Book 61, 2020

[chez_jae]

The Tail of the Tip-Off by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Late last night, I finished reading The Tail of the Tip-Off, which is the 11th part of the "Mrs Murphy" mystery series, by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. Tabby cat Mrs Murphy, along with her friends Tucker and Pewter, and their human, Harry, are the main characters.

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?

Favorite lines:
♦ "Can you imagine kneeling at the communion rail and being given a wafer with fang marks in it?"
♦ Horses seem to watch the calendar, being careful to injure themselves over the weekend, preferably very late at night.
♦ "I'll catch up in 2020." Are the authors psychic?!
♦ "The secret of success is to watch the doughnut, not the hole."
♦ "Well, there can never be too many cats."
♦ "All you have to do is tune into rap music. Every other word is the F-word and it's filled with romantic notions of rape, pillage, and revenge. It's probably what the Norsemen would have sung in the seventh century A.D. if they'd known how to rap."

My complaints were minor and subjective; therefore, giving this one five stars.