of her more fantasy-oriented The Catswold Portal but after giving this one a go for several chapters I lost all interest, skimmed a few more chapters then gave up.
Did not care for Lee as a character. I felt no sympathy for him. He had some good instincts but was too happy to look for ways to be "bad" rather than trying to look beyond thievery & crime as a way of life. The whole devil thing was too "woo-woo". I could buy the sentient/ speaking cats from a race of "Old Ones", even when they could also shape-shift as in Catswold but bringing in the devil was just too much. Nor did I like Misto as a ghost cat. Reincarnation in these cats is OK, even allowing them to retain some past-life memories but I could not buy him as a spirit popping in and out at will.
Overall this was just an illustration of good vs evil rather than a story I could feel part of. Please get back to Molena Point.
Did not care for Lee as a character. I felt no sympathy for him. He had some good instincts but was too happy to look for ways to be "bad" rather than trying to look beyond thievery & crime as a way of life. The whole devil thing was too "woo-woo". I could buy the sentient/ speaking cats from a race of "Old Ones", even when they could also shape-shift as in Catswold but bringing in the devil was just too much. Nor did I like Misto as a ghost cat. Reincarnation in these cats is OK, even allowing them to retain some past-life memories but I could not buy him as a spirit popping in and out at will.
Overall this was just an illustration of good vs evil rather than a story I could feel part of. Please get back to Molena Point.
October 4, 2017
I like cats, and ghost cats are a fun idea, but this book was disappointing. The plot was too disjointed, and if the ghost cat wasn't there to assert that Lee Fontana and Morgan are linked by fate somehow, really there was no link between those two men or stories. Sure, Lee dreams of Morgan's daughter, and the daughter dreams of Lee, but these dreams have no tangible consequences in either character's story. The cat is similarly ineffective, always there but never really influencing the trajectory of the story. Lee breaks his parole and goes back to prison, as he planned, Morgan is set up by his childhood acquaintance Fanon, as Fanon planned, nothing unexpected happens, and I am not sure what the point was of the dreams or the cat or the devil character, except as fluff to try unsuccessfully to add mystery to a boring story.
February 1, 2021
Lee Fontana is an old cowboy that has just gotten out of prison after a 10 year sentence. His grandfather, Russel Dobbs (also a criminal) angered the devil and for it, the devil is messing with all of the Dobbs descendants. The cat, Misto, is a ghost that protects Fontana from the devil for his journey on parole and his eventual plot to escape from it. While Fontana is on parole working on a cantaloupe farm that his friend Jake owns in, a man named Morgan is framed for murder and a bank robbery. Lee Fontana will meet this man and his family in the next book, for he has escaped parole and is now arrested again. With no clear moral, I have taken away from this story that you should trust your gut even when people are trying to mess with your morals.
For some reason I really liked Lee Fontana, even though he was a lonely old criminal. He did bad things but he showed he wasn't a bad man. While Lee robbed a bank on his way out of parole, he enjoyed the thought of killing the bankteller for a quick second but quickly regained his composure and realized " this wasn't [his] mode of operation, his robberies were coolheaded and precise, he didn't set out to abuse the weak and frightened. This was not his thinking" (Rousseau/Murphy). He never sought joy out of robberies, they were merely business to Lee, a way to make money. He could tell that it was the devil controlling him as it was "not his thinking". He knows what he is doing is bad but he isn't doing it to watch people suffer and in my eyes that makes him a decent person somehow. I also just think it's really cute how Misto likes this guy so much that he protects him and gives him advice. When Lee Fontana was tossing and turning at night, as the Devil manipulated lustful thoughts about Lee's friend's wife, Lucita, Misto got fed up and hissed, "Why do you listen to him? You have grown older now, Lee, and you are wiser. But in your resolve, and in your body, you are weaker, while the devil is still strong. He will always be strong. Now, in your declining age, do you plan to let him beat you?" (Rousseau/Murphy). Misto talking Fontana out of the Devil's trance to betray his friends is really nice. It makes me like Lee even more because he has an awesome cat friend that keeps him out of trouble and that is the only person he will always listen to. I also really like Misto because he's a good cat.
