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Mrs. Murphy #13
Cat's Eyewitness
It’s no secret that cats are a mystery writer’s best friend. Just ask the bestselling team of Rita Mae Brown and her furry partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, back on the prowl with another unforgettable whodunit. This time a controversial miracle in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains sparks religious fervor–and a suspicious death. Now the indefatigable felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with the dogged corgi Tee Tucker, must trust their animal instincts to sniff out the worst of human nature....
With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood.
Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.…
When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved. Then there’s the shocking revelation of a mystery that has perplexed the citizens of Crozet for ages.
With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive....
From the Hardcover edition.
With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood.
Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.…
When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved. Then there’s the shocking revelation of a mystery that has perplexed the citizens of Crozet for ages.
With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive....
From the Hardcover edition.
319 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2005
154 people are currently reading
1111 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
176 books2,238 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 141 reviews
June 3, 2014
This is the transition book between Harry's days as postmistress and the next phase in which she remarries Fair. The mystery seems to take a backseat here to the personal relationships of the characters. I loved the line, "In an ideal world you fall in love with the person, not the wrapping paper." I tried reading one of the later books and couldn't get through it. The tone seems different and less enjoyable to me so this book becomes the last in the series for me.
June 9, 2018
Lucky 13th........the 13th Mrs. Murphy that I've read (in chronological order) has all the gang hunting for a murderer and trying to discover why a statue of the Virgin Mary is weeping bloody tears. I noticed that in this one, which is a departure from the previous 12, Rita Mae Brown (or Sneaky Pie Brown...there is some dispute on who really writes the stories) has begun to throw in a political viewpoint. This is okay with me because I can disagree with people politically without getting emotional or hateful (which is more than can be said for some GoodRead members.) I am on to the 14th! Tallyho!
April 28, 2010
I'm ashamed to even admit that I read this book as an adult, so you can imagine I'm even more ashamed to admit that now that I've finished it I actually miss the characters.
The last I read Rita Mae Brown was some 15 years ago. She likes making her pets real characters that have conversations with each other, although the humans can't understand these conversations. As someone who is gaga for my pets (seriously, I cook all my dog's food and let her sleep under the blankets in my bed), the talking cats and dogs bit was a bit stretched. They had a better-than-human intelligence at times, which I just don't ever imagine my dog to have. I guess the talking dogs in 'Up' (squirrel!) seemed more realistic to me. Anyway, the talking pet thing didn't distract me as much as I though it would.
What I enjoyed were the characters, and the setting in Virginia. I enjoyed the viewpoints and the descriptions of these tough Southern women, even if the descriptions were hitting me over the head with a hammer at times. The plot and the mystery itself was secondary to my interest in the characters themselves, which is a good sign.
So yeah, I enjoyed it. If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars.
The last I read Rita Mae Brown was some 15 years ago. She likes making her pets real characters that have conversations with each other, although the humans can't understand these conversations. As someone who is gaga for my pets (seriously, I cook all my dog's food and let her sleep under the blankets in my bed), the talking cats and dogs bit was a bit stretched. They had a better-than-human intelligence at times, which I just don't ever imagine my dog to have. I guess the talking dogs in 'Up' (squirrel!) seemed more realistic to me. Anyway, the talking pet thing didn't distract me as much as I though it would.
What I enjoyed were the characters, and the setting in Virginia. I enjoyed the viewpoints and the descriptions of these tough Southern women, even if the descriptions were hitting me over the head with a hammer at times. The plot and the mystery itself was secondary to my interest in the characters themselves, which is a good sign.
So yeah, I enjoyed it. If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars.
December 21, 2007
Love Mrs. Murphy, love the book. I just wish Browne would stop injecting her politics in all her recent books.
August 4, 2019
When Harry (Mary Minor) Harris and her best friend, Susan Tucker, find themselves at Mount Carmel monastery, if feels as if Providence has brought them there. Both are dealing with issues and emotions that threaten to overwhelm, and both hope that the peace of the grounds will help clear their minds. However, something happens...a statue of the blessed Virgin Mary begins to cry, apparently tears of real blood. Is this a miracle, or is something else at play here? When Susan's great-uncle, a monk, is found dead at the foot of the statue, Harry becomes deeply involved in trying to find out both what happened to the monk, and the real cause of the tears...miracle or mountbankery? And will the discovery of truth set her free, or kill her entirely? It seems that Harry's very life may be in hands unseen...and paws well-known, as her pets, Mrs. Murphy (tabby cat), Pewter (rotund gray cat) and Tee Tucker (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) are more than willing to fight for the woman they so love!
November 8, 2023
Love this story,, so many local references.
November 13, 2024
“Cat's Eyewitness” by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
PRINT:
© 2005, January 25; 978-0553801644; Bantam; 304 pages; unabridged (Info from Amazon)
DIGITAL:
© 2005, January 25; ASIN: B000FC2RKE; Bantam; 352 pages; unabridged (Info from Amazon)
(this one)-AUDIO:
© 2005, January 28; ASIN: B0007OB5L2; Recorded Books, Inc; 9 hours, 14 minutes; unabridged; cassettes (info from Libby version & Amazon)
FILM:
No
READING LEVEL (Accelerated Reader Scale)
IL [Interest Level]: UG; BL [Book Level]: 4.6
SERIES:
Mrs. Murphy Mysteries (Book 13 of 33)
CHARACTERS: (Not Comprehensive)
• Mrs. Murphy – a cat
• Pewter – a cat
• Tee Tucker – a Corgi dog
• Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen
• Susan Tucker
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED:
Seeing this made me remember that a former co-worker once recommended the series to me.
ABOUT:
Does the Virgin Mary statue truly cry tears of blood? How did Susan’s great-uncle Thomas die?
OVERALL OPINION:
It’s a cute little cozy mystery.
AUTHOR:
Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown (from PVLD Catalog-Bowker Author Biography)
Rita Mae Brown was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1944. She received an associate's degree from Broward Junior College in 1965, a B.A. in English and classics from New York University in 1968, a Cinematography Degree from the School of the Visual Arts in 1968, and a Ph.D. in English and political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in 1976. She was the writer-in-residence at the Women's Writing Center of Cazenovi College and a visiting instructor teaching fiction writing at the University of Virginia.
After publishing two books of poetry, she published her first novel, Rubyfruit Jungle, in 1973. Her works include The Hand that Cradles the Rock, Sudden Death, Venus Envy, Loose Lips, and Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser. She writes the Mrs. Murphy Mystery series and Foxhunting Mysteries series. She also writes screenplays and teleplays including Sweet Surrender, Room to Move, Table Dancing, and The Long Hot Summer. Her work on TV earned several Emmy nominations and she received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Variety Show in 1982 for I Love Liberty.
Sneaky Pie Brown is a Cat.
NARRATOR
Kate Forbes (IMDb)
“Kate Forbes is known for The Longest Ride (2015), WandaVision (2021) and Agatha All Along (2024).”
GENRE:
Fiction; Women Sleuth Mysteries; Suspense; Cozy Mystery; Crime Fiction; Cat Mystery
SUBJECTS (Not comprehensive):
Religion; Monks; Virgin Mary Statue; Cats; Dog; Talking Animals; Monasteries; Women postal service employees; Small Town Life; Human-animal relationships; Life Changes; Murder;
LOCATION: Crozet, Virginia
TIME PERIOD:
2000’s
Excerpt (from Palos Verdes Public Library Catalog)
“Excerpt Cover
1
A thin trickle of water zigzagged over the Virgin Mary's cold face. She gazed westward from her home on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, between Afton Gap and Humpback Mountain. Her elevation approached two thousand two hundred feet. The fertile expanse of the Shenandoah Valley spread below, rolling westward to the Allegheny Mountains. The Valley, made immortal by the military genius of Stonewall Jackson, had been beloved of the Native Americans long before the European immigrants, refugees, and mountebanks ever beheld its calming beauty.
