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Mrs. Murphy #2
Rest in Pieces
alternate cover edition to ISBN 0553562398 / 9780553562392
Mrs. Murphy thinks the new man in town is the cat's meow.... Maybe she should think again. Small towns don't take kindly to strangers--unless the stranger happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly unattached male. When Blair Bainbridge comes to Crozet, Virginia, the local matchmakers lose no time in declaring him perfect for their newly divorced postmistress, Marry Minor "Harry Haristeen." Even Harry's tiger cat, Ms. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, believe he smells A-okay. Could his one little imperfection be that he's a killer? Blair becomes the most likely suspect when the pieces of a dismembered corpse begin tuming up around Crozet. No one knows who the dead man is, but when a grisly clue makes a spectacular appearance in the middle of the fall festivities, more than an early winter snow begins chilling the blood of Crozet's very best people. That's when Ms. Murphy, her friend Tucker, and her human companion Harry begin to sort throughout the clues . . . only to find themselves a whisker away from becoming the killer's next victims.
Mrs. Murphy thinks the new man in town is the cat's meow.... Maybe she should think again. Small towns don't take kindly to strangers--unless the stranger happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly unattached male. When Blair Bainbridge comes to Crozet, Virginia, the local matchmakers lose no time in declaring him perfect for their newly divorced postmistress, Marry Minor "Harry Haristeen." Even Harry's tiger cat, Ms. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, believe he smells A-okay. Could his one little imperfection be that he's a killer? Blair becomes the most likely suspect when the pieces of a dismembered corpse begin tuming up around Crozet. No one knows who the dead man is, but when a grisly clue makes a spectacular appearance in the middle of the fall festivities, more than an early winter snow begins chilling the blood of Crozet's very best people. That's when Ms. Murphy, her friend Tucker, and her human companion Harry begin to sort throughout the clues . . . only to find themselves a whisker away from becoming the killer's next victims.
347 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
447 people are currently reading
1586 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
173 books2,232 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
January 6, 2023
Rita Mae Brown’s series entails intelligent, serious ‘standard mysteries’, not ‘cozy’ as most people think; an adult level I prefer. I admired a few fresh aspects of it and knew I would like it more along its longstanding way. Part of the pleasure has been the chase. I encourage physical book lovers and collectors to write in their reviews too, stories of obtaining book copies because I would relish knowing other people collect or buy them!
I found volumes of this series as early as 2005 and took awhile to score the début, without which I would not begin. I plateaued possibly for another decade, until “Rest In Pieces” fell into my lap. About a year ago, I browsed one of my charity shops and there was the first edition hardcover, looking new. With a shout of delight in the store and a smile at home, it graced my shelf a few months and then I dug in. I am happy to say that for most its layered Harry Haristeen story and mystery, I loved it. Rural Virginia in 1992 has me liking almost every character much better, who grew by the end of the first novel. I know small towns, post offices, and country roads even today, in this New Year 2023.
Deaths are behind fictional Crozet, except a few greedy residents who contrived a scam decades ago. New neighbour Blair from New York, went to university with the victim whose curriculum vitae does not add up. Besides puzzling angles in which Rita did not mind implicating townspeople, there is romantic interest. A cat, dog, horses, possum, owl, and snake stay alert for Harry. Intelligent animals are real.
Where this mystery lost plausibility was for devolving into a hostage standoff that should have had nothing to do with Harry.
I found volumes of this series as early as 2005 and took awhile to score the début, without which I would not begin. I plateaued possibly for another decade, until “Rest In Pieces” fell into my lap. About a year ago, I browsed one of my charity shops and there was the first edition hardcover, looking new. With a shout of delight in the store and a smile at home, it graced my shelf a few months and then I dug in. I am happy to say that for most its layered Harry Haristeen story and mystery, I loved it. Rural Virginia in 1992 has me liking almost every character much better, who grew by the end of the first novel. I know small towns, post offices, and country roads even today, in this New Year 2023.
