Awaiting the birth of his first kittens, feline PI Joe Grey, his companion, Dulcie, and their furry sleuthing pals must unmask a killer preying on some of the most vulnerable citizens in the charming California coastal community of Molena Point

For Joe Grey and Dulcie, life is a bittersweet mix of endings and beginnings. Their friends Pan—the red tom—and tortoiseshell Kit, are off on an adventure to the magical netherworld deep beneath the earth. While Dulcie and Joe Grey joyfully await their first litter, they are also sad for Pan’s father, the old yellow cat Misto, whose time on earth is drawing to a close. But their friend isn’t afraid. He is about to step into a new life in a bright new realm where all souls journey after their time in this world.

Misto tells Dulcie not to grieve, that an exciting new future awaits her and Joe Grey. Among the litter of their three kittens will be a little calico girl—a feisty spirit returned from the distant past whose likeness and unique markings appear in ancient tapestries and paintings but who will possess the adventurous spirit of Joe Grey.

While the proud parents await the birth of their babies, their humans have their hands full with projects of their own. Kate Osborne has bought the old Pamillon estate and Ryan Flannery is building a new cat shelter as part of their volunteer rescue project.

The criminals are busy, too. The Molena Point PD has stepped up patrols to apprehend a street prowler who has been attacking the village’s elderly citizens. Neither the police nor the cats have a clue about the culprit’s identity or what is motivating the attacks. There are no witnesses, and even more puzzling, the assailant has left no clues behind at any of the scenes, not even a trace of evidence—no hairs or fabric particles, not even a lost button. It’s as if the perpetrator is a ghost.

The case becomes a homicide when one of the victims dies, leaving everyone in the town—including Joe Grey and his furry sleuthing companions—on edge, just as the kittens arrive. When Dulcie gives birth, her little calico is just as Misto predicted: as if the calico had come back to the world from mythic ancient times.

But the celebrations will have to wait. A murderer is on the loose—and neither young nor old, human or feline, is safe until the culprit is found.