What the Cat Dragged In

Jacques and Cleo: Cat Detectives #1

by Gilbert Morris

Introducing...

Jacques the Ripper: A tough–minded “Savannah” breed of feline–fierce, enormous, and with a mind of his own.

And...

Cleo: A multi–colored “Rag Doll” with long silky hair. Cleo is as affectionate as Jacques is tough and her favorite mode of transportation is draped over the shoulder of the nearest human.

In their debut mystery, Jacques and Cleo and their owner...or rather the human they own, Kate Forrest, and her son, Jeremy, move to a beautiful beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama, left to Kate by a distant relative.

The catch is that another distant relative, wanna–be novelist (and bonafide cat–hater) Jake Novak, has also inherited an interest in the house. Undeterred, Kate and Jeremy move in the downstairs quarters and Jake takes the separate apartment upstairs.

Then, when a murder occurs...everyone is stumped—but feline sleuths Jacques and Cleo come to the rescue and reveal the identity of the killer.

About this series: For years, mystery readers and cat lovers alike have devoured the suspense novels by Lillian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown and others, in what has developed into the bestselling cat–mystery genre. Now, veteran fiction author Gilbert Morris joins the ranks of those prestigious novelists with his Jacques and Cleo, Cat Detectives series, destined to become a welcome addition to this genre by feline fanatics everywhere.

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Cozy, Christian, Animals, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

250 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

also published under the name Gilbert L. Morris

Gilbert Morris was one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris

Series:
* Adventures of Kerrigan Kids
* American Century
* Appomattox Saga
* Barney Buck
* Bonnets and Bugles
* Cheney Duvall, M.D. (with Lynn Morris)
* Cheney and Shiloh: The Inheritance (with Lynn Morris)
* Chronicles of the Golden Frontier
* The Creole (with Lynn Morris)
* Danielle Ross Mystery
* Daystar Voyages
* Dixie Morris Animal Adventures
* Far Fields (with Robert Funderburk)
* House of Winslow
* Jacques and Cleo: Cat Detectives
* Katy Steele Adventures (with Alan Morris)
* Lady Trent Mystery
* Liberty Bell
* Lions of Judah
* Lone Star Legacy
* Omega (with Lynn Morris and Alan Morris)
* The Price of Liberty (with Robert Funderburk)
* Reno Western Saga
* Seven Sleepers
* Seven Sleepers: The Lost Chronicles
* Singing River
* Spirit of Appalachia (with Aaron McCarver)
* Too Smart Jones
*

Reviews

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. An attempt to emulate the Lillian Jackson Braun series but with a very intrusive Christian overlay. would have benefitted from tighter editing.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light and entertaining mystery. I love all Gilbert Morris books!

[ASC Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the characters, though Jake is growing on me slower than most of them! LOL! And I felt there were times when Jeremy seemed left out quite a bit.... But I LOVE the sub characters and I am totally hooked with all the animals!!!! I did feel there was one scene towards the end that really didn't have much to do with anything and maybe could have even been edited out all together. There are some lulls in the pace here and there, though it picks back up. I would have loved it if the animals had more of a voice, Cleo and Jacques sometimes "talk" but none of the other animals do. The mystery is twisty and was very subtly done throughout the plot. Overall, while it had some things that I personally would have liked to be written differently, I'm hooked and want to read the next two in the series! :)

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Forrest and her son, Jeremy, are basically just living from day to day. Kate’s husband, Vic, perished in a plane crash and now it’s a struggle juggling two jobs and trying to keep things sane. Luckily, they have two cats, Cleo and Jacques, that provide a lot of comfort. There world is suddenly changed when they learn that they have become heirs to a beach house on the Gulf coast of Alabama left by a distant relative. However, there’s a catch. There’s another heir, Jake Novak. Thus the swirling story begins with three complete strangers sharing a house with all kinds of critters and finding themselves involved in a murder that will take the finesse of two feline sleuths to solve the case. An intriguing book to say the least.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story a lot, but it could have benefitted from some editing. Things like this drive me nuts:

Beverly started the engine of the Rolls. Bev listened to the engine. (NO. Not two matching subjects in sequence!)

The umbrella over the table was large and had a large rip in it. (Choose another adjective. "Large" is overused in slightly more than ten words here.)

This happened a lot. Not hard to fix. Otherwise, it was a good story. On to the second in the series.

[Christine Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Somewhat repetitive.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the parts where the cats were talking to each other. I also liked that there was no foul language or explicit sex in this book, just a good mystery.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty good book. It was entertaining and full of some unexpected twists, perfect for a murder mystery. A couple of the twists I was unhappy about, so I'll be looking forward to reading the next one in the series to see how it plays out.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, not a great book.

Well-written and good character development, easy to read, but nothing about it urged me on to finish it immediately. It was not a oh-my-gosh-what's-gonna-happen-next book. Biggest problem with it is figuring out which genre the author was attempting to write in -- a cat whodunit (like Lilian Jackson Braun's books), a regular mystery, or Christian fiction.
Unlike someone else who reviewed this book, I did not find it preachy.
Might read the other books in this series if I happened to find them used, but as far as looking for them to read immediately - no.
This sounds like a negative review but it actually isn't. It was pleasant. I'd pick it up every so many days and read a few pages.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in a trio of mysteries involving two cats and their people... I liked the way the author portrayed the cats and the story was interesting. It's actually a Christian series which I didn't realize when I picked it up, but it wasn't preachy...it was just interesting to read the viewpoint. I liked the description of Gulf Shores, Alabama and overall, this book was a fast read. I own the other two, so I will be reading them. :)

[Michael crage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I was afraid I wouldn't from the title, but it was large print mystery so I decided to try it. I am really glad I did. The cats do play a part in the book, but as I feared, they did not dominate it. There was good character development and a surprise ending. It was fun to read.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not opposed to spiritual dialogue or interest used in the telling of a story, but there was just a little too much spiritual interjection in this story for me. Also, the "characters" of the cats were very seldom, and, dare I say, 'poorly' used. The story itself just went plainly along... Personally, I will not be reading any more of this series. ~d~

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clean mystery story that happens to have cats in it. Jacque does point the way to an important clue to solve the murder, but most of the story is spent setting up the characters and the location. This is the first in a trilogy so I'm hoping the next story moves faster.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cat detective books. I know, silly, but they're so fun to read. Plus this series is set in one of my favorite places in the world, the Alabama Gulf Coast. Jacques and Cleo have a fun relationship. I do love the humans in the books too.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine inheriting a mansion in White Sands, Alabama
with the understanding that you care for a house full
of pets, which include a huge snake, raccoon, parrot,
cats, and others.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative series - Good

[Joslins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book but, as another reviewer said, was not an on the edge of your seat mystery. I didn't find it too preachy but it was interesting the people who were talking "religiously."

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious, WOW!

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, intriguing mystery and romance! Plus two gregarious cats and lots of other interesting pets.
Most enjoyable!

[Julie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable. I loved this series. It was interesting, but also light-hearted and full of mischief.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slow start, it was a good book with a decent plot. After I got into it, it was a nice mystery and somewhat believable plot, I think. Not overbearing on the religious factor.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love cats, and I like Gilbert Morris' House of Winslow series, but this book was a little disappointing. It plodded along at a slow pace, the plot and many conversations felt forced and the author mentions how everyone looks, which had no real importance to the story. Overall, this book was slightly entertaining - I loved that the cat saved the day! - but I wouldn't need to read other books in this series.