Had the Blessed Virgin Mother been able to turn her head and look east, undulating hills traversed with ravines and ridges stopping at the Southwest Range would have delighted her eyes. The last spur of the Appalachian Mountain chain, the Southwest Range gives way on its eastern slopes to land with a gentle roll. These rich fields and forests drop until the Fall Line, the true geographic boundary between low country and up-country, between sandy soils, red clay, and loam mixtures. This line also divided the Iroquois-speaking peoples from the Sioux-speaking peoples. Neither side liked the other much, warfare and raids occurring with savage regularity. Into this political hot zone trooped the English, the first surviving colony founded in 1607. Those that lived, learned.
The conclusion of the Revolutionary War in 1781, one hundred and seventy-four years after Jamestown was founded, unleashed an exuberance of trade, exploration, birthrate, and optimism. Even the fierce Monocan tribe and their allies, who had kept the whites from building safe communities ever westward of the Fall Line, couldn't hold them back.
The land on which Mary stood was settled in 1794 by Catholics more comfortable on the crest of the mountains than walking among their hustling Protestant neighbors in Richmond or the Tidewater. They built a log chapel. The land and altitude were good for apples. Orchards flourished. After the Constitutional Convention, the new Constitution made crystal clear the separation between church and state. Many of the apple-growing Catholics moved down the mountain into Nelson and Albemarle Counties on the eastern slopes, Augusta County on the western slopes. Nestled in the valleys, the temperature warmer, the winds less fierce than on the mountaintop, the former religious refugees prospered.
The hard-core mountain people, many of them distillers of clear liquor--the mountain streams being wonderful for such endeavors--stayed in the hollows. They didn't want to live on a mountaintop.
Finally in 1866 a war-weary Confederate captain founded a monastic order based on the Carmelites. He called it Mt. Carmel after the original in Palestine. Carmelite orders were being founded in the north after the War Between the States. Captain Ainsly was defiant and remained independent of the international monastic order even though he followed their rules. Instead of being known as Whitefriars, the monks on Afton Mountain were called Greyfriars because of their gray wool robes, an echo of their uniform color.
The monastery itself was not open to the public. The dairy, the chandler's building, the food building with honey and jams, and the ironmonger's forge were open, though, as were the exquisite gardens. The products were made by the monks themselves. Applejack was their biggest seller. Made on the grounds from apples grown in the old orchards, the brothers took special care with their distillery. Folks said Greyfriars' applejack could kick one harder than a mule.
The Virgin Mary stood on the highest point of land, the spring gardens nestled below her. She was carved from native soapstone by another Confederate veteran sick of war and worldly corruption. The Blessed Virgin Mother radiated a sorrow, a forgiveness that touched many who looked upon her. The stones leading to her, worn concave from many feet, bore testimony to her grace and power.
On this day, November 24, Thanksgiving, snow settled in the folds of her raiment. It covered the earth down to a thousand feet above sea level. Below that, freezing rain pelted farm and forest.
Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen had driven up before the rain reached the eastern meadows. But as she squinted upward into a leaden sky, she knew getting down Afton Mountain would take a steady hand and a steady foot, no jamming on the brakes.
Her three dearest companions--Mrs. Murphy, a tiger cat, Pewter, a gray cat, and Tee Tucker, a brave corgi--had smelled the shift in the weather before their human friend knew it was coming. Confident in her driving ability, Harry wouldn't have turned back even if she had foreseen the change. She was determined to spend an hour on the mountain, alone and in thought, before plunging into Thanksgiving cheer. She'd quit her job as postmistress after sixteen years because the U.S. Postal Service was building a large, modern post office in Crozet by the railroad track. In this fit of improvement, the bigwigs decided that Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker could no longer "work" with her. How could she live without the cats and dog? How could millions of Americans sit in windowless cubicles without even a bird to keep them connected to real life? Harry couldn't live like that. Not yet forty, she felt a disquieting alienation from so-called modern life. What seemed vital to others, like wading through their e-mail, seemed fake to her. Harry was at a crossroads, not sure which way to jump.
The dear older woman she worked with, Miranda Hogendobber, walked out when she did. But Miranda had her deceased husband's retirement to draw upon; she'd been frugal and was in good shape.
Harry wasn't in good shape financially. Taxes crept upward like kudzu threatening to choke her small farm profits, in particular, and ultimately free enterprise, in general. Services became ever more expensive and gas prices bounced up and down like a basketball in an NBA game.
On top of those worries was her ex-husband, Fair Haristeen, who still loved her and had made significant amends for what Harry saw as bad behavior. Fair had grown up and wanted her back, wanted a mature bond. He was handsome. Harry had a weak spot for a handsome man. Fair qualified at six five, blond hair, all muscle. An equine veterinarian, he specialized in reproduction. They both shared a profound love of horses.
Harry, at last, had made peace with the bombshell Fair had dallied with four years back when their marriage blew up. Olivia "BoomBoom" Craycroft slew men the way longhaired Samson slew his enemies. BoomBoom had enjoyed Fair's impressive physique and his Virginia gentleman ways, but she bored easily, soon dismissing him. "Think of this as recess from class," were her exact words. For all of BoomBoom's heartlessness with men where romance was concerned, she loved animals, was a good athlete, and demonstrated great community spirit. In a word, she was fabulous, until you slept with her or if you were the woman left in the dust by your boyfriend or husband.
As Harry stared up at the unearthly face of the Virgin, she shivered. Tucker, at her feet, shook off the thickening snow.
"She's beautiful," the corgi said.
Harry bent down, patting the glossy head. "Bet you think I'm crazy standing out here. Probably am."
Tucker lifted her nose, breathed deeply. "Susan." The little dog took off toward the enticing scent, skidding to a halt about forty yards away where a curved stone bench overlooked The Valley. The bench, situated on a winding path below the statue, was hidden from view if one was standing in front of the Virgin Mary.
The Valley was usually colder than the eastern slopes. Snow was falling there, a patchwork quilt of white, beige, and corn stubble two thousand feet below.
"Tucker," Susan said, surprised. "Where's Mom?"
Harry, pursuing her dog, slipped along the walkway between tall magnificent English boxwoods, only to be equally surprised when she saw her best friend. "Susan, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Susan replied, smiling.
Harry brushed off the snow to sit next to Susan. Tucker wedged between them. "I'm here because I, well, I need help. I know the Blessed Virgin Mother has always been reputed to have powers--the statue, I mean. Miranda says whenever times get tough she comes up here and talks with Mary."
"Girl talk." Susan smiled, her auburn hair peeking out from underneath her lad's cap.
"Wish she could talk. I'd like to hear that Jesus wasn't perfect." Harry sighed. "It's too hard having perfect Gods--you know, God the Father, God the Son, and I have no idea who or what the Holy Ghost is. I mean it," she said as Susan laughed. "You went to Bible school in the summers, same as I did; we suffered through two years of catechism together. We only made Confirmation because Reverend Jones took pity on us. I can recite the Nicene Creed but I still can't tell you why I'm supposed to care about it. What is the Holy Ghost?" She threw up her hands, red gloves bright against the gloom. "But I understand Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother. She's one of us; oh, better, but still, she's one of us."
"Yes." Susan reached for her friend's hand, her tan glove twining with the red. "I talk to her, too.
Questions. Life. Big questions. Little questions." Susan shrugged.
"The questions get bigger as we get older, don't you think?"
"I do."
Harry took a deep breath, the air scouring her lungs. "I'm here because I don't know what I'm doing. I feel dumb and maybe I really am dumb. And Fair asked me to marry him again."
"Ah." Susan smiled.
"That means you think it's a good idea."
"I'm glad he loves you. You're worth loving." She squeezed Harry's hand.
"Susan." Tears filled Harry's eyes, for kindness and praise affected her more deeply than criticism or meanness. She could stand up to that.
"You are, dear heart. You're my best friend and you know you can tell me anything."
"Tell you? Susan, all I've done for the last three months is bitch and moan."
"Oh, you have not. Anyone in your position is bound to be anxious. No money is coming in and you have to be careful. At least the farm is free and clear and so is the equipment."
