Murder, She Meowed (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) | Rita Mae Brown

Murder, She Meowed (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) | Rita Mae Brown | Funny, my favorite so far

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Murder, She Meowed...

	Murder, She Meowed (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) Rita Mae Brown Bantam, 1997 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
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The annual steeplechase races at Montpelier, once the home of James and Dolley Madison, are the high point in the social calendar of the horse-mad Virginians of cozy Crozet. The race meet offers a cracking good time with old friends and a chance to get even?on the racecourse?with old enemies. Postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen will be in the thick of the action on this day of high spirits and fierce competition. But the glorious thoroughbreds and the pinks and greens and purples worn by the riders do not blind Harry to the dangerous undercurrents that start to surface. There's sure to be some emotional fireworks at Montpelier. Still, no one expects the day to end in tragedy.

Found dead in the main barn is one of the day's riders, a knife plunged through the jockey's heart. The only clue is a playing card, the Queen of Clubs, impaled over the fatal wound. Within the wealthy, tight-knit world of horse owners, trainers, and jockeys, the victim had both admirers and enemies.

Was the murderer's motive greed, drugs--a pervasive evil in the race world?or sexual rivalry? Luckily for Crozet's humans, the tiger cat Mrs. Murphy is right at home in the stable yard...and on the trail of the shocking truth. But will Harry catch on in time to stop a killer grown bloodthirsty with success?

In Murder, She Meowed Sneaky Pie Brown and her co-author, Rita Mae Brown, have penned another clever and sassy mystery that probes the depths of human depravity and the heights of feline genius.

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Murder at the Races

The 5th installment in the Mrs. Murphy and Tucker Mystery series is going to the races. Mary Minor Haristeen (aka Harry) has been asked to be a fence judge for the Montpelier steeplechase race, and being a huge fan of the sport, she readily agrees. She is a witness to a violent confrontation between two jockeys, and when one of the jockeys is found dead later in the day, she quickly begins to suspect that this was not a simple misunderstanding. The murderer leaves a calling card, and when another jockey turns up dead with a similar card attached to the body, Harry fears that there may be at least two more victims. Along with help from Mrs. Murphy (a tiger cat), Tee Tucker (a Welsh corgi), Pewter (a fat grey cat), and some new animal characters (including mice, several cats, and horses), Harry is able to stop this murderous spree in the competitive world of steeplechase.

I have become a big fan of this series, and really enjoy the banter between the animals. The relationships between the members of the town have been evolving, and I like the way that Harry is loved and embraced by the people who have known her all of her life. She works hard, cares for her animals, and genuinely cares for the town and its residents. I look forward to future books in the series, and am hopeful to see more of a love interest for Harry. The setting in the town of Crozet, Virginia is so quaint and lovely, that it makes you want to pack your bags for a wonderful vacation.

If you enjoy "The Cat Who" mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun, you might want to give this series a try.

The first book in the series is called "Wish You Were Here". Enjoy!

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Funny, my favorite so far

I've been reading the Mrs. Brown books in order. This one, the fifth, is my favorite so far. I found it to be funnier than the earlier books. A character named Boom Boom who pops in and out of the action, trying to get Harry to go with her to a pop therapy group called Lifeline; Mrs. Murphy negotiating with the mice to get information from them; Mrs. Murphy musing on the food chain and mice as prey; the animals comments on the humans....all were entertaining to me. The negative reviews posted earlier give a good clue I think as to who won't like this novel. "Murder, She Meowed" is not only a mystery "cozy"; it is also a bit of whimsy, of silliness. Like children's books, it includes a story, and some substantive information and some philosophizing are included, but if you can't tolerate the whimsy, you won't like the book.

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A good look at Virgina horse country.

Although the plot is simple and the murder easy to figure out in this book, I still enjoyed it. I like the characters in this series. I also enjoyed the look at steeplechase racing that we get with the book. In the story there is someone going around Croznet killing steeplechase jockeys. There doesn't seem to be a connection between the killings, unless it was a gambling debt or drugs. Never fear, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, Pewter and a few other animals are hot on the trail, and they figure out what's going on long before the humans do. These mysteries are a lot of fun, and especially so for animal lovers. I enjoy this light series.

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Lots of fun

I have all the Mrs. Murphy mysteries. They are lots of fun to read and are a real diversion from True Crime (which I also like). The setting is in the beautiful Virginia horse country, the characters are delightful, the mystery always engaging. Start with "Wish You Were Hear" to see how it all began.

Not the best -- still enjoyable

Although this is not the best of the first four Mrs. Murphy mysteries, it is still an enjoyable read. The racing crowd is pretty stereotypical and the mystery is somewhat uninvolving. In the end, the resolution is unsatisfying and Harry (Mary Minor Harristeen) acts out of character. The playing card ploy doesn't work. Still, we learn even more about the continuing characters living in Crozet, Va., and that is what's most important about these stories.

The big question, of course, is whether Harry and her ex, Fair, will get back together. One question not really addressed is whether Blair Bainbridge will ever figure in one of these stories again. His presence would add to some of the tension in the relationship between the Harristeens.

In spite of the shortcomings here, there is no reason not to read on. After all, the only reason not to live in Crozet is that you might get murdered.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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