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Mrs. Murphy #11
The Tail of the Tip-Off
LP Bro
518 pages, hardback
First published January 1, 2003
90 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
173 books2,231 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 128 reviews
April 23, 2009
Ok, I'm going to do a standard review for the rest of the Mrs. Murphy books I read, because I really can't think of something smart to say about every single one of them. Actually, it's hard to come up with something smart to say about any one of them, because they are not really smart books.
Though, no, that's not true. They aren't trivial as such, they aren't too easy - or, in other words, they don't hurt my brain while I read them. But I think we can all agree that they are also not "great literature", and certainly not intellectually challenging, and as such, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. (that and the talking animals, of course)
But they are pretty straight-forward crime stories, not overly complicated, but also never boring. They live from the interaction of the characters and the settings, both of which Brown handles brilliantly. That she also manages to make the reader fall in love with the characters, not only the familiar ones, but also the new ones she adds in each book, shows that a master she really is.
And so I have no problem admitting that I have read and loved every single one of the Mrs. Murphy books, and I'm convinced that I'll continue to love them for as long as she continues to write them, which I hope will be until forever.
Though, no, that's not true. They aren't trivial as such, they aren't too easy - or, in other words, they don't hurt my brain while I read them. But I think we can all agree that they are also not "great literature", and certainly not intellectually challenging, and as such, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. (that and the talking animals, of course)
But they are pretty straight-forward crime stories, not overly complicated, but also never boring. They live from the interaction of the characters and the settings, both of which Brown handles brilliantly. That she also manages to make the reader fall in love with the characters, not only the familiar ones, but also the new ones she adds in each book, shows that a master she really is.
And so I have no problem admitting that I have read and loved every single one of the Mrs. Murphy books, and I'm convinced that I'll continue to love them for as long as she continues to write them, which I hope will be until forever.
November 3, 2018
Well, i was looking for a light read, and by George, i got one. These characters are so flat they could have come with the book as page markers. Yes, the cats and dogs are slightly more interesting with occasional insights like:
Cat “There is such a thing as a good death”
Dog “You mean a brave death?”
Cat “That’s one way”
Which put me in mind of the heroine Rachel Corrie who, in her early 20s was mowed down, as she stood, eye to eye with the Israeli driver of the bulldozer about to kill her. She stood, trying to protect another Palestinian family’s home from cruel destruction....and died. A courageous, and was it good? death.
When she was 6 she asked her mom, “in life, do we have to be brave?”.
Of course these cute fur babies weren’t discussing the plight of the Palestinians. In fact, i can’t recall what precipitated their insight because, although i finished the book to be sure, i knew who and how within a few chapters, i didn’t know why, though, but my guess was close.
Reading the label? This was a simple carbohydrate.
Cat “There is such a thing as a good death”
Dog “You mean a brave death?”
Cat “That’s one way”
Which put me in mind of the heroine Rachel Corrie who, in her early 20s was mowed down, as she stood, eye to eye with the Israeli driver of the bulldozer about to kill her. She stood, trying to protect another Palestinian family’s home from cruel destruction....and died. A courageous, and was it good? death.
When she was 6 she asked her mom, “in life, do we have to be brave?”.
Of course these cute fur babies weren’t discussing the plight of the Palestinians. In fact, i can’t recall what precipitated their insight because, although i finished the book to be sure, i knew who and how within a few chapters, i didn’t know why, though, but my guess was close.
Reading the label? This was a simple carbohydrate.
April 2, 2009
Better than the last Mrs Murphy I read, but not as good as the early ones. And Harry seemed a bit cranky and foolish in this one.
November 16, 2024
Not my favorite in the series but still enjoyable. I missed a big clue and the explanation at the end had some useful information that would have been good to know if you are trying to guess who was the murderer.
September 26, 2015
I really have enjoyed all the books in this series, and as I have said before I love the interaction between the animals.
December 2, 2017
I don't like this almost drop it half way...2star
May 3, 2018
11 visits with Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter have been enjoyable for me. I am almost half way through this series and have not been disappointed. Full steam ahead and on to number 12!!!
March 16, 2024
Great book. I disliked how they figured out the weapon, but other than that this was a very good cozy.