"There's the dually payment." Harry mentioned the big one-ton Ford truck with the double wheels that she bought at a great price from Art Bushey, Jr., the Ford dealer and a good friend. His sense of humor was as twisted as hers, so of course they adored each other.
"Four hundred something a month."
"Yes. The feed bill, the gas and electric. I mean, I'm okay, but I've got to do something here pretty soon."
"You're still investigating growing grapes, aren't you? Sounds like a good idea." Susan was encouraging.
"I need to bring money in while I study that. I can't afford to get started anytime soon, since the capital outlay is outrageous. Patricia Kluge said she'd sit down with me. Her vineyards are a booming success. Felicia Rogan, who really revived the whole wine industry in Virginia, said she'd talk to me, too. Still, I need to do something, just get some money coming in. Fair said I could work with him as a vet tech. I know the drill but it's not a great idea. I mean, not until I come to a decision, and I've dragged it out far too long. I'm such a chicken." She brightened a moment. "What I understand, know like the back of my hand, is hay. I'm thinking I could become a hay dealer, not just grow it but buy it from the Midwest, Pennsylvania, and Canada, then sell it. As I do that I could keep learning about grape stuff and see if I could add another string to my bow."
"Sounds like a good plan to me."
"Except I need a paycheck now."
"Pug would take you back in the post office." Susan mentioned the federal employee in charge of postal services for the area.
"No."
"Pride goeth before a fall."
"It's not pride. I'm not working without my babies."
"Where are Mrs. Murphy and Pewter?"
"In the truck, steaming up the windows." Harry leaned toward Susan. "Why are you here?"
Susan quietly looked over the Shenandoah Valley. "It's really coming down. Let's hope by the time we drive down Route 250 it's snowing on our side."
"Susan." Harry knew her friend inside and out.
"Ned and I are drifting apart."
Harry's face registered shock. "How? You seem close to me."
"He's distant. He doesn't much want sex anymore. He's all wrapped up in being our newly elected senator to Richmond. He's spending more time in the apartment he just rented there than at home."
"Mmm, the sex part is disturbing."
"Tell me."
"He's got a lot to learn about the job." Harry hoped this would help Susan push upsetting thoughts about Ned aside.
"Brooks graduates from high school this year. Danny loves Cornell. The house will soon be empty. He's starting a whole new life. I feel like my life, or at least my usefulness, is vanishing, ending."
Harry leaned into Tucker as Susan did, too. "All of this is a big change for both of you. He's handling it differently than you, that's all."
"I hope so." Tears now ran down Susan's face. "You know I'm not cut out to be a political wife. I'm no good at it." She wiped away a tear. "Ned is handsome. I've heard all those stories about politicians and pretty interns."
Harry wrapped an arm around Susan's shoulders. "Oh, honey, don't cry."
"I remember when it happened to you."
"Fair and Ned are different kinds of men. I knew, like a little seismic rumble underneath, that Fair thought he was missing something marrying his high-school sweetheart. He"--she paused--"well, he just jumped out of the paddock."
Susan cried harder. "I feel so awful. I know now how you felt."
"You were good to me." Harry hugged her.
"But I didn't really know how you felt. I do now."
Harry hugged her again, then straightened up. "Know who can help us?" Susan shook her head, so Harry continued, "BoomBoom. She's got the best radar for men of any of us. If he's up to no good, she'll figure it out. And really, Susan, I don't think he is."
Susan considered this as she again wiped away her tears, the soft leather of the glove cool against her colder skin. "Think she would?"
"Help? Sure."
"Well--"
"Let's call her on my cell in the truck. If she's free we can go down the mountain and meet her. It will ease your mind."
"I can't right this minute," Susan replied. "I came here to think but also to pick up Great-Uncle Thomas for Thanksgiving dinner. He's eighty-two now. Hard to believe. Anyway," she paused, "it's quite strange, really. He said to me, 'Susan, my time is near. I'd like to spend Thanksgiving with you.' He's healthy as a horse. I told him he was a long way from death's door."
________________________________________
Excerpted from Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Catalog enrichment powered by Syndetics Unbound”
RATING:
3
STARTED-FINISHED
3/1/2008 - 3/17/2008
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
PRINT:
© 2005, January 25; 978-0553801644; Bantam; 304 pages; unabridged (Info from Amazon)
DIGITAL:
© 2005, January 25; ASIN: B000FC2RKE; Bantam; 352 pages; unabridged (Info from Amazon)
(this one)-AUDIO:
© 2005, January 28; ASIN: B0007OB5L2; Recorded Books, Inc; 9 hours, 14 minutes; unabridged; cassettes (info from Libby version & Amazon)
FILM:
No
READING LEVEL (Accelerated Reader Scale)
IL [Interest Level]: UG; BL [Book Level]: 4.6
SERIES:
Mrs. Murphy Mysteries (Book 13 of 33)
CHARACTERS: (Not Comprehensive)
• Mrs. Murphy – a cat
• Pewter – a cat
• Tee Tucker – a Corgi dog
• Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen
• Susan Tucker
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED:
Seeing this made me remember that a former co-worker once recommended the series to me.
ABOUT:
Does the Virgin Mary statue truly cry tears of blood? How did Susan’s great-uncle Thomas die?
OVERALL OPINION:
It’s a cute little cozy mystery.
AUTHOR:
Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown (from PVLD Catalog-Bowker Author Biography)
Rita Mae Brown was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1944. She received an associate's degree from Broward Junior College in 1965, a B.A. in English and classics from New York University in 1968, a Cinematography Degree from the School of the Visual Arts in 1968, and a Ph.D. in English and political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in 1976. She was the writer-in-residence at the Women's Writing Center of Cazenovi College and a visiting instructor teaching fiction writing at the University of Virginia.
After publishing two books of poetry, she published her first novel, Rubyfruit Jungle, in 1973. Her works include The Hand that Cradles the Rock, Sudden Death, Venus Envy, Loose Lips, and Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser. She writes the Mrs. Murphy Mystery series and Foxhunting Mysteries series. She also writes screenplays and teleplays including Sweet Surrender, Room to Move, Table Dancing, and The Long Hot Summer. Her work on TV earned several Emmy nominations and she received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Variety Show in 1982 for I Love Liberty.
Sneaky Pie Brown is a Cat.
NARRATOR
Kate Forbes (IMDb)
“Kate Forbes is known for The Longest Ride (2015), WandaVision (2021) and Agatha All Along (2024).”
GENRE:
Fiction; Women Sleuth Mysteries; Suspense; Cozy Mystery; Crime Fiction; Cat Mystery
SUBJECTS (Not comprehensive):
Religion; Monks; Virgin Mary Statue; Cats; Dog; Talking Animals; Monasteries; Women postal service employees; Small Town Life; Human-animal relationships; Life Changes; Murder;
LOCATION: Crozet, Virginia
TIME PERIOD:
2000’s
Excerpt (from Palos Verdes Public Library Catalog)
“Excerpt Cover
1
A thin trickle of water zigzagged over the Virgin Mary's cold face. She gazed westward from her home on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, between Afton Gap and Humpback Mountain. Her elevation approached two thousand two hundred feet. The fertile expanse of the Shenandoah Valley spread below, rolling westward to the Allegheny Mountains. The Valley, made immortal by the military genius of Stonewall Jackson, had been beloved of the Native Americans long before the European immigrants, refugees, and mountebanks ever beheld its calming beauty.
Had the Blessed Virgin Mother been able to turn her head and look east, undulating hills traversed with ravines and ridges stopping at the Southwest Range would have delighted her eyes. The last spur of the Appalachian Mountain chain, the Southwest Range gives way on its eastern slopes to land with a gentle roll. These rich fields and forests drop until the Fall Line, the true geographic boundary between low country and up-country, between sandy soils, red clay, and loam mixtures. This line also divided the Iroquois-speaking peoples from the Sioux-speaking peoples. Neither side liked the other much, warfare and raids occurring with savage regularity. Into this political hot zone trooped the English, the first surviving colony founded in 1607. Those that lived, learned.
