Rating:  Summary: A good look at Virgina horse country. Review: 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.
Rating:  Summary: Not the best -- still enjoyable Review: 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.
Rating:  Summary: Criminal Cat-Nip Review: Crozet, Virginia is an unusual community: aside from having what must be the highest per capita murder rate in North America, it is also a place where cats and dogs sometimes assist humans to uncover killers in their midst. The premise is extremely whimsical, and hardcore mystery fans will find the plots of the "Mrs. Murphy" series very loose indeed--but Rita Mae Brown has a talent for creating memorable characters and turns of phrase, and her lighter-than-air mystery novels are an enjoyable way to wile away a lazy afternoon or two.MURDER, SHE MEOWED has a particularly transparent plot--but even so it is one of Brown's more interesting entries in the "Mrs. Murphy" series, reacquainting us with all the Crozet residents (both human and animal) we've come to know and love and introduces one or two new ones as well. In this particular novel, Brown sets her tale against the snobbish Virginia steeplechase community, and when a jockey of questionable background is found stabbed to death in a stable the roots of the crime may be as close at hand as the local drug dealer or as far removed in time as an old missing person mystery. As usual, Brown writes with considerable flair and elan, and fans of the series will find MURDER, SHE WROTE a particularly enjoyable outing.
Rating:  Summary: Murder She Meowed by Rita Mae Brown Review: Harry and her witty cat, Mrs. Murphy are hot on the trail of another case. This time, it will be even more dangerous than the last. When a jockey is found dead in the stable at the Montpelier races, it is up to Harry and her animal friends to figure out who has put this horrible fright on the little town of Crozet. When a package comes to the post office in Crozet and is addressed to the Charlottesville Cuttery, she knows something is up because she has lived in this town all her life and has never heard of this place. She recognizes the handwriting on the recipe as a friend, or so she though, and is off to get this person for the murders of three Crozet people. She knows the forth will happen soon. This book will surprise the reader every time they read it. Slowly, Rita Mae Brown will pull you off the trail of the murder and then back on it for a surprising ending. She does not drop any loose clues on the way that would give the ending away. Murder She Meowed kept me interested the whole time. This is however, is not a book that I would read over and over again.
Rating:  Summary: Good, but...a little much? Review: I always love Rita Mae Brown's books featuring Harry, Mrs. Murphy, and the rest of the gang. This one, like the others, had great character description, plot development and the like...but one thing greatly confused me. The cutsey-cutsey antics of the cats got a little much after about the second page...especially since one of them was always moaning about being hungry. The first time they were hungry, it was cute...the second time, it was tolerable...but after that it was redundant and even annoying. I am also confused by the usage of all the "cute" words with animals and then, in the next paragraph, utilizing four swear words in the case of a human, either in dialog or action. The mixture is too confusing in most areas.
Rating:  Summary: Sneaky Pie is tops! Review: I have read every one of Rita Mae Brown's and Sneaky Pie Brown's books, and they are all terrific. Good mystery, good writing--what more can you ask? And don't forget Tucker--she adds her touch to each book as well. I thoroughly enjoy each book and look forward to the next one
Rating:  Summary: i thought that this book was a great and fun book to read Review: i really love rita's and sneaky's books, although they tend to be light reading, they are always fun. this book lives up to the past and comes complete with one of rita's trademark surprise endings. it will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you won't want to put it down. plenty of intervention by mrs.murphy, tucker, pewter, and many others, which is alwys my favorite part of the book!
Rating:  Summary: Great Story Review: I thought that Rita Mae Brown wrote this book very well. It held my attention for hours, and not many books can do that. I think she is a great writer and that this book was a great addition to the Mrs. Murphy series.
Rating:  Summary: very entertaining as always Review: It's always fun to see what Mrs.Murphy and Tee Tucker can get into. But I' ready for "Harry" to be more romantically involved with her "ex" husband, the vet., now that he's thru with that silly woman, even tho I admire her independence. This is a great series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Rating:  Summary: This cat meows to much. Review: Rita, as an author, reminds me of cotton candy -- sweet, full of empty calories and no substance. Harry will never be in a position to emulate J. B. Fletcher. She exhibits more sense than Rick Shaw (who is a sheriff in name only) does but she is in the bad habit of "solving" crimes more in spite of herself than anything else. This novel is no exception.
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