Deaths are behind fictional Crozet, except a few greedy residents who contrived a scam decades ago. New neighbour Blair from New York, went to university with the victim whose curriculum vitae does not add up. Besides puzzling angles in which Rita did not mind implicating townspeople, there is romantic interest. A cat, dog, horses, possum, owl, and snake stay alert for Harry. Intelligent animals are real.
Where this mystery lost plausibility was for devolving into a hostage standoff that should have had nothing to do with Harry.
January 9, 2021
This is book 2 of this series however you DO NOT have to read these in order; but I feel you could understand everyone's relationships better if you at least read the first book in this series as it explains who every one is and who everyone is within the community. I had to skip book 2 and read book 3 and I was a little 'lost' to minor issues that wasn't a big deal in the story. Reading them in order you get to 'know' the characters little quirky things about them but it doesn't spoil the stories themselves if you can't read in order.
This was a really good mystery. If you enjoy animals-are an animal lover then you will really enjoy how the author(s) incorporated the main characters dog and cat as main characters. The humans talk and work together and so does the animals within the story. When the humans aren't 'doing the job' then the animals kick in and work together to try and solve the crime before their beloved human gets hurt. It's not corney but written in a way that is really nice and not 'child like' at all. This book keeps you wondering 'who did it' or even 'why' right up until the very end of which I like, nothing like figuring out who did it way long before the book was done and then having 'fill in' material for the rest of the story. I can't wait to read more in this series. You get to know and love the people of this small town both two and four legged and anticipate what they will be up to next.
This book I really liked since it wasn't a 'suspense' type of murder; but through the story although there was a murder and the community was trying to figure it out. You learn more about the characters and working with one another and caring etc. Also the descriptions of Halloween and Christmas was very nice.
I personal listened to this on CD. The reader did a pretty good job at the way she read this to us. Changing her voice when she needed to. But there were sometimes that some of the characters had the same voice so you really had to listen to figure out who was doing the talking at that moment in time.
I would have probably given this a 4 1/2 to 5 star had it not been for the language that was used throughout the story. It wasn't 'flooded' with bad language but enough that I took away a star for it. I don't hand out 5 stars very often but when I do it's for a story that I feel I can recommend to just about any age to read...adults, teens or preteens. And this one just had to much language for me to recommend for a preteen. Some people language doesn't bother and I excuse it every now and then but this had a little bit more than I liked. The story would have been just the same without the language in my opinion. Still a good story though, Just a good mystery and one of good friends
This was a really good mystery. If you enjoy animals-are an animal lover then you will really enjoy how the author(s) incorporated the main characters dog and cat as main characters. The humans talk and work together and so does the animals within the story. When the humans aren't 'doing the job' then the animals kick in and work together to try and solve the crime before their beloved human gets hurt. It's not corney but written in a way that is really nice and not 'child like' at all. This book keeps you wondering 'who did it' or even 'why' right up until the very end of which I like, nothing like figuring out who did it way long before the book was done and then having 'fill in' material for the rest of the story. I can't wait to read more in this series. You get to know and love the people of this small town both two and four legged and anticipate what they will be up to next.
This book I really liked since it wasn't a 'suspense' type of murder; but through the story although there was a murder and the community was trying to figure it out. You learn more about the characters and working with one another and caring etc. Also the descriptions of Halloween and Christmas was very nice.
I personal listened to this on CD. The reader did a pretty good job at the way she read this to us. Changing her voice when she needed to. But there were sometimes that some of the characters had the same voice so you really had to listen to figure out who was doing the talking at that moment in time.