The conclusion of the Revolutionary War in 1781, one hundred and seventy-four years after Jamestown was founded, unleashed an exuberance of trade, exploration, birthrate, and optimism. Even the fierce Monocan tribe and their allies, who had kept the whites from building safe communities ever westward of the Fall Line, couldn't hold them back.
The land on which Mary stood was settled in 1794 by Catholics more comfortable on the crest of the mountains than walking among their hustling Protestant neighbors in Richmond or the Tidewater. They built a log chapel. The land and altitude were good for apples. Orchards flourished. After the Constitutional Convention, the new Constitution made crystal clear the separation between church and state. Many of the apple-growing Catholics moved down the mountain into Nelson and Albemarle Counties on the eastern slopes, Augusta County on the western slopes. Nestled in the valleys, the temperature warmer, the winds less fierce than on the mountaintop, the former religious refugees prospered.
The hard-core mountain people, many of them distillers of clear liquor--the mountain streams being wonderful for such endeavors--stayed in the hollows. They didn't want to live on a mountaintop.
Finally in 1866 a war-weary Confederate captain founded a monastic order based on the Carmelites. He called it Mt. Carmel after the original in Palestine. Carmelite orders were being founded in the north after the War Between the States. Captain Ainsly was defiant and remained independent of the international monastic order even though he followed their rules. Instead of being known as Whitefriars, the monks on Afton Mountain were called Greyfriars because of their gray wool robes, an echo of their uniform color.
The monastery itself was not open to the public. The dairy, the chandler's building, the food building with honey and jams, and the ironmonger's forge were open, though, as were the exquisite gardens. The products were made by the monks themselves. Applejack was their biggest seller. Made on the grounds from apples grown in the old orchards, the brothers took special care with their distillery. Folks said Greyfriars' applejack could kick one harder than a mule.
The Virgin Mary stood on the highest point of land, the spring gardens nestled below her. She was carved from native soapstone by another Confederate veteran sick of war and worldly corruption. The Blessed Virgin Mother radiated a sorrow, a forgiveness that touched many who looked upon her. The stones leading to her, worn concave from many feet, bore testimony to her grace and power.
On this day, November 24, Thanksgiving, snow settled in the folds of her raiment. It covered the earth down to a thousand feet above sea level. Below that, freezing rain pelted farm and forest.
Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen had driven up before the rain reached the eastern meadows. But as she squinted upward into a leaden sky, she knew getting down Afton Mountain would take a steady hand and a steady foot, no jamming on the brakes.
Her three dearest companions--Mrs. Murphy, a tiger cat, Pewter, a gray cat, and Tee Tucker, a brave corgi--had smelled the shift in the weather before their human friend knew it was coming. Confident in her driving ability, Harry wouldn't have turned back even if she had foreseen the change. She was determined to spend an hour on the mountain, alone and in thought, before plunging into Thanksgiving cheer. She'd quit her job as postmistress after sixteen years because the U.S. Postal Service was building a large, modern post office in Crozet by the railroad track. In this fit of improvement, the bigwigs decided that Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker could no longer "work" with her. How could she live without the cats and dog? How could millions of Americans sit in windowless cubicles without even a bird to keep them connected to real life? Harry couldn't live like that. Not yet forty, she felt a disquieting alienation from so-called modern life. What seemed vital to others, like wading through their e-mail, seemed fake to her. Harry was at a crossroads, not sure which way to jump.
The dear older woman she worked with, Miranda Hogendobber, walked out when she did. But Miranda had her deceased husband's retirement to draw upon; she'd been frugal and was in good shape.
Harry wasn't in good shape financially. Taxes crept upward like kudzu threatening to choke her small farm profits, in particular, and ultimately free enterprise, in general. Services became ever more expensive and gas prices bounced up and down like a basketball in an NBA game.
On top of those worries was her ex-husband, Fair Haristeen, who still loved her and had made significant amends for what Harry saw as bad behavior. Fair had grown up and wanted her back, wanted a mature bond. He was handsome. Harry had a weak spot for a handsome man. Fair qualified at six five, blond hair, all muscle. An equine veterinarian, he specialized in reproduction. They both shared a profound love of horses.
Harry, at last, had made peace with the bombshell Fair had dallied with four years back when their marriage blew up. Olivia "BoomBoom" Craycroft slew men the way longhaired Samson slew his enemies. BoomBoom had enjoyed Fair's impressive physique and his Virginia gentleman ways, but she bored easily, soon dismissing him. "Think of this as recess from class," were her exact words. For all of BoomBoom's heartlessness with men where romance was concerned, she loved animals, was a good athlete, and demonstrated great community spirit. In a word, she was fabulous, until you slept with her or if you were the woman left in the dust by your boyfriend or husband.
As Harry stared up at the unearthly face of the Virgin, she shivered. Tucker, at her feet, shook off the thickening snow.
"She's beautiful," the corgi said.
Harry bent down, patting the glossy head. "Bet you think I'm crazy standing out here. Probably am."
Tucker lifted her nose, breathed deeply. "Susan." The little dog took off toward the enticing scent, skidding to a halt about forty yards away where a curved stone bench overlooked The Valley. The bench, situated on a winding path below the statue, was hidden from view if one was standing in front of the Virgin Mary.
The Valley was usually colder than the eastern slopes. Snow was falling there, a patchwork quilt of white, beige, and corn stubble two thousand feet below.
"Tucker," Susan said, surprised. "Where's Mom?"
Harry, pursuing her dog, slipped along the walkway between tall magnificent English boxwoods, only to be equally surprised when she saw her best friend. "Susan, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Susan replied, smiling.
Harry brushed off the snow to sit next to Susan. Tucker wedged between them. "I'm here because I, well, I need help. I know the Blessed Virgin Mother has always been reputed to have powers--the statue, I mean. Miranda says whenever times get tough she comes up here and talks with Mary."
"Girl talk." Susan smiled, her auburn hair peeking out from underneath her lad's cap.
"Wish she could talk. I'd like to hear that Jesus wasn't perfect." Harry sighed. "It's too hard having perfect Gods--you know, God the Father, God the Son, and I have no idea who or what the Holy Ghost is. I mean it," she said as Susan laughed. "You went to Bible school in the summers, same as I did; we suffered through two years of catechism together. We only made Confirmation because Reverend Jones took pity on us. I can recite the Nicene Creed but I still can't tell you why I'm supposed to care about it. What is the Holy Ghost?" She threw up her hands, red gloves bright against the gloom. "But I understand Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother. She's one of us; oh, better, but still, she's one of us."
"Yes." Susan reached for her friend's hand, her tan glove twining with the red. "I talk to her, too.
Questions. Life. Big questions. Little questions." Susan shrugged.
"The questions get bigger as we get older, don't you think?"
"I do."
Harry took a deep breath, the air scouring her lungs. "I'm here because I don't know what I'm doing. I feel dumb and maybe I really am dumb. And Fair asked me to marry him again."
"Ah." Susan smiled.
"That means you think it's a good idea."
"I'm glad he loves you. You're worth loving." She squeezed Harry's hand.
"Susan." Tears filled Harry's eyes, for kindness and praise affected her more deeply than criticism or meanness. She could stand up to that.
"You are, dear heart. You're my best friend and you know you can tell me anything."
"Tell you? Susan, all I've done for the last three months is bitch and moan."
"Oh, you have not. Anyone in your position is bound to be anxious. No money is coming in and you have to be careful. At least the farm is free and clear and so is the equipment."
"There's the dually payment." Harry mentioned the big one-ton Ford truck with the double wheels that she bought at a great price from Art Bushey, Jr., the Ford dealer and a good friend. His sense of humor was as twisted as hers, so of course they adored each other.
"Four hundred something a month."
"Yes. The feed bill, the gas and electric. I mean, I'm okay, but I've got to do something here pretty soon."
"You're still investigating growing grapes, aren't you? Sounds like a good idea." Susan was encouraging.
