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Mrs. Murphy #15
Puss 'N Cahoots
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 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?
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 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?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
126 people are currently reading
1,116 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
147Ìýbooks2,152ÌýfollowersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
July 8, 2018
Number 15 was entertaining to me especially because Pewter and a monkey named, Miss Nasty, loathe each other and trade amusing insults through out the story. Pewter is the comic relief of the regular cast and reminds me so much of my own naughty (but lovable) cats. There is not a doubt in my mind if my cats could talk, they would echo Pewter's sarcasm and spite. This story takes place at a horse show in Kentucky and I would say that of the first 15 books in the series, this is definitely one of my favorites.
May 3, 2009
I am really disappointed in Ms. Brown. I've enjoyed her books for quite a while now, but since she now apparently feels it necessary to pepper her character's conversations with one sided political non-discussion, I will be forced to look elsewhere for reading material.
December 4, 2021
I did not know if I would like this series or not, that is why I got it on Cd. I ended up enjoying the narrative more than I thought. Although not enough to go back and read the books, but If I find another Cd at goodwill or halfprice books I would pick it up.
I don't know if they all have to do with horses but this one did, all of the sudden things start going missing including a horse. The humans and the animals work together to solve the puzzle of the missing horse and missing broach.
I don't know if they all have to do with horses but this one did, all of the sudden things start going missing including a horse. The humans and the animals work together to solve the puzzle of the missing horse and missing broach.
March 14, 2008
Rita Mae Brown is surely one of my favorite authors--a great storyteller with wit to spare. Her Sneaky Pie mysteries are among my favorite of the cozy mysteries. The reason I don't give it 5 stars is because although the mystery happens in an interesting and different setting, I missed the richness of the missing regular characters.
November 4, 2021
I am hooked. Love Mrs. Murphy and her animal friends. They seem smarter than the average human.
October 2, 2013
I usually like this series, but I'd almost swear this was written by a different author. If this had been the first of the series I'd read, I would never have picked up another one. So much time is spent having the various characters espouse political views that there is little time left for sense of place, character development, or plot. At the moment I don't have the book handy to check the publication date, but it MUST have been written during an election year or something. It's not even that I particularly disagree with the opinions, it's just that they make for really awkward conversation between the characters. Though I've really enjoyed others in the series, this particular one is NOT a cozy mystery, but instead a very thinly veiled soapbox. So little happens between the characters that you could skip this one and miss nothing. I'm hoping that this was an abberation and that the real Mrs. Murphy returns.
May 6, 2015
Not one of my favorites, but not my least favorite, either. She bordered on tax/government-related rants again. I understand her wanting to insert her opinion about such things (it's her book, after all), but when it really has nothing to do with the plot line, it just feels clunky, disruptive, and misplaced. She also picked up a new habit that drove me nuts: the characters seem to have lost the ability to speak in full sentences. For instance, one conversation went: "Ruin your shoes." "Bought four pair. Have another in the truck." Or when Harry is asked if she remembers a conversation, her only response is, "Do." Who talks that way? Beyond my personal peeves about writing style, however, the story was decent. Again, not my favorite, but not the worst. A few books ago I thought I'd quit the series, but luckily the past 2 books have been enough to keep me going.
June 24, 2021
This one was a bit preachy to me. Too many personal viewpoints were peppered throughout the book and took away from the mystery. Also, it starts off with a comment about a character named Joan who is Harry's best friend, yet this is book 15 and we are just hearing about her now. I missed all the other usual characters from Crozet and I'm hoping that the next book gets back to normal.
September 23, 2024
I’ve been WAITING to give this book a one star review!
(Do note, the only reasons I purchased this book was 1. It was $2, 2. The description made it very clear this would be told thru the perspective of a cat and a corgi)
The main beef I have with this book is that it was nothing like its description! I was expecting to hear about fun animal life, instead I read humans talking to each other about their horse farm!
The other main beef I have with this book is the plot? Where did it go? Was there ever one? It contains many side quests and I like one big main quest personally.