I would have probably given this a 4 1/2 to 5 star had it not been for the language that was used throughout the story. It wasn't 'flooded' with bad language but enough that I took away a star for it. I don't hand out 5 stars very often but when I do it's for a story that I feel I can recommend to just about any age to read...adults, teens or preteens. And this one just had to much language for me to recommend for a preteen. Some people language doesn't bother and I excuse it every now and then but this had a little bit more than I liked. The story would have been just the same without the language in my opinion. Still a good story though, Just a good mystery and one of good friends
July 28, 2015
I liked that this book's ending was a twist that I was not expecting. Some mystery books solve the mystery in the middle and then spend the rest of the book trying to hunt the bad guy/gal but it's nice to be kept in suspense until the very end.
January 15, 2019
I really do love this series. The characters are great and the banter with the animals is quite amusing. Having cats, it's fun to see what they might be thinking at times. Didn't see the ending coming at all and I loved it!
September 18, 2016
Ugh.
Another reviewer spoke of "sophomore slump"; I call it "second novel syndrome." Many years ago, I read the first Mrs Murphy novel, and then the third, and enjoyed them both. My friend didn't have No. 2, so I was interested to see what came next when I ran across it. I almost wish I hadn't wasted the reading time. So why finish it? you ask. I dunno. Because it was there. Brown was obviously riding the wave the the popularity of the first novel, maybe this one was rushed to press or something. .
But, ugh. Brown seems to have been trying to make this installment "darker" and "grittier" than the first, but child, that's not what cosy mysteries are for. Cosy-readers want to be entertained, not grossed out. (If I want gross and gritty, I have the Scandinavian authors to turn to, who do it better.)
The book starts around Halloween time, so I was prepared for things a bit creepier, but Brown streeetches out the inaction until the new year. Brown's ambivalence toward her own plot and characters is far too evident--ghost stories at Christmas? Do make up your mind, girl! The ghost stories themselves are patchy and silly. We are subjected to a cat's version of "Seeing Mary Home" aka The Vanishing Hitchhiker--but since when can a cat, any cat, shut the door? Let alone have a house of her own? And why would a ghost tell someone "I love pink roses"--and then in the next sentence ask them to plant yellow ones? After the nearly courtly manners and attention to social niceties of "Wish You Were Here," suddenly everybody has an odd nickname. I mean, seriously--"Cabby" and "Taxi"? I was disgusted by the amount of profanity Brown felt she needed to use, even among the animals (who are usually sooooo morally superior to the humans that support them.) She has Mrs Murphy using the F-word, and Pewter calling her an A-hole, while the humans, even Harry, turn the air blue at every turn. In the narration itself, the language is clunky, to wit: "The repetition of chores soothed her, like a labor's liturgy." Does she mean "laborious?"
After the second body, things really slowed down, with a lot of tell-not-show and speculation. She also repeated the postcard clue, perhaps because Harry is postmistress, and without that there's no real way to keep her and her animals involved. The ending was just "Murder, She Wrote" stupid, with the killer telling all for pages and pages in the middle of the windup. I kept expecting Angela Lansbury to appear in the background, eyes lowered, shaking her head. Just how many times can small animals save the day, anyway? I can't even tune up my keyboard to talk about the use of the tired old soap-opera meme of
The reason it took me so long to read this was that I kept sighing and putting it down in favour of something else. I really, really disliked this book and only finished it because I refused to let it get the better of me. I kept hoping it would redeem itself. It doesn't.
Another reviewer spoke of "sophomore slump"; I call it "second novel syndrome." Many years ago, I read the first Mrs Murphy novel, and then the third, and enjoyed them both. My friend didn't have No. 2, so I was interested to see what came next when I ran across it. I almost wish I hadn't wasted the reading time. So why finish it? you ask. I dunno. Because it was there. Brown was obviously riding the wave the the popularity of the first novel, maybe this one was rushed to press or something. .
But, ugh. Brown seems to have been trying to make this installment "darker" and "grittier" than the first, but child, that's not what cosy mysteries are for. Cosy-readers want to be entertained, not grossed out. (If I want gross and gritty, I have the Scandinavian authors to turn to, who do it better.)