"I need to bring money in while I study that. I can't afford to get started anytime soon, since the capital outlay is outrageous. Patricia Kluge said she'd sit down with me. Her vineyards are a booming success. Felicia Rogan, who really revived the whole wine industry in Virginia, said she'd talk to me, too. Still, I need to do something, just get some money coming in. Fair said I could work with him as a vet tech. I know the drill but it's not a great idea. I mean, not until I come to a decision, and I've dragged it out far too long. I'm such a chicken." She brightened a moment. "What I understand, know like the back of my hand, is hay. I'm thinking I could become a hay dealer, not just grow it but buy it from the Midwest, Pennsylvania, and Canada, then sell it. As I do that I could keep learning about grape stuff and see if I could add another string to my bow."
"Sounds like a good plan to me."
"Except I need a paycheck now."
"Pug would take you back in the post office." Susan mentioned the federal employee in charge of postal services for the area.
"No."
"Pride goeth before a fall."
"It's not pride. I'm not working without my babies."
"Where are Mrs. Murphy and Pewter?"
"In the truck, steaming up the windows." Harry leaned toward Susan. "Why are you here?"
Susan quietly looked over the Shenandoah Valley. "It's really coming down. Let's hope by the time we drive down Route 250 it's snowing on our side."
"Susan." Harry knew her friend inside and out.
"Ned and I are drifting apart."
Harry's face registered shock. "How? You seem close to me."
"He's distant. He doesn't much want sex anymore. He's all wrapped up in being our newly elected senator to Richmond. He's spending more time in the apartment he just rented there than at home."
"Mmm, the sex part is disturbing."
"Tell me."
"He's got a lot to learn about the job." Harry hoped this would help Susan push upsetting thoughts about Ned aside.
"Brooks graduates from high school this year. Danny loves Cornell. The house will soon be empty. He's starting a whole new life. I feel like my life, or at least my usefulness, is vanishing, ending."
Harry leaned into Tucker as Susan did, too. "All of this is a big change for both of you. He's handling it differently than you, that's all."
"I hope so." Tears now ran down Susan's face. "You know I'm not cut out to be a political wife. I'm no good at it." She wiped away a tear. "Ned is handsome. I've heard all those stories about politicians and pretty interns."
Harry wrapped an arm around Susan's shoulders. "Oh, honey, don't cry."
"I remember when it happened to you."
"Fair and Ned are different kinds of men. I knew, like a little seismic rumble underneath, that Fair thought he was missing something marrying his high-school sweetheart. He"--she paused--"well, he just jumped out of the paddock."
Susan cried harder. "I feel so awful. I know now how you felt."
"You were good to me." Harry hugged her.
"But I didn't really know how you felt. I do now."
Harry hugged her again, then straightened up. "Know who can help us?" Susan shook her head, so Harry continued, "BoomBoom. She's got the best radar for men of any of us. If he's up to no good, she'll figure it out. And really, Susan, I don't think he is."
Susan considered this as she again wiped away her tears, the soft leather of the glove cool against her colder skin. "Think she would?"
"Help? Sure."
"Well--"
"Let's call her on my cell in the truck. If she's free we can go down the mountain and meet her. It will ease your mind."
"I can't right this minute," Susan replied. "I came here to think but also to pick up Great-Uncle Thomas for Thanksgiving dinner. He's eighty-two now. Hard to believe. Anyway," she paused, "it's quite strange, really. He said to me, 'Susan, my time is near. I'd like to spend Thanksgiving with you.' He's healthy as a horse. I told him he was a long way from death's door."
________________________________________
Excerpted from Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
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RATING:
3
STARTED-FINISHED
3/1/2008 - 3/17/2008
November 16, 2009
In this latest entry in the Sneaky Pie Brown mystery series, many of the residents of Crozet, Virginia are at a crossroads in life. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has quit her job as postmistress because her two cats - Mrs. Murphy and Pewter - and her dog, Tee Tucker, are no longer allowed there. As she tries to decide what to do next, Fair, her ex-husband, proposes for what he says will be the last time. Harry's best friend Susan, has problems of her own, including a secret she has kept buried for years; plus she is convinced that her husband, Ned, who has just been elected Senator, is cheating on her. "Boom Boom" who has always been a man killer, finds herself in a surprising relationship. While they are all dealing with these changes, Harry and Susan visit a monastery where they discover a statue of the Virgin Mary that appears to be crying tears of blood. When Susan's Uncle Thomas, a monk, is found dead kneeling at the foot of the statue, Harry suspects he was murdered. When a news reporter is brutally murdered, Harry suspects the two are related, but will she be able to catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?
"Cat's Eyewitness" is one of the weaker entries in this cozy mystery series. At times I forgot I was reading a mystery, since the book seemed more about the characters' mid-life crisis rather than the mystery itself. Taking Harry out of the post office seems to have weakened the series, as she no longer interacts as much with many of the characters that helped make this series so interesting. The book focuses on the changes the characters are going through in their lives and while I found most of the changes plausible, Boom Boom's new relationship just didn't work for me. Rita Mae Brown has always used this series as a means of expressing her personal beliefs, but she went overboard in this book with her thinly disguised lectures on issues such as politics, war, and abuse in the Catholic Church.
Devoted fans of this series will want to read "Cat's Eyewitness" but casual fans may want to skip it.
"Cat's Eyewitness" is one of the weaker entries in this cozy mystery series. At times I forgot I was reading a mystery, since the book seemed more about the characters' mid-life crisis rather than the mystery itself. Taking Harry out of the post office seems to have weakened the series, as she no longer interacts as much with many of the characters that helped make this series so interesting. The book focuses on the changes the characters are going through in their lives and while I found most of the changes plausible, Boom Boom's new relationship just didn't work for me. Rita Mae Brown has always used this series as a means of expressing her personal beliefs, but she went overboard in this book with her thinly disguised lectures on issues such as politics, war, and abuse in the Catholic Church.
Devoted fans of this series will want to read "Cat's Eyewitness" but casual fans may want to skip it.
August 11, 2021
A Mrs. Murphy book seemed like a good book for a weekend getaway in rural VA. The area we visited was further north than the Crozet and Afton areas where this book takes place, but the scenery and people were similar.
This book takes place in late fall. Harry visits a local monastery to think on her problems in life, mainly what to do about her ex who wants to get back together. While there, she discovers the statue of the Virgin Mary appears to be crying blood. Her BFF Susan is also there, about her relationship with her husband. The Brothers begin to investigate. Susan meets up with her elderly uncle, Brother Thomas. Local news guy Nordy Elliott somehow finds out and starts investigating. Thomas is found dead and frozen at the statue in the morning. He was old, and upset about the statue, so everyone thinks it might have been an accident. Then Nordy is found, stabbed in the eye with a pen. It's seems unlikely these deaths are unrelated, and unlikely that Thomas died of natural causes (also, it seems rare that anyone dies of natural causes in Crozet). Harry and Susan and the animals start investigating, and of course more unusual things happen.
Meanwhile, life goes on in Crozet. There are fancy holiday parties, romance, and gossip to attend to. Various relationships are progressing and loose ends from previous books revisited. The monastery was a nice change of pace, although the monks were almost as catty (no pun intended) as the rest of Crozet. While I'd prefer more of the animals and less of the human soap opera, the mystery was more mysterious than most and I enjoyed it on the whole.
This book takes place in late fall. Harry visits a local monastery to think on her problems in life, mainly what to do about her ex who wants to get back together. While there, she discovers the statue of the Virgin Mary appears to be crying blood. Her BFF Susan is also there, about her relationship with her husband. The Brothers begin to investigate. Susan meets up with her elderly uncle, Brother Thomas. Local news guy Nordy Elliott somehow finds out and starts investigating. Thomas is found dead and frozen at the statue in the morning. He was old, and upset about the statue, so everyone thinks it might have been an accident. Then Nordy is found, stabbed in the eye with a pen. It's seems unlikely these deaths are unrelated, and unlikely that Thomas died of natural causes (also, it seems rare that anyone dies of natural causes in Crozet). Harry and Susan and the animals start investigating, and of course more unusual things happen.