"The Cat, the Devil, and Lee Fontana" was an okay book, I didn't love it, but it also wasn't so bad. There wasn't very much action to it, mostly just Lee working on the farm and a few little kerfluffles here and there. So I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book but I wouldn't tell someone that it was terrible and to not read it. If you are interested in seeing a rusty cowboy commit some realistic crimes then this is the book for you. But if you're looking for some crazy western then I would look further. In summary, three out of five might read again but probably will forget about it and never read it again.
For some reason I really liked Lee Fontana, even though he was a lonely old criminal. He did bad things but he showed he wasn't a bad man. While Lee robbed a bank on his way out of parole, he enjoyed the thought of killing the bankteller for a quick second but quickly regained his composure and realized " this wasn't [his] mode of operation, his robberies were coolheaded and precise, he didn't set out to abuse the weak and frightened. This was not his thinking" (Rousseau/Murphy). He never sought joy out of robberies, they were merely business to Lee, a way to make money. He could tell that it was the devil controlling him as it was "not his thinking". He knows what he is doing is bad but he isn't doing it to watch people suffer and in my eyes that makes him a decent person somehow. I also just think it's really cute how Misto likes this guy so much that he protects him and gives him advice. When Lee Fontana was tossing and turning at night, as the Devil manipulated lustful thoughts about Lee's friend's wife, Lucita, Misto got fed up and hissed, "Why do you listen to him? You have grown older now, Lee, and you are wiser. But in your resolve, and in your body, you are weaker, while the devil is still strong. He will always be strong. Now, in your declining age, do you plan to let him beat you?" (Rousseau/Murphy). Misto talking Fontana out of the Devil's trance to betray his friends is really nice. It makes me like Lee even more because he has an awesome cat friend that keeps him out of trouble and that is the only person he will always listen to. I also really like Misto because he's a good cat.
"The Cat, the Devil, and Lee Fontana" was an okay book, I didn't love it, but it also wasn't so bad. There wasn't very much action to it, mostly just Lee working on the farm and a few little kerfluffles here and there. So I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book but I wouldn't tell someone that it was terrible and to not read it. If you are interested in seeing a rusty cowboy commit some realistic crimes then this is the book for you. But if you're looking for some crazy western then I would look further. In summary, three out of five might read again but probably will forget about it and never read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2023
A cute read with characters I like (the cat, the devil), done with a story I’m not usually into (crime). Misto the cat is the ghostly companion of Lee, who lives a life of crime. The cat is wise and knows the future; he tries to protect Lee and advise him of what not to do, because the devil is coming to take his soul and they all know it. It’s the age old story of trying to outsmart the devil. So how do you stay 10 steps ahead? With this cat!
February 7, 2018
Well this is an interesting oddity. It's the first half of a Duology, by the Joe Grey author Shirley Rousseau Murphy. The Joe Grey books are fun cozies, and Misto the ghost cat actually is a character that spans both series, but this is not really a prequel. The tone is quite a bit more harsher and definitely not a cozy.
Lee Fontana is an old train robber who's grandfather managed to put one over the devil, and well the prince of darkness doesn't like being tricked, and promised that although he got away with his trick, Ole Lucy will make sure his descendants lives are miserable. That descendant just happens to be Lee Fontana. On one side the devil shows up in different guises trying to tempt Lee into more grandiose and evil plans, on the other is Misto, who accepts that Lee is deeply flawed, not a good guy at all, but not evil and tries to get him to set his sights with a little more practicality and with as little harm as possible.
There is a parallel story running as well with some strange coincidences. A decent family man is framed for a terrible crime he did not commit. The person doing the framing, was a fellow inmate with Fontana. The families cat; just happens to be Misto once again. How do these two stories link? Well, that's for the next book to reveal. Which I have to say aggravated me because now I have to find it! Some series, you can read individually and out of order, this one needs to be read together.
I liked the story telling, the mythical aspect of it. The author was brave to have a main character like Fontana, who is not a likeable guy at all. Truly, he is rather despicable; but still I found I rooted for him to find his better nature through Misto, for him to not give in to his baser instincts.
Will be looking forward to finding the second half of this Duology!