Also, there are so many different names in this book it was so hard to keep them straight. They have a character list and short description in the front of this book but I don’t want to have to keep flipping back to those pages, yanno?
Yeah, don’t read this book!
(Do note, the only reasons I purchased this book was 1. It was $2, 2. The description made it very clear this would be told thru the perspective of a cat and a corgi)
The main beef I have with this book is that it was nothing like its description! I was expecting to hear about fun animal life, instead I read humans talking to each other about their horse farm!
The other main beef I have with this book is the plot? Where did it go? Was there ever one? It contains many side quests and I like one big main quest personally.
Also, there are so many different names in this book it was so hard to keep them straight. They have a character list and short description in the front of this book but I don’t want to have to keep flipping back to those pages, yanno?
Yeah, don’t read this book!
January 2, 2024
I picked up a few older Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown's mysteries last week and savored this one over New Year's. "Puss 'N Cahoots" involves skullduggery and a nasty chap or two, plus a very nasty Miss Nasty, which gets into her master's cache of drugs from time to time. Oooooooh.
July 4, 2019
Newly remarried, Harry and Fair take their fur babies to the annual Shelbyville Horse Show as a belated second honeymoon. They are visiting Harry's friend Joan and her husband Larry, one of the top trainers at the show. They are having a wonderful time when there starts to be drama, from a stolen luck brooch to a raid by INS to murder.
Harry can't help herself and works to solve all the mysteries.
This was a decent entry in the series. It made me curious about Saddlebreds and even gave a shout out to William Shatner. Always a plus for me. I think I just missed Crozet and that's what kept this from being a top selection in the the series for me.
Harry can't help herself and works to solve all the mysteries.
This was a decent entry in the series. It made me curious about Saddlebreds and even gave a shout out to William Shatner. Always a plus for me. I think I just missed Crozet and that's what kept this from being a top selection in the the series for me.
June 13, 2019
I love the nod to Karin Slaughter in this book’s epilogue; she loves monkeys, and so Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown created the character Miss Nasty for her. Miss Nasty is aptly named, although you can’t help but feel sorry for her. Booty Pollard named her in honor of his ex-wife, and even though he spoiled her, she was destined to be mean.
This title in the Mrs. Murphy series centers on a Saddlebred competition, and so most of the story is equestrian-based. As a reader utterly unfamiliar with horses in any capacity, I still enjoyed the story and didn’t feel lost or unclear. I think the focus on the sport did detract a little bit from the relationships among the animals, as this book seemed more focused on the people than on the critters working to solve the mystery. And I did miss the familiar faces of Crozet, especially Miranda. But it was nice to read about Harry and Fair on their honeymoon, spending time with friends and fellow horsemen in Kentucky. I’m looking forward to moving right along in this delightful cozy mystery series.
This title in the Mrs. Murphy series centers on a Saddlebred competition, and so most of the story is equestrian-based. As a reader utterly unfamiliar with horses in any capacity, I still enjoyed the story and didn’t feel lost or unclear. I think the focus on the sport did detract a little bit from the relationships among the animals, as this book seemed more focused on the people than on the critters working to solve the mystery. And I did miss the familiar faces of Crozet, especially Miranda. But it was nice to read about Harry and Fair on their honeymoon, spending time with friends and fellow horsemen in Kentucky. I’m looking forward to moving right along in this delightful cozy mystery series.
August 31, 2018
To be perfectly honest, I found this book to be quite tiresome. I read the very early Mrs. Murphy mysteries--nearly 30 years ago now--and enjoyed them, but I haven't read any in a very long time, so I don't know whether I would now find the first few tiresome too, or whether the writing has gotten tired after trying to stretch out a basically cute, but not very robust, gimmick. The dialogue in this book is pretty dreadful (page 88: exchange about whether a man can use the word "potty" is a good example of the bad), and the book is extremely preachy about practically everything: animal rights, the environment, illegal immigration, tax law, the state of agriculture, and on and on. I don't think a fluffy (pardon the pun) murder mystery is the place for that, even though I agree with the various position that Brown espouses. Someone gave me this book; I won't be bothering with any of the other 20 or so that I haven't read.