Meanwhile, life goes on in Crozet. There are fancy holiday parties, romance, and gossip to attend to. Various relationships are progressing and loose ends from previous books revisited. The monastery was a nice change of pace, although the monks were almost as catty (no pun intended) as the rest of Crozet. While I'd prefer more of the animals and less of the human soap opera, the mystery was more mysterious than most and I enjoyed it on the whole.
November 23, 2016
At first, I liked the premise of the book. As a Catholic myself, it's nice to see Mother Mary and monks as the center of a novel. Also, I love the animal anecdotes. It's pretty cute and lightens up the story a bit.
Honestly, I really didn't like the quip about Catholic priests raping boys and the Vatican keeping Nazi Germany a secret. I know the main character is Baptist (which sadly are known for hating Catholics) but did the author have to add that in there? The pedophiles have been removed from the church with stricter rules in place for weeding future pedophiles out and there are quite a few Catholic priests that saved Jews from the German Nazis. Not to mention all the good we do for the world in terms of helping the poor, homeless and orphans. The minor religious attacks on my church weren't necessary for the storyline at all. Then to say the Baptists only problem is how to spend money? Not cool at all. We all know that Baptists have just as many problems as Catholics.
I'm going to keep reading it to see if it gets better, but if it doesn't, then I'm done with this series. If the author ever sees this: don't attack someone else's religion just because it differs from your own.
Update: It doesn't get any better. It gets worse. A monk kills another monk and there's a drug scandal going on. Awful story. Obviously, Rita Mae Brown has no idea what Catholic monks are really like. I'm done with this series and author.
Honestly, I really didn't like the quip about Catholic priests raping boys and the Vatican keeping Nazi Germany a secret. I know the main character is Baptist (which sadly are known for hating Catholics) but did the author have to add that in there? The pedophiles have been removed from the church with stricter rules in place for weeding future pedophiles out and there are quite a few Catholic priests that saved Jews from the German Nazis. Not to mention all the good we do for the world in terms of helping the poor, homeless and orphans. The minor religious attacks on my church weren't necessary for the storyline at all. Then to say the Baptists only problem is how to spend money? Not cool at all. We all know that Baptists have just as many problems as Catholics.
I'm going to keep reading it to see if it gets better, but if it doesn't, then I'm done with this series. If the author ever sees this: don't attack someone else's religion just because it differs from your own.
Update: It doesn't get any better. It gets worse. A monk kills another monk and there's a drug scandal going on. Awful story. Obviously, Rita Mae Brown has no idea what Catholic monks are really like. I'm done with this series and author.
May 17, 2009
Normally I love Mrs. Murphy adventures, but I felt this one was more a political statement than a Mrs. Murphy adventures. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it felt there was some serious author's bias in the book, and at time, the author's agenda was being pounded into the reader. Some of the pounding felt out of character for the characters, and some of it just felt that the author needed to voice her opinions and this was the way to do it.
I'm not giving up on Mrs. Murphy because I love the characters, especially the cats & dogs, but this was not one of my favourites. I would suggest skipping this book, but there are a couple of continuing story-line secrets that are revealed in this installment, so if nothing else, read the last chapter before continuing on to #14.
I'm not giving up on Mrs. Murphy because I love the characters, especially the cats & dogs, but this was not one of my favourites. I would suggest skipping this book, but there are a couple of continuing story-line secrets that are revealed in this installment, so if nothing else, read the last chapter before continuing on to #14.
January 26, 2010
The blurb sounded interesting (kinda like 'Ms Marple wih cats') but unfortunately the book was boring and predictable. I knew immediately the murderer had to be Brother Mark, and was hoping for some genius plot twist that would reveal it was NOT him after all... in vain.
Also, too much talk about cars, and why would animals care about humans' religion, fashion or marriages?
Also, people who wear chinchilla furs and go fox hunting shouldn't call themselves 'animal lover'...
Also, too much talk about cars, and why would animals care about humans' religion, fashion or marriages?
Also, people who wear chinchilla furs and go fox hunting shouldn't call themselves 'animal lover'...
February 21, 2010
Although it's interesting that things are changing in Crozet, what with Harry leaving the post office, Boom Boom starting a lesbian affair, and Blair selling his farm, this isn't one of the better Mrs Murphy mysteries. In fact, a certain preachiness seems to be setting in, especially in regards to religion. I guess seeing the book deals with miracles of faith that's to be expected, but I just hope the next entry in the series is a little better.
March 26, 2024
Audiobook. I didn't find the mystery super interesting but I was very invested in all the developments with the major characters! Susan's revelation took me completely by surprise. Boom Boom (who has really grown on me as a character!) and Alicia getting together is so perfect. I knew Harry would end up taking Fair back and I sort of wish she wouldn't because I think Fair is so patronizing to her but I'm going to keep an open mind about how their relationship develops.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2015
I kept waiting for the mystery and sleuthing to begin....instead it was a lot of religion and angst about relationships. Then there was the "big reveal" that BoomBoom is gay -- and everything thinks it's great and the women all now think their marriages are safe because the town siren comes out as gay. Seriously? The cats were, as usual, entertaining.
February 17, 2011
My first Rita Mae Brown book with talking animals as well as humans. What seems like a fluffy mystery to read turned out to have lots of religious, philosophical and religious opinings which I found intrusive. I won't become one of Ms. Brown's faithful readers.
August 10, 2012
OK, I think I've had enough of these thin, dirivative cutsy-animal talking Sneaky Pie Brown books. Rita Mae Brown seems now just to be churning out Lillian Jackson Braun-level mush to keep her critters on Afton Mountain in feed. What's worse is that she can be--and has been--a brilliant writer.
September 14, 2012
Great story! Harry's furry kids deserve all of the credit for solving this mystery!
Ironically, my furry kid kept nugding me during a mishap of the critters. I asked him, "Do you really know what I'm reading, and you wanted to be a part of it too?"
Ironically, my furry kid kept nugding me during a mishap of the critters. I asked him, "Do you really know what I'm reading, and you wanted to be a part of it too?"
July 4, 2013
Little plot and a lot of showing off her facts about random irrelevant things. Parts read like a 6th grade oral report--like the bit where Harry recites statistics on VA's vineyard industry. I think it's time for a break from this series. Her writing has declined.
April 9, 2016
I'm back to reading these after a several year hiatus and have found enjoyment in them again. I wasn't sure how I would like the change of Harry not working in a post office full time but it seems the story line will be just as interesting. Pewter by far is still my favorite character!
July 29, 2020
Aaannnnddd. Done, I think. At least for now.
This one just didn't grab me. Starting to be way too formulaic, and the characters are turning flat. But again, familiar and a relief from daily challenges in a tough time.
This one just didn't grab me. Starting to be way too formulaic, and the characters are turning flat. But again, familiar and a relief from daily challenges in a tough time.
March 15, 2008
I read these books when I don't want to do much thinking.
January 31, 2019
the story only picked up halfway through the book.
January 8, 2023
This is not a review. Comments are for my own recollection and may contain spoilers...
Time: Takes place around Thanksgiving and early December. The characters may be aging backwards a bit. In book number 8, Harry was about 38, and Fair was a year ahead of her. In this book, his age is given as 38. Fair has given Harry until Christmas to accept his marriage proposal. It starts out with Harry going to visit the Virgin Mary statue at the monastery at Mount Carmel to sort out her feelings.
Characters: Harry and Fair, Susan and Ned, Boom Boom and Amelia (now there's a surprise but how believable is it??), Blair and Little Mim, the Rev. Jones. New: Susan's great uncle Thomas, a monk at the monastery.
Animals: Tee Tucker, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker's brother Owen.