Lee Fontana is an old train robber who's grandfather managed to put one over the devil, and well the prince of darkness doesn't like being tricked, and promised that although he got away with his trick, Ole Lucy will make sure his descendants lives are miserable. That descendant just happens to be Lee Fontana. On one side the devil shows up in different guises trying to tempt Lee into more grandiose and evil plans, on the other is Misto, who accepts that Lee is deeply flawed, not a good guy at all, but not evil and tries to get him to set his sights with a little more practicality and with as little harm as possible.
There is a parallel story running as well with some strange coincidences. A decent family man is framed for a terrible crime he did not commit. The person doing the framing, was a fellow inmate with Fontana. The families cat; just happens to be Misto once again. How do these two stories link? Well, that's for the next book to reveal. Which I have to say aggravated me because now I have to find it! Some series, you can read individually and out of order, this one needs to be read together.
I liked the story telling, the mythical aspect of it. The author was brave to have a main character like Fontana, who is not a likeable guy at all. Truly, he is rather despicable; but still I found I rooted for him to find his better nature through Misto, for him to not give in to his baser instincts.
Will be looking forward to finding the second half of this Duology!
April 25, 2016
I read this book because I won its sequel in a giveaway. It might have been awkward if I hadn't read this one first. It has mild language (for those of you who care about that sort of thing).
I'm not sure what I think about this book. I'm not even sure what to write in this review. That's rare. All I know is that I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly like it either.
First of all, I didn't like the sentence structures. Some were fragments, even in the narratives. Others were run-ons. Almost all were long-winded. There's technically nothing wrong with the latter, but it's a pet peeve of mine. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...we get it. Use more periods. Please.
The story is...interesting. A ghost cat serves as a sort of conscience for a western robber (train heists and all). Satan is after the train robber because the robber's grandpappy (yep) cheated the devil. And somehow the robber (Lee Fontana) is connected to a family in Georgia. The little girl in that family has visions of the future, a future in which Fontana plays a role.
It's a little cute, a little sad, a little mischievous, a little paranormal...a little of everything, but nothing really grounds the story. Nothing simple can really describe what this book is about. Nothing says "I'm a big deal. Pay attention to me!" Even the climax was, well, anticlimactic.
I guess I figured out what to write in this review after all. It wasn't bad, but if I hadn't won its sequel in a giveaway then I (1) wouldn't have read this book and (2) wouldn't bother with the sequel. Let's hope The...Last Escape is a more entertaining read.
I'm not sure what I think about this book. I'm not even sure what to write in this review. That's rare. All I know is that I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly like it either.
First of all, I didn't like the sentence structures. Some were fragments, even in the narratives. Others were run-ons. Almost all were long-winded. There's technically nothing wrong with the latter, but it's a pet peeve of mine. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...we get it. Use more periods. Please.
The story is...interesting. A ghost cat serves as a sort of conscience for a western robber (train heists and all). Satan is after the train robber because the robber's grandpappy (yep) cheated the devil. And somehow the robber (Lee Fontana) is connected to a family in Georgia. The little girl in that family has visions of the future, a future in which Fontana plays a role.
It's a little cute, a little sad, a little mischievous, a little paranormal...a little of everything, but nothing really grounds the story. Nothing simple can really describe what this book is about. Nothing says "I'm a big deal. Pay attention to me!" Even the climax was, well, anticlimactic.
I guess I figured out what to write in this review after all. It wasn't bad, but if I hadn't won its sequel in a giveaway then I (1) wouldn't have read this book and (2) wouldn't bother with the sequel. Let's hope The...Last Escape is a more entertaining read.
November 10, 2014
I believe this is the first book Shirley Rousseau Murphy has written with her husband, Pat J.J. Murphy. I believe it is also the first one I have read that didn't take place at least partly in the California coastal town of Molena Point.
Mr. Murphy, a career federal probation officer, is certainly qualified to provide details on what federal prison is like and how probation is handled, among other things.
What goes on in the minds of Lee Fontana, little Sammie Blake, and Misto the cat, currently in ghostly form, indicates there will be at least one more book about these characters. I'll be looking forward to it!
I did miss Molena Point, its talking cats and their humans and hope to see more books about them.
Mr. Murphy, a career federal probation officer, is certainly qualified to provide details on what federal prison is like and how probation is handled, among other things.
What goes on in the minds of Lee Fontana, little Sammie Blake, and Misto the cat, currently in ghostly form, indicates there will be at least one more book about these characters. I'll be looking forward to it!