April 3, 2025
I love these books! Always good mysteries; fun, relatable characters (especially if you grew up in a small town!); and the animal element is great!
March 7, 2021
We got two new regular characters! Tazio and her dog Brinkley are wonderful - smart and a good team. Getting to see more of Rev. Herb Jones' cats Cazenovia and Elocution is fun too. Usually I find the humor in these books childish, and that hasn't changed, but for some reason the image of Rev. Jones stuck to the floor with carpet glue amused me.
Two more positives: Harry gets schooled twice about her attitude towards BoomBoom and forgives her. It's also hinted that Harry has finally decided to take Fair back.
My dislikes center around representation. It's bothered me before that the only people of color in this world are either mentioned in passing like Big Mim's daughter-in-law, servants, or historical. After thirteen years, in the 11th book we finally get not one, but two women of color as characters with drive and purpose. Until... one of them is murdered...and she had been having an affair with the first murder victim. Sigh. The conversation officer Cooper has with that young lady's mother starts by noting how different her accent is from the main characters. Double sigh. We also get to see Tazio in some truly uncomfortable situations too, but at least those highlight how messed up Virginia society is from an attempt at her perspective.
The murder mystery was pretty straightforward, the two people who died definitely did not deserve to die and the red herring did not deserve to be suspected. The murderer was motivated by money and maintaining their reputation. Like always, this was a group effort to figure things out - the police aren't fooled by the gossip and are closing in on our killer at the same time as Harry.
Two more positives: Harry gets schooled twice about her attitude towards BoomBoom and forgives her. It's also hinted that Harry has finally decided to take Fair back.
My dislikes center around representation. It's bothered me before that the only people of color in this world are either mentioned in passing like Big Mim's daughter-in-law, servants, or historical. After thirteen years, in the 11th book we finally get not one, but two women of color as characters with drive and purpose. Until... one of them is murdered...and she had been having an affair with the first murder victim. Sigh. The conversation officer Cooper has with that young lady's mother starts by noting how different her accent is from the main characters. Double sigh. We also get to see Tazio in some truly uncomfortable situations too, but at least those highlight how messed up Virginia society is from an attempt at her perspective.
The murder mystery was pretty straightforward, the two people who died definitely did not deserve to die and the red herring did not deserve to be suspected. The murderer was motivated by money and maintaining their reputation. Like always, this was a group effort to figure things out - the police aren't fooled by the gossip and are closing in on our killer at the same time as Harry.
January 25, 2011
I was vaguely horrified to realize that I was enjoying these cozy mysteries with talking cats and corgis. I'm not really a cozy mystery person. I'm unable to finish most examples of the genre.
Credit where credit is due - the Mrs. Murphy series is a lot of fun.
This one was not fun. The characters, so well rounded and interesting in the other books, feel like caricatures in this one. The plot feels forced. The story itself is told pretty well, but I can hear the machinery clanking along in a way the rest of the series (that I've read to date) manages to muffle.
If this was the only one you read from the Mrs. Murphy series, try one of the others. ANY of the others.
Credit where credit is due - the Mrs. Murphy series is a lot of fun.
This one was not fun. The characters, so well rounded and interesting in the other books, feel like caricatures in this one. The plot feels forced. The story itself is told pretty well, but I can hear the machinery clanking along in a way the rest of the series (that I've read to date) manages to muffle.
If this was the only one you read from the Mrs. Murphy series, try one of the others. ANY of the others.
October 5, 2008
Too many characters, convoluted story, mediocre at best writing, and just overall weak. But I did read the whole thing! And I have to admit I like how the animals help solve the mystery and get the bad guys.
November 1, 2011
Not nearly as fun as Lillian Braun's series of "Cat Who. . ." books. In fact, for me, this book bordered on fantasy because the author gets into the cats' and dog's heads, discusses their conversations and explores their motives as much as the human characters.
August 11, 2014
I picked this up as a "vacation read," and was sorely disappointed. It felt cutesy and constructed, and made for good bedtime reading since it was so easy to put down. And the characters had weird, frequently gender-neutral names that - even 3/4 of the way through - I could not keep straight.