This book seems to be more about relationships than about the mystery of the weeping Virgin Mary and the two murders. Fair has given Harry an ultimatum - answer his proposal of marriage by Christmas or he will never ask again. Susan is second-guessing her relationship with her husband who is now a state senator and often away in Richmond. Boom Boom falls in love with an older woman which is an interesting twist on this character. And Blair and Little Mim? Really? We don't have much interaction with other animals this time, no horses, no possum, no snake, no owl, no mice, etc. So perhaps 4 stars is a bit generous, but I did like the mystery of the Virgin Mary and the introduction of the monastery into the cast. Oh, and we finally learn the identity of the mystery woman who had a child with Charlie Ashcroft...
Description: With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood. Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.… When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved.
With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive....
Time: Takes place around Thanksgiving and early December. The characters may be aging backwards a bit. In book number 8, Harry was about 38, and Fair was a year ahead of her. In this book, his age is given as 38. Fair has given Harry until Christmas to accept his marriage proposal. It starts out with Harry going to visit the Virgin Mary statue at the monastery at Mount Carmel to sort out her feelings.
Characters: Harry and Fair, Susan and Ned, Boom Boom and Amelia (now there's a surprise but how believable is it??), Blair and Little Mim, the Rev. Jones. New: Susan's great uncle Thomas, a monk at the monastery.
Animals: Tee Tucker, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker's brother Owen.
This book seems to be more about relationships than about the mystery of the weeping Virgin Mary and the two murders. Fair has given Harry an ultimatum - answer his proposal of marriage by Christmas or he will never ask again. Susan is second-guessing her relationship with her husband who is now a state senator and often away in Richmond. Boom Boom falls in love with an older woman which is an interesting twist on this character. And Blair and Little Mim? Really? We don't have much interaction with other animals this time, no horses, no possum, no snake, no owl, no mice, etc. So perhaps 4 stars is a bit generous, but I did like the mystery of the Virgin Mary and the introduction of the monastery into the cast. Oh, and we finally learn the identity of the mystery woman who had a child with Charlie Ashcroft...
Description: With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood. Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.… When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved.
With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive....
November 29, 2024
This book is the thirteenth in the series featuring Mrs. Murphy, a Grey tiger short-hair cat who, along with a Welsh corgi dog named Tee Tucker, and the stout grey cat Pewter, solves mysteries with the assistance of Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, the former postmistress of the small town of Crozet, Virginia, some ten miles west of Charlottesville. (It should be noted that all animals can talk to each other, and that they all understand humans, but humans, being dense imperfect beings, cannot understand the animals.) And these are fun mysteries to read.
Harry has driven up Afton Mountain on the early morning of Thanksgiving to visit the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary outside Mount Carmel, an independent autonomous house of Carmelite monks. She has a lot to think about. She has quit her job at the Post Office, since she would no longer be allowed to take her animals to work with her, her finances are in the negative and going lower, and her divorced husband Fair Haristeen is in love with her and wants to remarry her; while the animosity surround the divorce is gone, she is not sure if she wants to be married again, and he has given her until Christmas Eve to say either yes or no. She meets her friend Susan, who has come up to fetch her great uncle Brother Thomas (the oldest monk at the House) for Thanksgiving Dinner; Susan is concerned that she and her husband Ned Tucker, who is now a State Senator in Richmond, are growing distant from each other. They hike up to the statue, and find that in the snowstorm the statue is crying blood. Thus begins a story of minor miracles, greed, a fair bit of Catholic bashing, and a determination that it was real blood that the statue was crying. The brothers are ambivalent about what the statue means, except for Brother Mark, who by twenty years is the youngest monk at the House; he thinks Mary is crying for the world. Somehow the star reporter for the most local television news gets the word, and once he reports on the statue crying blood his reports are picked up by the national media and the pilgrims begin coming to pray at the statue. However, soon there is one suspicious death of a monk found frozen stiff and still kneeling in front of the statue, and one very obvious murder. Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker see it as their usual mission to protect their person, and they have a lot of protecting to do, as Harry is bound and determined to find out what is going on (as usual).
This was a very good book; as a Catholic, I was not happy about the Catholic bashing, but I recognize that as this book was written in 2005 that the institutional Church had a lot to answer for. And I look forward to reading the next book.
Harry has driven up Afton Mountain on the early morning of Thanksgiving to visit the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary outside Mount Carmel, an independent autonomous house of Carmelite monks. She has a lot to think about. She has quit her job at the Post Office, since she would no longer be allowed to take her animals to work with her, her finances are in the negative and going lower, and her divorced husband Fair Haristeen is in love with her and wants to remarry her; while the animosity surround the divorce is gone, she is not sure if she wants to be married again, and he has given her until Christmas Eve to say either yes or no. She meets her friend Susan, who has come up to fetch her great uncle Brother Thomas (the oldest monk at the House) for Thanksgiving Dinner; Susan is concerned that she and her husband Ned Tucker, who is now a State Senator in Richmond, are growing distant from each other. They hike up to the statue, and find that in the snowstorm the statue is crying blood. Thus begins a story of minor miracles, greed, a fair bit of Catholic bashing, and a determination that it was real blood that the statue was crying. The brothers are ambivalent about what the statue means, except for Brother Mark, who by twenty years is the youngest monk at the House; he thinks Mary is crying for the world. Somehow the star reporter for the most local television news gets the word, and once he reports on the statue crying blood his reports are picked up by the national media and the pilgrims begin coming to pray at the statue. However, soon there is one suspicious death of a monk found frozen stiff and still kneeling in front of the statue, and one very obvious murder. Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker see it as their usual mission to protect their person, and they have a lot of protecting to do, as Harry is bound and determined to find out what is going on (as usual).
This was a very good book; as a Catholic, I was not happy about the Catholic bashing, but I recognize that as this book was written in 2005 that the institutional Church had a lot to answer for. And I look forward to reading the next book.
August 2, 2020
Cat’s Eyewitness is a mystery novel by Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. In this adventure Harry (Mary Minor Harristeen), her cats, Mrs. Murphy, and Pewter, her corgi, Tee Tucker, and her friend Susan go to the statue of Mary at the Greyfriars’s Monastery to pray – among other things – for wisdom about whether or not Harry should get back together with her ex-husband , Fair.
While they are praying, the statue of Mary beings to cry blood. This causes all kinds of speculation from the faithful and skeptics, and when Brother Thomas is found dead, kneeling before the statue, Harry thinks that nay-sayers might be on to something.
I have enjoyed most of the book in the Mrs. Murphy series – and I enjoyed this one very much as well. Can you figure out what is happening?
I was also interested in the dialog amongst the characters about Christianity, and wonder whether these comments and questions of the authors:
In the opening scene, the Trinity is being discussed, and they say they understand God and Jesus, but they can’t make heads or tails over Who or what the Holy Spirit is.
They discuss that Mary is the most relatable character because she is a sinner like the rest of us. The problem with Jesus is that he is sinless, so He is unrelatable.
There is discussion of pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church.
A comment is made that Calvinism teaches that riches are a sign of God’s blessing. This is absolutely untrue! As a Calvinist, I can say that being wealthy in no way proves that you are blessed by God. If you are wealthy, God has planned that for you, but it could be a curse rather than a blessing, depending on why God ordained you to be wealthy.
Also, the animals discuss why the Bible says it is wrong to pray to the golden calf, but alright to pray to a statue of Mary.
Big subjects are being addressed – and I am fine with that – I am curious as to what the authors believe.
Pick up a copy of this book – it is thought-provoking and a good mystery.
[This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]
While they are praying, the statue of Mary beings to cry blood. This causes all kinds of speculation from the faithful and skeptics, and when Brother Thomas is found dead, kneeling before the statue, Harry thinks that nay-sayers might be on to something.
I have enjoyed most of the book in the Mrs. Murphy series – and I enjoyed this one very much as well. Can you figure out what is happening?
I was also interested in the dialog amongst the characters about Christianity, and wonder whether these comments and questions of the authors:
In the opening scene, the Trinity is being discussed, and they say they understand God and Jesus, but they can’t make heads or tails over Who or what the Holy Spirit is.