The book starts around Halloween time, so I was prepared for things a bit creepier, but Brown streeetches out the inaction until the new year. Brown's ambivalence toward her own plot and characters is far too evident--ghost stories at Christmas? Do make up your mind, girl! The ghost stories themselves are patchy and silly. We are subjected to a cat's version of "Seeing Mary Home" aka The Vanishing Hitchhiker--but since when can a cat, any cat, shut the door? Let alone have a house of her own? And why would a ghost tell someone "I love pink roses"--and then in the next sentence ask them to plant yellow ones? After the nearly courtly manners and attention to social niceties of "Wish You Were Here," suddenly everybody has an odd nickname. I mean, seriously--"Cabby" and "Taxi"? I was disgusted by the amount of profanity Brown felt she needed to use, even among the animals (who are usually sooooo morally superior to the humans that support them.) She has Mrs Murphy using the F-word, and Pewter calling her an A-hole, while the humans, even Harry, turn the air blue at every turn. In the narration itself, the language is clunky, to wit: "The repetition of chores soothed her, like a labor's liturgy." Does she mean "laborious?"
After the second body, things really slowed down, with a lot of tell-not-show and speculation. She also repeated the postcard clue, perhaps because Harry is postmistress, and without that there's no real way to keep her and her animals involved. The ending was just "Murder, She Wrote" stupid, with the killer telling all for pages and pages in the middle of the windup. I kept expecting Angela Lansbury to appear in the background, eyes lowered, shaking her head. Just how many times can small animals save the day, anyway? I can't even tune up my keyboard to talk about the use of the tired old soap-opera meme of
The reason it took me so long to read this was that I kept sighing and putting it down in favour of something else. I really, really disliked this book and only finished it because I refused to let it get the better of me. I kept hoping it would redeem itself. It doesn't.
September 16, 2013
Quite a good one. Good plot and I love the characters! I've read several in the series and I really enjoy them although my hubby didn't like the fact that the animals talk to each other - I kind of enjoy that and it moves the plot along! I think they are really fun cozy mysteries and I will continue on til I finish the series. I also like her other books.
July 16, 2022
Piece-ful
Harry, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and the rest find themselves putting together a grisly puzzle, as discovery of human remains on the neighbor’s farm leads to a surprising revelation, involving all the critters who call Harry “mom”.
Harry, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and the rest find themselves putting together a grisly puzzle, as discovery of human remains on the neighbor’s farm leads to a surprising revelation, involving all the critters who call Harry “mom”.
May 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
This was so fun and easy to read! This series is definitely going to be my go to when I don’t know what to read. I figured out who the killer was but not the twist so overall not too shabby of a mystery.
This was so fun and easy to read! This series is definitely going to be my go to when I don’t know what to read. I figured out who the killer was but not the twist so overall not too shabby of a mystery.
September 16, 2020
A little slow up until the very end, but definitely entertaining :)
August 10, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was in some ways just another provincial American town with murders and romance and fluffiness sort of a book that usually irritate me, and it had some of the flaws of that genre (being very middle-class and aspiring-rich oriented in terms of character and somewhat romantic-consumerist) but the animal factor actually added interest and piquancy.
Even though I did not find all of Mrs Murphy's antics entirely believable (she loves being raced around in a mail trolley and is friends with a possum) I love it when she swore at the oblivious Harry and the way she added smart-arse advice to both Harry and Blair constantly which they occasionally sort of understood by osmosis. I loved that the animals were completely necessary to most of the plot twists and you could argue that Mrs Murphy and Tucker are more protagonists than Harry, Susan or Blair (or any human). If we transfer the idea of the Bechdel test to the animal kingdom, there were named animal characters having conversations about things other than humans all the time (though Mrs Murphy does like to look after Harry, as the book's main author Sneaky-pie Brown - a cat- maintains pets ought to). The foreword by Sneaky-pie himself is GENIUS. So so enjoyable to think that he knew cats would read his work but is surprised that humans do, or that his human co-author might be jealous of his success when she is the one writing serious works.