May 11, 2015
I have to agree with others that this was not the best in the series. This is my sixth in the series, and I was not impressed with Harry's intelligence, or rather lack of, in this novel.
First review!
First review!
September 5, 2014
It didn't detract from my enjoyment of this books, but the author let in a continuity error. I won't say what. Figure it out yourself.
November 18, 2024
This book is the eleventh 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 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.
It is a snowy January, and the residents of Crozat have been going to Women’s Basketball games at the University of Virginia. After one of the games (all of our main characters in the series have season ticket seats), a major contractor H. H. Donaldson, drops dead while escorting his wife and daughter to their car in the parking lot. This death is considered to be natural (if sudden), until the autopsy shows that there was a small puncture wound in his neck. The deceased was at odds with Fred Forrest, the county building code inspector, with the other major contractor in town, Matthew Crickenberger (who is rich enough to have his own rain forest garden in his office), and the architect in town, Tazio Chappars, who is half African-American and half Italian. Tazio and Matthew are on the board at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, along with BoomBoom Craycroft and Harry. The assistant to Fred Forrest, a woman of color named Mychelle Burns, is found dead in a broom closet after another women’s game at the Clam, and Miranda’s boyfriend Tracy, who is a referee for the games, gets bopped on the head when he thinks he hears something in the equipment room. The prevailing rumor is that the deaths were done by H.H. Donaldson’s long-suffering wife Anne, who knew that her husband’s latest affair was with Mychelle Burns, but Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker do not think it was her. The animals have also figured out what made the small puncture wound in H.H.’s neck, but not the poison that was administered, and as usual they worry that Harry will come to harm before the bad actor is brought to justice.
This was an interesting mystery, using the names of real people (the coach and players on the Womens Basketball team at the University of Virginia), and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
It is a snowy January, and the residents of Crozat have been going to Women’s Basketball games at the University of Virginia. After one of the games (all of our main characters in the series have season ticket seats), a major contractor H. H. Donaldson, drops dead while escorting his wife and daughter to their car in the parking lot. This death is considered to be natural (if sudden), until the autopsy shows that there was a small puncture wound in his neck. The deceased was at odds with Fred Forrest, the county building code inspector, with the other major contractor in town, Matthew Crickenberger (who is rich enough to have his own rain forest garden in his office), and the architect in town, Tazio Chappars, who is half African-American and half Italian. Tazio and Matthew are on the board at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, along with BoomBoom Craycroft and Harry. The assistant to Fred Forrest, a woman of color named Mychelle Burns, is found dead in a broom closet after another women’s game at the Clam, and Miranda’s boyfriend Tracy, who is a referee for the games, gets bopped on the head when he thinks he hears something in the equipment room. The prevailing rumor is that the deaths were done by H.H. Donaldson’s long-suffering wife Anne, who knew that her husband’s latest affair was with Mychelle Burns, but Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker do not think it was her. The animals have also figured out what made the small puncture wound in H.H.’s neck, but not the poison that was administered, and as usual they worry that Harry will come to harm before the bad actor is brought to justice.
This was an interesting mystery, using the names of real people (the coach and players on the Womens Basketball team at the University of Virginia), and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 25, 2019
Winter blues have descended on Crozet, Virginia, putting the residents in low moods. Thankfully, they have women's basketball games to attend at the University of Virginia to take their minds off of the dark days and snowstorms. But when a local building developer drops dead of a heart attack right after a game, nerves are rattled. Of course, his autopsy reveals the truth: He was poisoned.
Book #11 in Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown's Mrs. Murphy series is as delightful as the previous 10. The opening scene involves four cats and a dog (the clever Tee Tucker) sneaking into the pantry at the Lutheran parsonage, and chewing up Reverend Herb's communion wafers. Anyone who's owned a pet knows that they get into things, and the scene with these critters is so funny because they egg each other on, daring one another scatter the wafers about with visible fang marks, because they know the Reverend's reaction is going to be hilarious. These books are so fun because I read them and I wonder what goes on in the brain of my tiny tabby cat when she makes mischief in my house; I ask myself if she's entertained by my scolding and that's why she keeps doing it.