They discuss that Mary is the most relatable character because she is a sinner like the rest of us. The problem with Jesus is that he is sinless, so He is unrelatable.
There is discussion of pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church.
A comment is made that Calvinism teaches that riches are a sign of God’s blessing. This is absolutely untrue! As a Calvinist, I can say that being wealthy in no way proves that you are blessed by God. If you are wealthy, God has planned that for you, but it could be a curse rather than a blessing, depending on why God ordained you to be wealthy.
Also, the animals discuss why the Bible says it is wrong to pray to the golden calf, but alright to pray to a statue of Mary.
Big subjects are being addressed – and I am fine with that – I am curious as to what the authors believe.
Pick up a copy of this book – it is thought-provoking and a good mystery.
[This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]
May 10, 2019
What an ending!! This was a plot twist I never saw coming, and my jaw dropped. I figured out the murder mystery, but then Rita Mae Brown delivered a serious surprise related to a mystery from a previous book. I absolutely love it.
This series gets more and more fun with every book I read. I loved this story of the statue of the Virgin Mary suddenly weeping tears of blood at the monastery at Mount Carmel. Brother Thomas, Susan Tucker's great-uncle, was a very endearing character, and several of his fellow brothers were also enjoyable to read about, even the cranky Brother Frank. It was interesting to read about the daily life of the brothers in the monastery, how they run their different shops and have their own tasks, and work with the residents of nearby Crozet. Along the way, the animals deliver some very poignant philosophies about human nature, religion, sin, and murder, which I always enjoy reading. There's a wonderful quote in this book delivered by Brother Thomas when he says, "Every time you behold the Blue Ridge Mountains, every time you feel a snowflake on your eyelashes, every time you see a frog on a lily pad, every time a friend gives you his hand, Brooks, God loves you." It can be easy to think of devout Catholics as idol-worshippers, backward crusaders, and zealots, but I grew up attending Catholic school taught by wonderful teachers who took the same approach Brother Thomas did. Rita Mae Brown is a master at delivering a fine respect for those who practice their faith in a way that spreads love and mercy, while also shining a light on those who seek to hurt and obtain power.
I'm so excited to read the next book in the series and to see what awaits the characters, especially Harry, BoomBoom, and Susan. I've really grown attached to the characters and I love seeing them evolve and grow with each title.
This series gets more and more fun with every book I read. I loved this story of the statue of the Virgin Mary suddenly weeping tears of blood at the monastery at Mount Carmel. Brother Thomas, Susan Tucker's great-uncle, was a very endearing character, and several of his fellow brothers were also enjoyable to read about, even the cranky Brother Frank. It was interesting to read about the daily life of the brothers in the monastery, how they run their different shops and have their own tasks, and work with the residents of nearby Crozet. Along the way, the animals deliver some very poignant philosophies about human nature, religion, sin, and murder, which I always enjoy reading. There's a wonderful quote in this book delivered by Brother Thomas when he says, "Every time you behold the Blue Ridge Mountains, every time you feel a snowflake on your eyelashes, every time you see a frog on a lily pad, every time a friend gives you his hand, Brooks, God loves you." It can be easy to think of devout Catholics as idol-worshippers, backward crusaders, and zealots, but I grew up attending Catholic school taught by wonderful teachers who took the same approach Brother Thomas did. Rita Mae Brown is a master at delivering a fine respect for those who practice their faith in a way that spreads love and mercy, while also shining a light on those who seek to hurt and obtain power.
I'm so excited to read the next book in the series and to see what awaits the characters, especially Harry, BoomBoom, and Susan. I've really grown attached to the characters and I love seeing them evolve and grow with each title.
February 13, 2021
With the holiday season upon them, Harry and her BFF, Susan Tucker, visit the monastery in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Crozet, VA. While admiring the statue of the Virgin Mary, the two women are there to bear witness when the statue begins crying tears of blood. Although Brother Handle, the head of the monastery, wishes to keep the miracle under wraps until they have time to ponder its significance, word leaks out, and the monastery is overrun with people wanting to see the spectacle for themselves. After one of the monks is found dead at the base of the statue, it is initially determined he died of natural causes. When a murder takes place soon after, Harry smells a rat. At her insistence, the monk's body is exhumed...but the coffin is empty. Harry's insatiable curiosity leads her to nose around, much to the chagrin of her pets: Mrs Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker.
In addition to the miracle and the murders, Harry is worrying about paying her bills. Now that she's quit her job at the Post Office, all she has for income is her small farm. Her ex-husband, Fair, has asked her to marry him again, which is something else for her to stress over. It will be a miracle if Harry survives the holidays this year.
This story was just as quaint and lovely as all the others have been in the series. The murderer was rather easy to suss out, but not so much the motivation. I always enjoy getting reacquainted with the familiar characters in the series, as well as meeting new ones.
Very good, four stars.
In addition to the miracle and the murders, Harry is worrying about paying her bills. Now that she's quit her job at the Post Office, all she has for income is her small farm. Her ex-husband, Fair, has asked her to marry him again, which is something else for her to stress over. It will be a miracle if Harry survives the holidays this year.
This story was just as quaint and lovely as all the others have been in the series. The murderer was rather easy to suss out, but not so much the motivation. I always enjoy getting reacquainted with the familiar characters in the series, as well as meeting new ones.
Very good, four stars.
February 15, 2022
Harry möchte nicht ins neue Postoffice umziehen, weil sie dort ihr zwei Katzen, Miss Murphy und Pewter sowie ihr Hund Tee Tucker nicht zur Arbeit mitnehmen darf. Deshalb beschliesst sie, ihre Stelle zu kündigen. Zur gleichen Zeit erhält sie von ihrem Exehemann einen Heiratsantrag. Bei alle diesen Veränderungen gerät Harry ins Grübeln und sucht bei der Heiligen Jungfrau Maria im Kloster Mt. Carmel Betätigung und Trost. Als sie vor der Jungfrau Maria steht, weint diese plötzlich blutige Tränen. Harry, die nicht an Wunder und Übersinnliches glaubt, ist sich sicher, dass hier nicht alles mit rechten Dingen zu geht. Als kurz darauf auch noch ein Mönch stirbt, versucht Harry mithilfe ihrer Freunde und Tiere der Sache auf den Grund zu gehen.
Ein einfacher Krimi mit schönen und tierlieben Menschen. Der durchschaubare Krimi spielt sich eher im Hintergrund ab und ist nicht sonderlich spannenden. Die im Titel benannte Mrs. Murphy kommt erst gegen Ende ins Spiel und ist wie auch die anderen Tiere eher eine Nebensache. Wer eine detektivische Katze als Hauptperson erwartet, wird enttäuscht. Im Vordergrund stehen viel mehr die Protagonisten und ihre Geschichten, wie zum Beispiel die Auswahl eines Autos, eine Ehekrise oder eine Beziehung zwischen zwei Frauen. Insgesamt kein Buch, dass ich einem Krimileser empfehlen würde. Alle jene, die jedoch gerne über schöne und reiche Menschen mit schönen Häusern und ihre Problemchen lesen, bietet dieses Buch sicherlich amüsante Lesestunden.
Ein einfacher Krimi mit schönen und tierlieben Menschen. Der durchschaubare Krimi spielt sich eher im Hintergrund ab und ist nicht sonderlich spannenden. Die im Titel benannte Mrs. Murphy kommt erst gegen Ende ins Spiel und ist wie auch die anderen Tiere eher eine Nebensache. Wer eine detektivische Katze als Hauptperson erwartet, wird enttäuscht. Im Vordergrund stehen viel mehr die Protagonisten und ihre Geschichten, wie zum Beispiel die Auswahl eines Autos, eine Ehekrise oder eine Beziehung zwischen zwei Frauen. Insgesamt kein Buch, dass ich einem Krimileser empfehlen würde. Alle jene, die jedoch gerne über schöne und reiche Menschen mit schönen Häusern und ihre Problemchen lesen, bietet dieses Buch sicherlich amüsante Lesestunden.
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