GREY MATTERS

Harvard grad student Dulcie Schwartz emerges from her academic work long enough to solve another murder.

Hoping to make some progress on her doctoral thesis in gothic literature, Dulcie brings her latest draft to the brilliant but addled Professor Bullock for review. On her way out of his house, she nearly trips over the body of fellow Ph.D. student Cameron Dessay. Even though Dulcie’s embroiled in another murder mystery, her new kitten refuses to talk to her the way the spirit of her late cat Mr. Grey once did so helpfully (Shades of Grey, 2009). Not only that, but her main supports are barely there for her: Her roommate Suze has succumbed to her law studies, and her boyfriend Chris is MIA with no explanation. As she investigates, Dulcie starts to find the hidden ties that bind even the most unlikely suspects to the deceased. She fears she may not be able to trust those closest to her, even her officemate Lloyd (an estrangement which, for an academic, is akin to treason) or Bullock’s loyal student-turned-housekeeper Polly. Luckily for Dulcie, she soon has enigmatic words of warning, not only from her mother, Lucy, a self-proclaimed psychic, but also from her beloved Mr. Grey. If only she could convince her new kitten to help her figure out what these warnings mean, she could identify the killer before becoming the next target.

Slow-moving even at the climax, Simon’s second in the Dulcie Schwartz series is larded with soporific academic jargon and is sure to provide cat fanciers with a relaxing couple of hours.