The new characters we meet in this title are interesting and offer depth and interest to the plot. I especially enjoyed Tazio's character; she visits the construction site of a house she is designing and discovers a hungry puppy who was abandoned by his owners, and ends up adopting him as her own. Little Brinkley becomes the little brother among all of the chatty critters of Crozet, and there is a super-cute scene that involves him learning the ways of "training his human" from the older animals. Again, I think about my own cat and the dogs I used to have when I was younger, and what they must have told one another.
These cozy little mysteries are a real treat, and I find myself enjoying each book more than the last one, which is a whole lot. I've definitely found my favorite mystery series in these books, and I look forward to reading the next one for sure!
Book #11 in Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown's Mrs. Murphy series is as delightful as the previous 10. The opening scene involves four cats and a dog (the clever Tee Tucker) sneaking into the pantry at the Lutheran parsonage, and chewing up Reverend Herb's communion wafers. Anyone who's owned a pet knows that they get into things, and the scene with these critters is so funny because they egg each other on, daring one another scatter the wafers about with visible fang marks, because they know the Reverend's reaction is going to be hilarious. These books are so fun because I read them and I wonder what goes on in the brain of my tiny tabby cat when she makes mischief in my house; I ask myself if she's entertained by my scolding and that's why she keeps doing it.
The new characters we meet in this title are interesting and offer depth and interest to the plot. I especially enjoyed Tazio's character; she visits the construction site of a house she is designing and discovers a hungry puppy who was abandoned by his owners, and ends up adopting him as her own. Little Brinkley becomes the little brother among all of the chatty critters of Crozet, and there is a super-cute scene that involves him learning the ways of "training his human" from the older animals. Again, I think about my own cat and the dogs I used to have when I was younger, and what they must have told one another.
These cozy little mysteries are a real treat, and I find myself enjoying each book more than the last one, which is a whole lot. I've definitely found my favorite mystery series in these books, and I look forward to reading the next one for sure!
May 20, 2021
I especially liked this Mrs. Murphy due to the women's basketball subplot. Harry and most of her friends are fans of UVA women's basketball. This takes place back when MD was in the ACC and the Terps get a mention when the Hoos beat them soundly, as they did in real life. No mention of the Terps new head coach, Brenda Friese, who would lead them to the national championship 4 years later, but I digress.
HH Donaldson, a local builder, drops dead in the parking lot after a basketball game. At first it seems like a heart attack, but it turns out he was killed - likely poisoned. A few days later, a building inspector is found dead in a closet at the basketball arena. Is it related to the earlier death? Are the murders due to the rivalry between local builders? Love triangles? Sports equipment pilfered from UVA?
We meet Rev. Herb Jones and his cats Elocution and Cazenovia as well as architect Tazio Chappars and her new pup Brinkley. The animals perform their usual antics as they help solve the mystery and expound on the foibles of their humans.
"If you live in a temperate climate, you have to plan. Winter changes how humans think. Humans who live in the tropics or subtropics don't have to plan. But any animal who lives with winter has to figure things out. Even squirrels bury nuts, humans too." This is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that people in warmer climates don't also have to plan. They might have to deal with wet v dry seasons, or challenges from predators.
Mrs Murphy "They're too caught up in words." Pewter "They substitute the word for the deed and do nothing." There's some truth there.
The best is Pewter asking Harry to read something less serious "Read something that doesn't tax us too much but we get to learn." Like these Mrs. Murphy books!
HH Donaldson, a local builder, drops dead in the parking lot after a basketball game. At first it seems like a heart attack, but it turns out he was killed - likely poisoned. A few days later, a building inspector is found dead in a closet at the basketball arena. Is it related to the earlier death? Are the murders due to the rivalry between local builders? Love triangles? Sports equipment pilfered from UVA?
We meet Rev. Herb Jones and his cats Elocution and Cazenovia as well as architect Tazio Chappars and her new pup Brinkley. The animals perform their usual antics as they help solve the mystery and expound on the foibles of their humans.
"If you live in a temperate climate, you have to plan. Winter changes how humans think. Humans who live in the tropics or subtropics don't have to plan. But any animal who lives with winter has to figure things out. Even squirrels bury nuts, humans too." This is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that people in warmer climates don't also have to plan. They might have to deal with wet v dry seasons, or challenges from predators.
