Book 45, 2019

[chez_jae]

Cat on the Scent by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have been remiss in my reviews. I finished reading Cat on the Scent on Wednesday night. It's the seventh installment in Rita Mae Brown's "Mrs Murphy" mystery series, which features postmistress Harry Haristeen and her pets.

Local politics have gotten exciting in Crozet, VA, when disagreements turn ugly. That's not the only excitement in town, however. Popular ladies' man, Tommy Van Allen, seems to have disappeared, and everyone is gearing up for a Civil War reenactment. Things get more exciting than they need to when one of the reenactors ends up shot for real during the "battle". When Van Allen is found dead, the local police struggle to find clues. Mrs Murphy and Tee Tucker are on the case, sniffing out and digging up clues and trying to point the humans in the right direction.

Fun and lively, as per usual with this series. Buuuuuut...


1. It always seems that there ends up being more than one murder in these books. There will be no one left in town, at this rate!
2. This may be the first time ever that I've read a cozy mystery, wherein someone gets away with murder. I finished this book several days ago, and I'm still bitter about it. One person literally got away with murder, while another got away with attempted murder. Everything was conveniently blamed on the final victim, who was no longer able to defend himself against the charges. I am Not Happy with the ending of this book. My only hope is, the pair of them will get their comeuppance in a future book.

Favorite lines:
♦ "He doesn't have cats or dogs, which bespeaks an empty life."
♦ "He's having problems in his marriage. Tupping some damsel, I should think."
♦ "Men need women. Women don't need men."

These books usually get five stars from me, but I'm knocking one off for that dismal ending.