I did miss Molena Point, its talking cats and their humans and hope to see more books about them.
March 13, 2014
Sorry. I couldn't get past page 17. I like the Joe Grey books but I had too many issues with this one and I just didn't care about the train robber guy. It is very rare that I start a book and then don't finish it. It's just not worth my time.
January 8, 2023
I think I am in the minority here because I really enjoyed this book . I thought it was a clever concept , plus , it has a cat as a main character…how bad could it be? Is it great literature to last the ages? Heck no. Is it a fun book to read while waiting at your doctors appointment for 2 hours? You betcha! Only thing was the ending , or rather the lack of one. I didn’t realize it was a 2 book series. So, off to the used bookstore for a copy of the second book ….after all, it’s a new year and I have a lot more doctor appointments coming up! Plus, I have to find out how all of these characters stories that were so intertwined in book 1 end up! As an aside, I was totally unfamiliar with this author . I just grabbed this book in a second hand store. But now I have ordered her first book in her cat mystery series. Like I said before, if it has a cat (or 2 or more), how bad can it be! LOL
November 17, 2017
I did not expect this book. I knew that it was written by the author of the Joe Grey series and her husband, and thought that this would be along the lines of a cozy mystery. It is not. It is a tale of a man's quest for his own soul, of the temptations of the Evil One, and how one small ghost cat made a difference.
For Joe Grey fans, this is the story of Misto, and takes place before "Cat Bearing Gifts." In that book, Misto does recall bits of his time between lives that was spent with Lee Fontana. This fills in all the gaps in that story. It is very, very different from the Joe Grey series, but every bit as satisfying. There is a second book, "The Cat, The Devil, the Last Escape," which I am starting right now!
For Joe Grey fans, this is the story of Misto, and takes place before "Cat Bearing Gifts." In that book, Misto does recall bits of his time between lives that was spent with Lee Fontana. This fills in all the gaps in that story. It is very, very different from the Joe Grey series, but every bit as satisfying. There is a second book, "The Cat, The Devil, the Last Escape," which I am starting right now!
February 27, 2024
I thought this book was just fantastic. The characters were interesting and the intertwining of the storylines was so thought-provoking. I found it difficult to put this book down, as it had me completely captivated from beginning to end. In fact, as I was nearing the end, I realized there weren’t enough pages left to resolve things and kinda started to panic! I HAVE to find out what happens! Thankfully after looking up the book on Goodreads, I learned that it’s the first in the series, and now I’m dying to read the next one and find out what happens next!
September 3, 2018
the first of a series but not a standalone book - the story does not reach a satisfactory end - just a way to require the reader to get another book.
the idea of the devil and a cat 'battling' over a soul is interesting - not sure what role the cat will have in the other books. The shadow and the ghost cat are not major players - just in the background but presumably influencing the characters.
Detailed descriptions clearly define the place.
the idea of the devil and a cat 'battling' over a soul is interesting - not sure what role the cat will have in the other books. The shadow and the ghost cat are not major players - just in the background but presumably influencing the characters.
Detailed descriptions clearly define the place.
March 27, 2020
For fans of the Joe Grey mysteries, you will love this book.... it features Misto..... the cat who first appeared in Cat Bearing Gifts. I love all the Joe Grey books and really enjoyed reading about Misto and Lee Fontana and can’t wait to find out how the story ends in the second book, hopefully I can find it as it’s now out of print!
This book took a while to get into hence why 4 stars but it was a slow burner and worth the read x
This book took a while to get into hence why 4 stars but it was a slow burner and worth the read x
July 30, 2020
It’s hard to know how to judge this, what’s fair to say, when I’m coming to it after just learning to my great dismay that there will be no more Joe Grey books—so I borrowed the 2 books the library had that she wrote with her husband, that at least include Misto, as the next best thing. This ends as a cliff-hanger; it feels like the 2 books are one story they just split into 2 books, so I won’t know what to think until I finish the next one.
February 20, 2018
well folks this was one of the strangest novels that i have ever read. it is about a ghost cat and a ex prisoner and the way the cat helps him to outsmart the devil coming to give him alternatives regarding life . But there was enough of the action to keep me reading. I was disappointed in the end because it left you hanging and you will have to buy the next book to find out what happens.