Mrs Murphy "They're too caught up in words." Pewter "They substitute the word for the deed and do nothing." There's some truth there.
The best is Pewter asking Harry to read something less serious "Read something that doesn't tax us too much but we get to learn." Like these Mrs. Murphy books!
June 26, 2024
You know I remember loving the earlier books in the 90s but I'm not the same person I was then and I am very tired of talking animals for one. Especially since it added so very little to this because we have animal meanders that trail into Islamaphobia (No Muslims could possibly live in Crozet VA, keeping in mind this was written a year after the attack on the Twin Towers) Between that, the cringey way the two side characters of color were written, the abelism and listening to the heroine, Harry, laughing and wishing the cheating husband was having a gay affair because that would be more interesting I about DNFed this 30 pages in.
It didn't really get much better. It went on nearly 400 pages of Harry thinking she's smarter than everyone, being rude to everyone as she investigates, ignoring the sheriff telling her to butt out and doing stupid crap that should have gotten her killed.
HH a local architect has been cheating on his wife and drops dead at the women's basketball game in front of Harry and her friends so naturally she has to solve the case. The most likely candidate is Fred, the county employee who has to make sure everything is up to code but his behavior is so dreadful, he could probably have been fired for it even back in 2003. The ending felt tacked on and unearned and at least the cats solved it before anyone else. She even had some of the details of poisons wrong. Sigh. If I have any more of these in my boxes of older books, they're going to the little free libraries unread.
It didn't really get much better. It went on nearly 400 pages of Harry thinking she's smarter than everyone, being rude to everyone as she investigates, ignoring the sheriff telling her to butt out and doing stupid crap that should have gotten her killed.
HH a local architect has been cheating on his wife and drops dead at the women's basketball game in front of Harry and her friends so naturally she has to solve the case. The most likely candidate is Fred, the county employee who has to make sure everything is up to code but his behavior is so dreadful, he could probably have been fired for it even back in 2003. The ending felt tacked on and unearned and at least the cats solved it before anyone else. She even had some of the details of poisons wrong. Sigh. If I have any more of these in my boxes of older books, they're going to the little free libraries unread.
June 27, 2020
Crozet, VA is in the grips of winter, but Harry and her friends and neighbors don't let it slow them down. Winter also means UVA girls' basketball, which most denizens of Crozet are fans of. However, when a local contractor drops dead in the parking lot after a game and it's determined he was murdered, Harry is compelled to look into the matter. It bothers her that a fellow fan could be a murderer. Her pets are dismayed, as they are worried that Harry may land herself in danger by asking too many questions. When someone else is murdered in the stadium itself, Harry is convinced the deaths are connected, even if the police aren't so sure. Harry sets out to prove she's right, but her snooping has consequences.
Fun book. I love how the animals communicate and interact with their humans. Many of the people seem like old friends. The mystery was confusing, as it was difficult to determine who would have wanted both people dead. Characterizations were excellent, and the plot moved along and made sense. Harry wasn't always investigating; much of the narrative had her at work or home, taking care of chores on her farm and in her house. Only drawbacks (in my opinion) are that, once again, more than one person was killed. Is there anyone left in Crozet?! That, and the fact that Harry ended up in dire peril at the end. How many times can she dodge death?
My complaints were minor and subjective; therefore, giving this one five stars.
Fun book. I love how the animals communicate and interact with their humans. Many of the people seem like old friends. The mystery was confusing, as it was difficult to determine who would have wanted both people dead. Characterizations were excellent, and the plot moved along and made sense. Harry wasn't always investigating; much of the narrative had her at work or home, taking care of chores on her farm and in her house. Only drawbacks (in my opinion) are that, once again, more than one person was killed. Is there anyone left in Crozet?! That, and the fact that Harry ended up in dire peril at the end. How many times can she dodge death?
My complaints were minor and subjective; therefore, giving this one five stars.
June 11, 2017
It's hard to say something new about a series after you've read so many books in one. It's an easy read. It's not overly complicated, but it's not boring either - it's a decent mystery. This is the kind of book you can pick up when you want to read, but don't really know what you want to read. I also call it my "When I'm going to be going somewhere that makes me wait a long time (like getting my car serviced, or the DMV, or the doctor)" series.
