Book 42, 2020

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Catch as Cat Can by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Storms have kept me offline most of the evening, which enabled me to finish reading Catch as Cat Can by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. It's the tenth book in the "Mrs Murphy" cozy mystery series. Main characters are Mary Minor Haristeen (Harry) and her pets, Mrs Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter.

As Spring arrives in Albermarle County, VA, it brings rain, festivals, and balls. Everyone is excited for the upcoming Dogwood Festival and the annual Wreckers' Ball. However, not all is dogwood trees and parties. When a young man drops dead at a society tea, and someone else is murdered shortly thereafter, local police begin to suspect they may have a drug ring in the area. Harry's curiosity is aroused, and she can't resist doing a little investigating on her own. Her cats and dog worry about her, for fear she'll bite off more than she can chew. They begin doing some investigating on their own and discover some important clues, but pointing the humans in the right direction is the problem.

Fun story, as per usual with these books. I enjoy Harry's pragmatism, as well as the wry wit of Mrs Murphy and Pewter's whining. Tucker is practical, like Harry, and adds her own panache to the story. There was also some romance involved, as Harry is asked to attend one of the festivals with a handsome diplomat from Uruguay, which makes her ex-husband, Fair, jealous and even more determined to win her back. Plot was engrossing and flowed smoothly, and it was fun to see how all the clues added up.

Favorite lines;
♦ "The only question worth asking yourself is, 'Am I having fun?'"
♦ "The best friends come on four feet."
♦ What great good fortune to be where you know people, you love people, and hopefully they love you.
♦ In order for a Virginia party to be a success certain things must occur. First, someone has to leave in tears. Second, someone has to pass out due to overindulgence. Third, there has to be a fistfight, and last, someone has to fall in love.
♦ "We owls don't murder one another. You cats might tussle, a bad fight, lose an eye, but you don't murder one another. It's one of those depressing curiosities about humans."
♦ "They haven't evolved. That's the problem...They're walking around in clothing but they're still the same animals who lived in caves, feared the dark, and smashed one another over the head for beans."
♦ "None of us knows what someone gives to our life until they're gone."
♦ "You know, Pewter, you're so fat I bet there are shock absorbers on your cat box."

An entertaining story, in which the interactions between animals are just as interesting as those between people. Five stars!