April 23, 2019
Great story! I have great hopes for the rest of the story in the next book. Maybe I always pull for the underdog, but I found myself to be very fond of the Lee Fontana character. And Misto is a wonderful character! I'm looking forward to finding out how the lives of these guys will entertwine with Morgan, Becky, and Sammie. And I hold out great hopes for a happy ending!
December 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this book but must read the next one to find out how it all turns out!.
May 18, 2020
Although the premise seemed promising, the delivery and dialog was a quagmire.
April 14, 2021
It was a different kind of story then I usually read and the ending was really unsatisfying.
July 24, 2023
On to the next.
January 4, 2021
The writing at the beginning that took you travelling south through the USA by train is good! The rest is average.
October 30, 2016
Now I enjoyed The Cat and The Devil and Lee Fontana until I got to twenty pages and realized it was not getting wrapped up, but amping up for another book. Now nowhere on the cover does it say this is a series and though the authors apparently have done other cat mysteries and Misto was a side character in them, the cover of the book led me to believe this stood alone.
However the storylines are compelling: The title character Lee Fontana is a convict on parole. He is planning a crime so he can retire, but is haunted by the devil who made a bet with his grandfather and lost. Sammie, a little girl in Geogia, is having dreams of Lee who she refers to as "the cowboy" when her father is falsely accused of murder. Throughout the story, Misto is mostly with Lee as a spirit cat who shields him from the devil and acts as his conscious. Though Lee Fontana is a criminal, he is not particularly sadistic or cruel. We see that in his deaings with other people in the book. The devil is trying to scar his soul, he is trying to make his cruel.
The pacing is slow and a bit repetitive. We know that Sammie is a girl troubled by her dreams, and that her parents are worried. They we are told this again multiple times. We know the devil is after all the decendents of X. We are also told this multiple times.
Of all the characters, Sammie is the least well written. She read even younger than six or seven she was supposed to be. We never see her playing on her own or with friends. She is with her mom or her dad. Mostly her character seems like an anchor point rather than a person. We fear for her because she is little.
The character of Lee Fontana is well developed. He felt like a man from a different era, that he was a soul lost in time and out of step—even for the time it was written. I got a Shawshank redemption vibe from it.
Misto reads like a person, which I liked. He has his own goals, his own concerns, joys, frailties.
There is some swearing, but I felt it worked well with the setting which was vivid and clear. The prose, though a tad old fashioned, is solid. There are some sentence fragments and lost thoughts, but it feels purposeful.
However the storylines are compelling: The title character Lee Fontana is a convict on parole. He is planning a crime so he can retire, but is haunted by the devil who made a bet with his grandfather and lost. Sammie, a little girl in Geogia, is having dreams of Lee who she refers to as "the cowboy" when her father is falsely accused of murder. Throughout the story, Misto is mostly with Lee as a spirit cat who shields him from the devil and acts as his conscious. Though Lee Fontana is a criminal, he is not particularly sadistic or cruel. We see that in his deaings with other people in the book. The devil is trying to scar his soul, he is trying to make his cruel.
The pacing is slow and a bit repetitive. We know that Sammie is a girl troubled by her dreams, and that her parents are worried. They we are told this again multiple times. We know the devil is after all the decendents of X. We are also told this multiple times.
Of all the characters, Sammie is the least well written. She read even younger than six or seven she was supposed to be. We never see her playing on her own or with friends. She is with her mom or her dad. Mostly her character seems like an anchor point rather than a person. We fear for her because she is little.
The character of Lee Fontana is well developed. He felt like a man from a different era, that he was a soul lost in time and out of step—even for the time it was written. I got a Shawshank redemption vibe from it.
Misto reads like a person, which I liked. He has his own goals, his own concerns, joys, frailties.
There is some swearing, but I felt it worked well with the setting which was vivid and clear. The prose, though a tad old fashioned, is solid. There are some sentence fragments and lost thoughts, but it feels purposeful.
