Stages of Grey

Stages of Grey: A Dulcie Schwartz Feline Mystery By Clea Simon Severn House October 2014

Review by Cynthia Chow

As a fifth-year graduate student and doctoral candidate within the Department of English and American Literatures and Language of a certain very prestigious East Coast Ivy League college, Dulcie Schwartz is feeling the stress to revise and publish her paper on an anonymously authored gothic novel. Dulcie Schwartz’s thesis advisor thought he was being sensitive when he suggested a seminar on time-management skills, but her friends go the other route and declare that she needs an escape to take her mind off of her work. Their solution is a disco-themed interpretation of Ovid’s Metamorphosis performed by the University Repertory Theatre, an option that completely loses its appeal after a publicity-fueled prank traumatizes Dulcie into believing that she witnessed an attack by werewolves. The fact that she has recently come to the unusual conclusion that her IT boyfriend Chris Sorenson is in fact a werewolf may be contributing factor to her distaste for the theater company’s conduct.

However, a free ticket as an apology has Dulcie and her friends attending the performance, and while Chris doesn’t mind the illusionist trick of having his wallet pickpocketed Dulcie herself is entirely disconcerted by the cast. A murder outside of the theater would seem to enforce her conclusions, but a glimpse of the Russian Blue wandering theater cat has the cat-obsessed Dulcie determined to recover the kitty and ensure its safety. This has Dulcie inserting herself into the cast of eccentrics, whose personalities were over-the-top before the murder and now seem even more invested in keeping their secrets from escaping. Fortunately or not, Dulcie has the continual advice of the ghost of her beloved feline companion Mr. Grey, as well as the psychic communications from her new kitten Esme.

The tone of this mystery continues to be a blend of gothic and classic noir, entirely appropriate as it reflects Dulcie’s area of study that has entirely consumed her present life. Selections of the mysterious novel The Ravages of Umbria prove to be both fascinating and relevant to current events, especially as the gothic novel seems to contain a character who embodies Mr. Grey, but in human form. Both the reader and Dulcie are often unsure of just what is real and what is not, especially as her suspicions over the dual nature of her boyfriend is becoming impossible to ignore. Far more grounded in the “real” world are Dulcie’s fears of how publication could change her life and force her to leave the academic life. Dulcie’s passion for cats often overrides her common sense, but it’s a sensibility that can be forgiven considering the overwhelming love she has for Mr. Grey, who continues to be a presence in her life even after the end of his. Simon crafts eerie mysteries that blend her love for animals with the classic gothic novels while always retaining her acerbic sense of wit and commentary on the academic world.