Things I liked less were the shifting POV, the classist and occasionally racist opinions of some of the characters, just how much a bunch of shallow rich people were portrayed as basically "good" ignoring the effects on others of their way of like (I do realise this is pretty standard for the early 90s) and I found the romantic interest in Blair faintly irritating, especially when the unnecessary Fair and Boom-Boom factor was added in (Boom-Boom was most unsatisfactory as a character from a feminist perspective). Considering I usually find heterosexual romances in books nauseating (because the men are portrayed as domineering mainly) this one managed to be relatively acceptable and Harry kept her dignity and independence which I liked.
The mystery itself was fair, interesting and with enough twists and red-herrings but not anything that I saw as cheating (I sort of guessed it...but there was enough there for it not to be transparent to me and to be fair I have been reading adult mystery books since I was about 7). There was some action but it fit the plot well and male, female and even non-human characters all behaved intelligently and strongly within it. In short it was the best animal-featuring mystery I have read so far (about my third I think).
If you like cozy mysteries, romance with a heroine who has some backbone, feel-good interactions and Christmas, animals or gossip this is a book you will probably enjoy. If I see more from this series I am likely to pick them up and read them.
Even though I did not find all of Mrs Murphy's antics entirely believable (she loves being raced around in a mail trolley and is friends with a possum) I love it when she swore at the oblivious Harry and the way she added smart-arse advice to both Harry and Blair constantly which they occasionally sort of understood by osmosis. I loved that the animals were completely necessary to most of the plot twists and you could argue that Mrs Murphy and Tucker are more protagonists than Harry, Susan or Blair (or any human). If we transfer the idea of the Bechdel test to the animal kingdom, there were named animal characters having conversations about things other than humans all the time (though Mrs Murphy does like to look after Harry, as the book's main author Sneaky-pie Brown - a cat- maintains pets ought to). The foreword by Sneaky-pie himself is GENIUS. So so enjoyable to think that he knew cats would read his work but is surprised that humans do, or that his human co-author might be jealous of his success when she is the one writing serious works.
Things I liked less were the shifting POV, the classist and occasionally racist opinions of some of the characters, just how much a bunch of shallow rich people were portrayed as basically "good" ignoring the effects on others of their way of like (I do realise this is pretty standard for the early 90s) and I found the romantic interest in Blair faintly irritating, especially when the unnecessary Fair and Boom-Boom factor was added in (Boom-Boom was most unsatisfactory as a character from a feminist perspective). Considering I usually find heterosexual romances in books nauseating (because the men are portrayed as domineering mainly) this one managed to be relatively acceptable and Harry kept her dignity and independence which I liked.
The mystery itself was fair, interesting and with enough twists and red-herrings but not anything that I saw as cheating (I sort of guessed it...but there was enough there for it not to be transparent to me and to be fair I have been reading adult mystery books since I was about 7). There was some action but it fit the plot well and male, female and even non-human characters all behaved intelligently and strongly within it. In short it was the best animal-featuring mystery I have read so far (about my third I think).
If you like cozy mysteries, romance with a heroine who has some backbone, feel-good interactions and Christmas, animals or gossip this is a book you will probably enjoy. If I see more from this series I am likely to pick them up and read them.
August 28, 2012
From 1992, "Rest in Pieces" is one of the earliest books in this series & perhaps one of the best. When body parts start turning up at random in Crozet, Virginia a murderer must be on the loose especially with a local matchmaker is in town. The stories in this series always work best when both animal & human interaction & this book is a clear example where it works. There's also a plot involved this time with the matchmaker & the attempt to get Fair & Harry back together. It's a rare balance between all parts of this story that makes it work & make it one of the better entries in this series.
