chez_jae | Entries tagged with author: rita mae brown

Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On Wednesday night, I finished reading Cat's Eyewitness. Coincidentally, the thirteenth book I read this year was the thirteenth book in Rita Mae Brown's "Mrs Murphy" mystery series.

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.

Favorite lines:
♥ Mrs Murphy gleefully imagined the state house overrun by rioting cats.
♥ If you didn't show up at the post office, it meant you were involved in a flaming seduction or too sick to walk.
♥ "That's why people are what they are...They can rationalize anything. Reality is pretty much irrelevant to them."
A couple of these quotes are quite relevant, considering the book was written in 2005.

Very good, four stars.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Destination Fear

Whisker of Evil by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up just a wee bit late last night to finish reading Whisker of Evil by Rita Mae Brown. This is the 12th book in her "Mrs Murphy" mystery series, in which Harry Harristeen's cat, Mrs Murphy, figures prominently.

Harry has a lot on her mind. There's talk of a new Post Office being built in Crozet, which will bring in new people and new rules. Harry is also still dithering over her complicated relationship with her ex-husband, Fair. Things become more complicated when she stumbles across a local horse breeder who is literally dying in front of her. Although it appears that an animal tore out Barry's throat, an autopsy reveals that isn't the case. However, the autopsy also indicates that Barry had been infected with rabies. Harry, of course, can't resist doing some poking around of her own, and while she's searching the area where she found Barry, she uncovers the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who, along with her prize stallion, disappeared decades ago. Now the entire town is buzzing. Harry can't help but think that Barry's death is related to Mary Pat's disappearance, but the police don't see a connection. It will be up to Harry, along with help from Fair, Mrs Murphy, Tee Tucker, and Pewter to figure out who's been getting away with murder.

I've delighted in every book in this series. This one was especially enjoyable. I liked all of the horse lore that was covered, the slow (re)build of Harry and Fair's relationship, the interactions of Harry's animals among themselves and with other animal characters, and the smooth flow of the plot. I had many things figured out before Harry did, which is always fun. I appreciate it when an author drops just enough clues to allow the reader to connect the dots along with the characters. The one thing I didn't like ( Spoiler ).

Favorite lines:
♦ "I shouldn't, but, well, the thing about temptation is, if you can resist something it's because it's not tempting enough."
♦ "...nature is cooking up diseases we can't even imagine." Well, that was timely, even though this was published in 2004.
♦ "Fear is a big, big messenger. Pay attention. If you listen, fear will bring you courage."
♦ "Chocolate is the human equivalent of fresh mouse."

Excellent book, five stars

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Bruins at Lightning game 2

The Tail of the Tip-Off (Mrs. Murphy, #11)

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.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: "Clarity" ~ Zedd

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!

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Hold It Against Me" ~ Britney Spears