This one I felt Harry jumped the gun a little, but I did like the last part of the book when things really picked up. It was good seeing Harry and Boom Boom work together - with the animals, of course. It's not a series to gush about, but I think it's a pretty solid series when you want a mystery (not complicated, not too simple).
This one I felt Harry jumped the gun a little, but I did like the last part of the book when things really picked up. It was good seeing Harry and Boom Boom work together - with the animals, of course. It's not a series to gush about, but I think it's a pretty solid series when you want a mystery (not complicated, not too simple).
June 20, 2021
Two people are murdered: one a philandering husband and the other his alleged mistress. The husband fell dead in the area outside the stadium apparently death by heart attack—until the autopsy proved he had been stabbed in the back of the neck by a small slender weapon that entered about an inch. The girl was stabbed by a knife and left to die in a broom closet. The mighty sleuthing trio—Mrs. Murthy, Tee Tucker, and Pewter—cleverly figure out the weapon but it is only when a toxicologist identifies the substance that killed the man that pieces fall together and Harry is able to set a trap for him. This almost cost Harry her life if it were not for the arrival of Boom Boom and the trio of sleuths who save the day and help capture the killer.
December 26, 2024
As this is a murder mystery, it is necessary for the author to give sufficient misdirection to keep the reader guessing, and not give away the solution to the murder TOO easily. I do understand that, and I understand that it is not always possible to judge who the murderer is by their public persona, in real life as well as in fiction. But I found the individual eventually revealed to be a callous, cold-hearted killer and a conniving, deceitful thief to be, for most of the book, a very likable individual and was truly disappointed to find him the be otherwise; I suppose this shows that the author did a marvelous job, but I didn't enjoy the ending as much as I would have otherwise.
July 31, 2019
It's winter in Crozet, Virginia, and snow is on the ground...unfortunately, so are bodies! And they appear to have one thing in common, the stadium known as "The Clam," or maybe (horrors) the ladies' basketball team. And if you think for one red-hot minute that Harry (Mary Minor) Haristeen is going to sit back and let this happen in her town without trying to get to the bottom of it all, you don't know her...OR her cats, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, OR her dog, Tee Tucker. With the Haristeen crew on the trail, you know that all will be well...eventually.
January 31, 2022
Harry and friends go to the girls basketball game at UV. Harry feels something pass by her hair and looks back, but all she can see is people with noisemakers. But later on, developer H.H. falls to the ground in the parking lot - dead. In this one, Harry was seriously warned off by Sheriff Shaw and the Rev. Herb. But she didn't listen, and nearly gets herself killed. Luckily, Boom-Boom was there, and literally saved her. It looks like Harry and Boom-Boom just might become friends. Oh, and Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter definitely helped, too. (as always!) Enjoyable cozy mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2023
This is one of the later books in this series. I had read previously that the later ones aren't quite as good as the earlier ones. I would agree that while I enjoyed this book, it wasn't quite as interesting as many of the earlier books.
One of the things I enjoy most about this series is how the animals reflect (among themselves) about human foibles. There was less of that in this book.
The mystery held up quite well. As usual I was pretty clueless until the end. :) And, this book still holds the charm of the previous ones.
One of the things I enjoy most about this series is how the animals reflect (among themselves) about human foibles. There was less of that in this book.
The mystery held up quite well. As usual I was pretty clueless until the end. :) And, this book still holds the charm of the previous ones.
March 11, 2021
I just love all these characters!! Harry has a just a great way of "talking and communicating" with her animals. Mrs. Murphey and Tee Tucker are there to help her solve the murder mysteries. When a contractor drops dead of an apparent heart attack, Harry doesn't buy it. She and her friends start looking into his death. Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker are there to help mom stay safe while investigating and help her find the clues that humans seem to miss.
April 24, 2022
While I enjoyed this series in the past, I recently had issues with one of the more recent books. So, when I saw this earlier book that I never read, I thought it would revive my interest. It was better but it still left me wanting more......a better plot and more intelligent decisions by some major characters. And the animal dialogue seems to be more unrelated filler than plot necessary. Maybe it's me that has changed, not the series.
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