November 1, 2024
Rita Mae Brown keeps you on your toes. I love the connection Harry has with her pets. And the gross murders were hard to solve. It took me almost to the end to realize who the murderer was. I am hooked on this series. Second tIme reading and still a great relaxing story.
December 9, 2017
I'm impressed! I didn't see the whodunnit coming at all on this one. Looking back, I can see hints, but I didn't catch them at the time. I really enjoy the animals in this series a lot. I'll be back for them (and, truth be told, the human interactions, too). Ms. Brown writes fun stories.
May 4, 2022
Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie, write the Mrs. Murphy series of mysteries. Mrs. Murphy is a tiger-striped cat, and w/ her friend Tucker the Corgi, she helps her human, Mary "Harry" Harristeen, solve crimes in their small town of Crozet, Virginia.
In this outing, Tucker finds a pair of hands and legs in the cemetery near Harry's house. The fingerpads have been removed from the hands. Harry and her new neighbor, Blair - a male model, are yucked out by this and of course get the sheriff involved. Harry is the local postmistress and newly divorced from the town vet. As Autumn in Virginia progresses, other body parts are found. Of course, all the town residents are freaked out and wondering if they are the next victim. Can Harry and her friends (as well as her animals) solve the case before someone else becomes a victim?
I did NOT solve the identity of the murderer; I WAS pretty icked out a couple of times; and I really loved the plot twist before we found out the identity of the murderer. I only gave the book 4 stars b/c i found the sometimes-salty language really incongruous w/ the series' cutesy premise of crime-solving animals whose thoughts we can "hear." But other than that, this is a pretty well-written cozy mystery series, and I look forward to reading more of the series.
In this outing, Tucker finds a pair of hands and legs in the cemetery near Harry's house. The fingerpads have been removed from the hands. Harry and her new neighbor, Blair - a male model, are yucked out by this and of course get the sheriff involved. Harry is the local postmistress and newly divorced from the town vet. As Autumn in Virginia progresses, other body parts are found. Of course, all the town residents are freaked out and wondering if they are the next victim. Can Harry and her friends (as well as her animals) solve the case before someone else becomes a victim?
I did NOT solve the identity of the murderer; I WAS pretty icked out a couple of times; and I really loved the plot twist before we found out the identity of the murderer. I only gave the book 4 stars b/c i found the sometimes-salty language really incongruous w/ the series' cutesy premise of crime-solving animals whose thoughts we can "hear." But other than that, this is a pretty well-written cozy mystery series, and I look forward to reading more of the series.
March 17, 2025
When a new man arrives in the small town of Crozet, Virginia, trouble soon follows. Blair Bainbridge is a model from New York City, but he’s looking for a small quiet life after the death of his wife. It takes no time at all for the town to play matchmaker with him and Harry, recently divorced. But when body parts start showing up around town, the first one being in Blair’s yard, the town is on edge wondering who is behind it all. Is it the new guy? Once again, Harry and her pets, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker are on the case. This novel felt like such a step up from the first one in many ways. Not only was the mystery good and the animals helping to solve the mystery was even more fun this time around, but the way we got to know more about the town and the people living there, was so well done. This novel heavily focused on the town and the townspeople and the reader really loved that aspect because there are so many different players and in this one we could feel their personalities come to life. Not only that, it also gave the mystery plot that much vivacity because the town could also start to be seen as a character. The reader can really see how this place is shaping up and the world is coming together. The plot was fast-paced and even though this reader kinda predicted how it was all going to down; it was still shocking to read it because they couldn’t believe they were right. We’re getting to know the characters better, and figuring out who is who and what roles they play. Some feel more stereotypical than others, but for the most part they are original and developing well. The addition of the animals as characters is still very fun giving this a silly and entertaining quality to the story. In the end, this was such a cleverly written novel that had the reader on their toes wanting more.
