散歩をこよなく愛する猫―トラ猫ミセス・マーフィ (ハヤカワ・ミステリ文庫)

The cats have such distinct personalities and play such a central role—did the author always envision them as the real heroes?

The community feels so warm and inviting, but I wondered if that made the stakes feel a bit lighter than in darker mysteries.

It’s such a unique twist that makes the story stand out—I'm curious whether the author has personal experiences with cats influencing this choice.