Shirley Rousseau Murphy swings a big tail in the world of cat fiction. Her “Joe Grey Mystery” series has more than a million copies in print and the Cat Writers’ Association has awarded her a medallion for best novel 11 times. In her books, a pair of talking cats help police solve crimes.

Patricia Fry is the author of the “Klepto Cat Mystery” series. Describing the first installation on her website, the author reassured readers: “Don’t worry, there are no talking cats.”

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