Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown return with this twenty-seventh book in their bestselling Mrs. Murphy series, in which mysteries of past and present Albemarle County, Virgina continue to converge. "Harry" Haristeen and her friends and animal companions pursue the threads of a mystery dating back to Virginia's post-Revolutionary past, introduced in A Hiss Before Dying, while their 18th century predecessors continue to struggle with the challenges of the fledgling country. Harry's new friendship with Marvella Lawson, doyenne of the Richmond art establishment, will lead her back to her own artistic and academic interests, providing both personal pleasure and creative fulfillment-and new clues to current crimes!
Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown are back chasing a mystery with their unique circle of Southern sleuths. And though the changing colors of fall are a beauty to behold, this year the scattered leaves hide a grim surprise. Autumn is in the air in the Blue Ridge Mountain community of Crozet, Virginia-and all the traditions of the changing seasons are under way. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen cleans her cupboards, her husband, Fair, prepares the horses for the shorter days ahead, and the clamorous barking of beagles signals the annual rabbit chase through the central Virginia hills. But the last thing the local beaglers and their hounds expect to flush out is a dead body. Disturbingly, it's the second corpse to turn up, after that of a missing truck driver too disfigured to identify. The deaths seem unrelated-until Harry picks up a trail of clues dating back to the state's post-Revolutionary past. The echoes of the Shot Heard Round the World pale in comparison to the dangerous shootout Harry narrowly escapes unscathed. Next time, it may be the killer who gets lucky. But not if Harry's furry friends Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker can help it. Lending their sharp-nosed talents to the hunt, they'll help their mistress keep more lives from being lost-and right an injustice buried since the early days of America's independence.
In this fast-paced mystery by Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her animal friends seek to solve a whodunit rooted in eighteenth-century Virginia-uncovering a shocking secret that refuses to stay buried. At any moment a perfect summer day in Crozet, Virginia-nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains-might turn stormy and tempestuous, as Harry knows too well when a squall suddenly sweeps in. In a blink, Harry's pickup nearly collides with a careening red car that then swerves into a ditch. Harry recognizes the dead driver slumped over the vehicle's steering wheel: Barbara Leader was nurse and confidante to former Virginia governor Sam Holloway. Though Barbara's death is ruled a heart attack, dissenting opinions abound. After all, she was the picture of health, which gives Harry and her four-legged companions pause. A baffling break-in at a local business leads Harry to further suspect that a person with malevolent intent lurks just out of sight: Something evil is afoot. As it happens, Barbara died in the shadow of the local cemetery's statue of the Avenging Angel. Just below that imposing funereal monument lie the remains of one Francisco Selisse, brutally murdered in 1784. Harry's present-day sleuthing draws her back to Virginia's slave-holding past and the hunt for Selisse's killer. Now it's up to Harry and her furry detectives-Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker-to expose the bitter truth, even if it means staring into the unforgiving eyes of history and cornering a callous killer poised to pounce.
New York Times bestselling authors Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown continue their fan-favorite Mrs. Murphy cozies with Tail Gait. Here spring comes to Crozet, Virginia, with a bang when a professor is gunned down in broad daylight. Now it's up to kitty sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with crime-solving corgi Tee Tucker, to sniff out the killer.
Instead of a proper second honeymoon, the newly remarried Harry and Fair Haristeen leave cozy Crozet, Virginia, for Shelbyville, Kentucky, site of the famous saddlebred horse show. There they'll visit dear friends Joan Hamilton and Larry Hodge and enjoy a week among some of the finest horses, trainers, and riders in the country. But soon after they arrive, events veer mysteriously-and murderously-off course. First, Joan's ruby and sapphire horsehead heirloom pin is stolen from her private box at the fairgrounds. Next, a young film star's prize three-gaited mare disappears into thin air. There is no lack of suspects, from hotheaded trainers and jealous rivals to vicious ex-spouses. Then a body is found flagrantly murdered and it's obvious to Harry that someone at Shelbyville is sending a strong message: winning is only secondary-first prize is survival. As Harry searches for clues, rediscovers life as a married woman, and deals with her upcoming fortieth birthday, her four-legged detective friends are already on the case. But is animal instinct any match for human depravity? Especially with two humans to protect and a killer on the prowl?