September 25, 2018
Now that I know where the "cozy mystery" section is, I had a much easier time locating the second installment of Harry, Mrs. Murphy, and Tee Tucker's (mis)adventures in lovely Crozet. Or is it lovely when people keep turning up murdered?!? There's pretty much the same cast of characters as in the first book, with a couple of additions (gotta keep it fresh), and the characters you have already met, you get to learn more about. Standard. I enjoyed the second book as much or more than the first, though I may be slightly biased because I live so close to the book's setting. With character names such as "Cabell Hall", which is actually a building on UVA campus, and other mentions of places around town, it's hard to not enjoy. Great books to read in between larger more in-depth novels - I intend to just keep on reading them all. Snuggle up and get cozy.. and prepare for MURDER.
January 10, 2023
Laugh at loud mystery series about a postmistress who solves murders in her small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but reading everyone’s mail. Firmly dated to the early 90s, but there’s so much to love. Characters that are ring true, asides from the omniscient narrator that are as piercing and keenly observed as any high-falutin’ “Literature” and very often beautiful prose describing the setting, scenery and emotions they evoke in the characters. And can’t forget the super-intelligent (and hilariously cynical) pets who can’t communicate with their humans but do their best to let them know who committed the murder. Tore through the first two books in the series in a week and definitely picking up number 3.
April 11, 2022
After starting off with Book 5 of Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy feline murder mystery series, I decided to read the others more or less in order. I enjoyed this one also, although the deaths were rather grisly and the “surprise” ending turned out to be a bit cliché. But the relationships between the talking animals and their human companions were just as delightful. Again, I was thankful for the character list at the front. And also thankful for the short chapters, which made it easy to keep reading.. I'm now eager to read Book One.
October 31, 2023
Pros:
Knowing the characters a bit better and knowing to expect talking animals I enjoyed book two a bit more than book one in the series.
I like that the main character doesn’t have a man hating grudge due to her divorce. Too often that plot point was used as a way to show a woman as strong and independent. It isn’t needed to show that here.
Cons:
The story hasn’t fully aged well so a person going in with the sensibilities and sensitivities of our time will need to brace themselves and adjust to some things like race talk, gender role expectations etc. It isn’t terribly politically incorrect but some things will be objectionable.
Knowing the characters a bit better and knowing to expect talking animals I enjoyed book two a bit more than book one in the series.
I like that the main character doesn’t have a man hating grudge due to her divorce. Too often that plot point was used as a way to show a woman as strong and independent. It isn’t needed to show that here.
Cons:
The story hasn’t fully aged well so a person going in with the sensibilities and sensitivities of our time will need to brace themselves and adjust to some things like race talk, gender role expectations etc. It isn’t terribly politically incorrect but some things will be objectionable.
September 3, 2024
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Even tho this was only the 2nd Book I've read in this series by Rita I have to say im really enjoying this series more than I thought I would.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable to read about. It was hard to pick just one as my favorite since I seemed to like all the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like I was actually in Chazet Virginia while reading especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a fun Book 2 in this Cozy Mystery Series about a cat that tries to help solve a murder!! Can't wait to read Book 3 soon!!
Review:
Even tho this was only the 2nd Book I've read in this series by Rita I have to say im really enjoying this series more than I thought I would.
The Characters were fun and enjoyable to read about. It was hard to pick just one as my favorite since I seemed to like all the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like I was actually in Chazet Virginia while reading especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a fun Book 2 in this Cozy Mystery Series about a cat that tries to help solve a murder!! Can't wait to read Book 3 soon!!
December 6, 2017
As the 'owner' of 3 cats, I know they communicate quite well with me and each other, so I don't find the anthropomorphism in this series all that far fetched. I find the antics among Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter entertaining. But then, I have dreams where my pets sit at the dinner table talking and arguing with me. I shall continue to read this series which currently numbers 25 books one after another If I like a series, I read each one in chronological order and wish all the series I like were endless.
