Even the bright seaside village of Molena Point has been hit hard by the economic downturn, and many residents are abandoning their pets. While feline P. I. Joe Grey’s human friends join together to care for the starving cats, a fire leaves a twelve-year-old boy homeless, the body of his alcoholic guardian discovered in the smoldering ruins.
Meanwhile, Debbie Kraft descends uninvited on the Damens’ home with her two children, claiming that she has no money and nowhere else to go. But when Joe learns that the victim of the fire was Debbie’s estranged mother, and that Debbie’s ex-husband may be involved in a number of intricate real estate scams, his fur is on end with suspicion. But it’s not until Debbie’s abandoned tomcat arrives that the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together for Joe and his feline detective pals.