A mysterious death in a Virginia farm town has the locals scratching their heads-while frisky feline Mrs. Murphy and her friends, fat-cat Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker, uncover clues as they curl their way around a cold-blooded killer. This balmy summer in Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has a lot to think about. Things have been pretty cozy between her and her ex-husband, Fair and her beloved old post office is in danger of being replaced with a modern building-and modern rules. Harry's thoughtful contemplation is shattered the day she stumbles over a dead body near Potlicker Creek. Barry Monteith, the handsome local horse breeder, has been savagely murdered. A true ladies' man, Barry was known to have left a string of broken hearts behind him. But could a spurned lover be responsible for his untimely demise? The plot only thickens when an autopsy reveals that Barry was infected with rabies weeks before he was killed. As usual, Harry can't resist doing a little digging-with Mrs. Murphy close by to warn of approaching danger. Harry makes a remarkable discovery in the creek-the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who disappeared thirty years earlier along with her prized Thoroughbred stallion. Like Barry, Mary Pat was a successful horse breeder-and now all of Crozet is wondering if the two cases are linked. As the police struggle with the evidence, the pressure gets hotter than a June afternoon-especially when another person is found dead of less-than-natural causes. As usual, Mrs. Murphy and her crew are the first to sniff out the truth. But if they don't find a way to help Harry piece together the puzzle, she could become the killer's next target-and even Mrs. Murphy's slinkiest moves won't be able to save her.
When winter hits Crozet, Virginia, it hits hard--and hangs on for months. That's nothing new to postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her friends, who keep warm with hard work, hot toddies, and rabid rooting for the University of Virginia's women's basketball team at the old stadium affectionately dubbed "The Clam." But the usual postgame high spirits are laid low when contractor H. H. Donaldson drops dead in the parking lot. And pretty soon word has spread that it wasn't a heart attack that did him in. It just doesn't sit right with Harry that one of her fellow fans--perhaps even an acquaintance or neighbor sitting close by in the stands--is a murderer. And as tiger cat Mrs. Murphy is all too aware, things that don't sit right with Harry make her restless, curious, and prone to poking her not-very-sensitive human nose into dangerous places. So the animals start paying closer attention to what the people around them are doing--and they're the first ones to realize when the next murder occurs. It seems obvious to Harry that the deaths are connected--and she intends to find out exactly how. There's no shortage of suspects, considering that H.H. was a ladies' man who'd left a trail of broken hearts all over town--the most recent belonging to his wife-- and that the second murder victim was not very popular in Crozet.As the police launch their investigation, Harry picks up clues through savvy questioning of everyone she knows. But it's the critters who are most attuned to trouble--they scent something wicked wafting Harry's way on the tail of the next snowstorm. And as Harry draws closer to the truth about a brutal killer, Mrs. Murphy and her friends realize it's up to them to make sure their intrepid mom lands on her feet.
Best-selling authors Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown are everybody's favorite human/feline writing team. In this warm-hearted puzzler, "Mary Minor Harry" Haristeen is preparing for her 20th high school reunion when trouble comes to the seemingly sleepy town of Crozet, Virginia. It all begins when classmates receive anonymous letters with a simple message: "You'll never get old." Some take the note as a compliment, others think it's a harmless practical joke. But when the class womanizer turns up dead, the message suddenly has a far more sinister meaning. Can Mrs. Murphy, Harry's sleuthing cat, sniff out the killer? Listeners will delight as Mrs. Murphy, with assistance from her four-legged companions Pewter the cat and Tee Tucker the Welsh corgi, scratch through the clues. Kate Forbes' charming narration captures the unique spirit of each character, whether human, feline, or canine.
Best-selling authors Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, are beloved for their Mrs. Murphy mysteries. Set in the quiet town of Crozet, Virginia, each delightful book finds Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and the incomparably clever feline, Mrs. Murphy, caught up in a puzzling whodunit. In the middle of a particularly dull winter, nobody pays much mind to rumors of bad blood among the staff of Crozet Hospital. That is, until a member of the hospital staff turns up dead. So much for the uneventful season! Harry can't resist doing some investigating of her own, but it's her sleuthing feline whose nose sniffs out the biggest clue. Co-written by the smartest cat to ever put paw to typewriter, Claws and Effect is a pure delight from beginning to end. With Kate Forbes narrating the voices of the human characters as well as the thoughts of the endearing animals, the audiobook is an extra special treat.