June 24, 2015
3.5 stars
“The Cat, the Devil and Lee Fontana” by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy is a mystical mystery that adds to the mystique surrounding cats such as those introduced in the popular Joe Grey series. The travails of prisoner Lee Fontana are explored as he completes his prison sentence and rejoins the world as a parolee but the temptation to sink back into the criminal mindset is personified. The blandishments of Satan are almost overwhelming but fortunately, Lee has an ally in the shape of a mysterious cat who has multiple forms, some corporeal and some not, who has a knowledge that spans centuries and countries. The cat also inexplicably links Lee to a family across the continent that has mysterious ties to him but they have their own version of evil to combat and it seems the cat’s powers are limited after all.
This was a relatively difficult book for me to read, partly because of my familiarity with the Joe Grey mysteries, most of which I greatly enjoy. I found myself less than enthralled with Lee and it is difficult to be sympathetic because he is basically a venal criminal who seems to lack a moral compass for the most part. The personification of Satan and the mysterious bet that Lee’s ancestor engaged in, thereby condemning his descendants to deal with the repercussions, adds a mystical and sometimes odd slant to the story, as does the mysterious cat who alternates in location and solidity. I found myself struggling to get through the first part of the book but once the setting changed it got a bit more interesting for me although I wasn’t pleased by the ending. I am a much more ardent fan of the Joe Grey series although those also have a mystical aspect and hope to see more adventures of those voluble creatures in the near future.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
“The Cat, the Devil and Lee Fontana” by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy is a mystical mystery that adds to the mystique surrounding cats such as those introduced in the popular Joe Grey series. The travails of prisoner Lee Fontana are explored as he completes his prison sentence and rejoins the world as a parolee but the temptation to sink back into the criminal mindset is personified. The blandishments of Satan are almost overwhelming but fortunately, Lee has an ally in the shape of a mysterious cat who has multiple forms, some corporeal and some not, who has a knowledge that spans centuries and countries. The cat also inexplicably links Lee to a family across the continent that has mysterious ties to him but they have their own version of evil to combat and it seems the cat’s powers are limited after all.
This was a relatively difficult book for me to read, partly because of my familiarity with the Joe Grey mysteries, most of which I greatly enjoy. I found myself less than enthralled with Lee and it is difficult to be sympathetic because he is basically a venal criminal who seems to lack a moral compass for the most part. The personification of Satan and the mysterious bet that Lee’s ancestor engaged in, thereby condemning his descendants to deal with the repercussions, adds a mystical and sometimes odd slant to the story, as does the mysterious cat who alternates in location and solidity. I found myself struggling to get through the first part of the book but once the setting changed it got a bit more interesting for me although I wasn’t pleased by the ending. I am a much more ardent fan of the Joe Grey series although those also have a mystical aspect and hope to see more adventures of those voluble creatures in the near future.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
February 13, 2017
An awful read. One of those books that, bad but you are into it far enough that one wants to finish it. Poor sentence structure throughout, flimsy characters and a truly weak ending. Find anything else.
jsj
jsj
January 6, 2015
This imaginative tale finds the devil tempting about-to-be-paroled Lee Fontana with the promise of a successful heist despite the man’s resolve to live an honest life once he is released from prison where he’s served time for robbing trains. But get-rich-quick schemes seem to pop up all around Lee, complicating his shaky resolve.
Help comes in the form of the prison cat Misto, a yellow tabby-ghost cat, who is determined to help Lee walk the straight and narrow and deny the devil his victory.
Readers who have enjoyed the author’s Joel Grey mystery stories may be disappointed to find that the spinning out of this tale focuses more on the not-particularly-likeable Lee Fontana than on the tabby-ghost cat; the gratuitous swearing and the non-ending end of the story are elements that many are likely to find particularly disconcerting.
The story’s charm, however, lies in the tabby-ghost cat’s efforts to help the man he knew as a boy and in its good-versus-evil plot.
Help comes in the form of the prison cat Misto, a yellow tabby-ghost cat, who is determined to help Lee walk the straight and narrow and deny the devil his victory.
Readers who have enjoyed the author’s Joel Grey mystery stories may be disappointed to find that the spinning out of this tale focuses more on the not-particularly-likeable Lee Fontana than on the tabby-ghost cat; the gratuitous swearing and the non-ending end of the story are elements that many are likely to find particularly disconcerting.
The story’s charm, however, lies in the tabby-ghost cat’s efforts to help the man he knew as a boy and in its good-versus-evil plot.