July 6, 2019
When a dismembered body shows up scattered around the county, Cozart, Virginia, it sets the whole town on edge. Some want to take the easy way out and blame the new guy in town, Blair Bainbridge, but Harry thinks there is something else going on...or has her drop-dead gorgeous new neighbor turned her head? Harry, along with Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker, and the faint but pursuing Pewter are determined to find the truth...no matter what!
November 19, 2024
Hooked on this series! Great Southern cozy mystery, this one pretty dark (dismembered body, severed head in a pumpkin…). What makes this novel, and the rest of the series, “pop” are the great characters and the brilliant portrayal of the animals! Mrs. Murphy the cat and Tee Tucker the Corgi are written extremely well, as are the other animals… refreshingly fun!
January 14, 2019
Always enjoy these books more for the animals part than the human. Second book in series and the characters are coming along nicely.
December 13, 2020
I was not impressed with this storyline. This book may be more suitable for juvenile readers. Talking animals, dragging plot, I barely finished the book. The book isn't all bad; just not my reading preference.
January 11, 2024
Ich liebe einfach alles an dieser Reihe...
March 24, 2025
To be honest, I did not read this book in its entirety. I am, however, finished with it. In the first book of the series I was turned off by some negativity in the background (i.e. not having any bearing on the main story). Because I was gifted the entire series from someone who loved it, I decided to read the second one to see if the first one was somehow different in that aspect. It only took me a few pages of reading to realize that it wasn't, and I only made it to page 30 before stopping to ask myself why I was subjecting myself to it. So this book and all the rest of them are going into the giveaway box and I'm moving on to something I will actually enjoy.
February 24, 2015
Sometimes a cozy mystery is a bit more than just that and in this, the second of the Mrs. Murphy series, was one of those books. Ms. Brown delved a bit into environmentalism and the meaning of real and lasting friendships. I will probably wind up reading this whole series. Harry, aka Mary Minor Haristeen, is a recently divorced attractive young woman and postmistress of the small town of Crozet, VA. She feels it is perfectly within her rights to read postcards. After all, if the sender had wanted privacy, they should have placed a letter into an envelope. She is also and more importantly a true friend to most of the town's quirky residents and her animals. In this edition, her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, finds a dismembered hand and only under duress gives it up to Harry who of course alerts the police. I found this book well written and the characters, while exaggerated examples of small town Southerners, still believable and ones to whom I could enjoyably relate. While Harry is the human main character, Mrs. Murphy, Harry's tiger cat, is inb many ways the true main character. As a cat aficionado and general animal lover, this series and this book in particular appeal to me on that level as well. If you like cozies and animals, you just might enjoy this delightful one!
September 26, 2013
I REALLY needed something warm and uplifting after reading incredibly depressing books for an Apocalyptic Literature course. This was the perfect remedy! Since I started them out of order, this, the 2nd book in the series, is actually the 3rd I've read. Granted, these are not epic literature, but I find them some of the best of the "cozy mysteries" genre. The talking animals might sound a little juvenile ('a la Charlotte's Web) when you first consider the series, but it's done very well. If you're an animal lover, you will quickly recognize what a good job Rita Mae Brown does in capturing animal personalities. I love Mrs. Murphy & Tucker, and now more of the barnyard critters begin to chime in. Again, it seems as if it would be trite, but it's not - the author does an excellent job of making them compelling, interesting, complex characters - just like the humans. I definitely will continue with this series.
July 7, 2020
This is one of my all time favorite Cozy Mystery series. And this my favorite book. I love the interaction between the animals and the people - with the animals more often solving the mystery and saving the day first.
It is nearing Halloween in the sleepy town of Crozet, and terrible packages are turning in unlikely spots all over town. Can Harry and her furry friends find the killer in time? Or will Harry fall victim to the killers deadly blade?
It is nearing Halloween in the sleepy town of Crozet, and terrible packages are turning in unlikely spots all over town. Can Harry and her furry friends find the killer in time? Or will Harry fall victim to the killers deadly blade?
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