Into the Grey

We’ve all been there, so mad that we’ve said we’d like to kill someone. Of course we don’t really mean it and neither did grad student Dulcie Schwartz when she stormed at her professor, Roland Fenderby. But now Fenderby is dead, murdered, and Dulcie is suspect number one. True, she couldn’t stand the guy, he was threatening her scholarship, but she didn’t kill him. Now she has to find out who did and relying on the advice of her wise old cat Mr. Grey she asks for his advice. But he has none to give, as a matter of fact, he has nothing to say at all. Is Dulcie losing her beloved companion? This is a wonderful series for cat lovers. I introduced my sister (proud owner of 7 cats) and she can’t get enough

Into the Grey: A Dulcie Schwartz Feline Mystery
By Clea Simon
Severn House
September 2016

Review by Cynthia Chow

Doctoral candidate Dulcie Schwartz thought that was finally getting close to the completion of her dissertation, but the unexpected inclusion of Professor Roland Fenderby on her thesis committee jeopardizes her plans. Not only does the specialist in nineteenth-century American politics savage Dulcie’s research and topic of interest, he sequesters the library material critical to her work. Dulcie is not shy about expressing her frustrations, but perhaps she should not have so facetiously tossed off a line of needing an alibi should the professor ever be bludgeoned by one of his own books. For not only is she the one to discover Professor Fenderby in his office, he is indeed bloody and apparently murdered by the book. Literally.

Being associated with murder on the campus is horrifying, and almost as bad is having her distant cousin looked upon with suspicion as well. Not only do Mina Love and Dulcie resemble one another, they share a lineage that Dulcie believes traces back to the author of her chosen topic of dissertation, The Ravages of Umbria. Their world soon begins to mirror that of that unappreciated Gothic novel, with beautiful heroines, caddish murder victim, and a ghost. The latter is in the form of Mr. Grey, Dulcie’s beloved late cat and whose unseen presence comforts while issuing cryptic warnings. More corporal, but just as vocal, is Dulcie’s tuxedo cat Esme, who retains her feline qualities while offering wry commentary on human nature.

Although Esme and Mr. Grey do what they can to assist Dulcie, this novel truly explores the machinations within the academia. Highly educated and extremely intelligent, the professors and students are nonetheless capable of committing foolish acts for the basest of reasons. Fenderby had acquired quite the reputation with his female students, and the university’s efforts to cover the scandal war with its duty to protect them. As Dulcie nears the end of this stage of her academic life, it also means entering uncharted territory, not to mention what it would mean to her relationship with fellow graduate student Chris Sorenson. If Dulcie does finally achieve her dream and complete her dissertation, could it threaten the other love of her life? This tenth in the series continues to explore the absurdly entertaining world of higher education, all while retaining its affection for the feline heroes.