June 12, 2014
Beside the fact that this is not a novel featuring Joe Grey, I was not impressed with this sideline story.
It is kind of a set-up to where Misto came in to the storyline in the previous book. Even Misto, however, does not make many appearances in this story.
It is a decent book in itself, but not exactly what regular readers of the Joe Grey novels are used to reading.
One thing that bothers me is the overuse of swearing. I do not have a set objection to swearing, but an author must make sure it fits the character and does not become distracting from the story.
The use of the phrase "what the hell" becomes distracting as it is overused and inserted where it just seems out-of-place.
I am anxious to see the return to our beloved Joe and Dulcie and the rest of the gang.
It is kind of a set-up to where Misto came in to the storyline in the previous book. Even Misto, however, does not make many appearances in this story.
It is a decent book in itself, but not exactly what regular readers of the Joe Grey novels are used to reading.
One thing that bothers me is the overuse of swearing. I do not have a set objection to swearing, but an author must make sure it fits the character and does not become distracting from the story.
The use of the phrase "what the hell" becomes distracting as it is overused and inserted where it just seems out-of-place.
I am anxious to see the return to our beloved Joe and Dulcie and the rest of the gang.
March 10, 2016
If you are familiar with the Joe Grey series (which I adore), this is not even close, except for the very special cat that also appears in some of those.
This is a deep, and somewhat dark story that delves deep into the characters souls. Scenes play out that are sometimes disturbing, and definitely not suitable for young readers.
It took me a long time to really get involved in it, but once I began to see how some of the elements are tied together by the very special cat, I wanted to know more. The ending made me think of Stephen King's series "The Stand" in that it really isn't an ending, but a glimpse into the next book - more like the end of a chapter. I can't wait to start the next book, but I need to indulge in something more fun and light-hearted first.
This is a deep, and somewhat dark story that delves deep into the characters souls. Scenes play out that are sometimes disturbing, and definitely not suitable for young readers.
It took me a long time to really get involved in it, but once I began to see how some of the elements are tied together by the very special cat, I wanted to know more. The ending made me think of Stephen King's series "The Stand" in that it really isn't an ending, but a glimpse into the next book - more like the end of a chapter. I can't wait to start the next book, but I need to indulge in something more fun and light-hearted first.
March 5, 2014
I love the Joe Grey series. There is the fantasy of the ancient breed of magical cats, a wonderful supporting cast of humans and a good mixture of crimes to solve. Misto is introduced in the series and this is a spin off following the ghost of Misto, guess he used up his nine lives, as he helps an old man that he knew as a boy. Really disturbing was the ending which will require reading another book. This ending stops at a place that tells you the two stories will come together...in the next book. That I don't like. In my stage of life, I prefer happy endings...or at least conclusive endings.
March 12, 2015
The Criminal and the Ghost Cat
This is an interesting book, and intertwines the fates of an old criminal from California with that of a young man from Rome, Georgia. Layer onto it a ghost cat named Misto and you have the beginning of a fine new mystery series. The cat, Misto comes from a character in Shirley Rousseau Murphy's A Cat Coming Home and is transplanted into his own series here. As usual, Russeau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy explore the characteristics of good and evil, right and wrong, all of which have shades of gray. I recommend this book. It will be interesting to read the next book in the series.
This is an interesting book, and intertwines the fates of an old criminal from California with that of a young man from Rome, Georgia. Layer onto it a ghost cat named Misto and you have the beginning of a fine new mystery series. The cat, Misto comes from a character in Shirley Rousseau Murphy's A Cat Coming Home and is transplanted into his own series here. As usual, Russeau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy explore the characteristics of good and evil, right and wrong, all of which have shades of gray. I recommend this book. It will be interesting to read the next book in the series.
March 5, 2016
This was a fair book. It features Misto, a ghost cat, Satan and Lee Fontana, an aging train robber. Lee is paroled from prison and goes to work on the ranch of one of his old partners who has lived the straight life and become successful. Satan is working to tempt Lee into robbing another bank and things happen that make the idea easier and easier. The cat is there to keep Lee on the straight and narrow and acts like his Jiminey Cricket. At the same time, across the country, a small girl has visions of an evil presence trying to ruin her family. The book was well written but seemed to drag in parts and some parts were pretty repetitive. The ending wasn't very satisfying either
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