March 28, 2010
This series has just taken a nose-dive in quality lately. Although I appreciate the attempt to freshen this latest book by having it set outside its usual boundaries of Crozet, the story sorely missed the regular cast we have come to know and love. The new characters just weren't that interesting. Plus, there is an undercurrent of meanness in this book that hasn't ever really been apparent before. To top it all off, for a book that features animal characters and a love for all animals above everything else, for animal-rights activists to be discussed as 'nuts' just seems to go against the grain of everything this series used to stand for.
August 4, 2016
This book in the series felt less like a mystery and more like a book about horses, and the world of saddlebred horses, in particular. There were a murder, a stolen heirloom, and several suspicious characters, yet that arc almost felt like the background. The four-legged heroes of our story are front and center, which I enjoyed quite a bit. They are very entertaining to follow.
(I wish I had written this review when I had finished this book. I know there was a few things I wanted to discuss, but don't remember what they were.)
(I wish I had written this review when I had finished this book. I know there was a few things I wanted to discuss, but don't remember what they were.)
July 6, 2013
Awful. I barely finished it. I liked most of her other books, but this one got so bogged down in terminology and tidbits that it was insanely tedious. The only reason I kept reading is that I am hoping the rest of the series takes an upturn. She got so lost in the horsey-ness that the characters were flat, the story-line was foolish, and the dialogue was painful. In the end I didn't care who killed who. In fact, I was rooting for more people to get killed off so I could stop reading!
July 27, 2024
The title had me hysterically laughing in the bookstore but when my bookmark fell out when I sat down to finish it I felt like that was my sign to put it down and accept the last thing I read as the ending.
August 27, 2016
couldn't get into this at all
December 10, 2024
This book is the fifteenth in the series featuring Mrs. Murphy, a Grey tiger short-hair cat who, along with a Welsh corgi dog named Tee Tucker, and the stout grey cat Pewter, solves mysteries with the assistance of Mary Minor “Harry� Haristeen, a farmer now remarried to Fair Haristeen, an equine veterinarian, outside the small town of Crozet, Virginia, some ten miles west of Charlottesville. (It should be noted that all animals can talk to each other, and that they all understand humans, but humans, being dense imperfect beings, cannot understand the animals.) And these are fun mysteries to read.
Fair, Harry, and the animals have gone to the American Saddlebred Competition in Shelbyville, Kentucky, some nine hours from home. They are enjoying a honeymoon, and Harry is a few days short of turning forty. Their friends Joan Hamilton, who runs Kalamara Farm and breeds Saddlebreds, and her husband, Larry Hodge, who trains Saddlebreds, are in the competition; Paul and Frances Hamilton, Joan’s parents, are still active in the Saddlebred world. Other breeders/trainers at the Competition are Booty Pollard, who thinks a lot of himself (he raises snakes, and brings his pet monkey, Miss Nasty, everywhere, and dresses the monkey like his ex-wife), Charly Trackwell, who trains Saddlebreds for an exclusive client list, and Ward Finley, who runs a very small training establishment but who is ambitious. Also at the Competition is movie star Renata DeCarlo; she is the most exclusive client on Charly Trackwell’s list, and a host of Mexican grooms and other workers. In fairly short order Renata’s prized horse, Queen Esther, is missing from the show, and one of the Mexican grooms who works for Kalamara Farms is found dead, with a double cross carved into one of his palms. As usual, Harry wants to find the solution to this and to other mysteries at the Competition, and as usual her cats and her dog are devoted to helping her and keeping her (and Fair) safe.
After reading this book, I know more about the American Saddlebred than I ever knew before (which was nil); this book is a love letter to those horses. And I am quite sure that, as we never heard mention of American Saddlebreds in the previous books in this series, we will never hear of them again. But this was a very good entry in the series.
Fair, Harry, and the animals have gone to the American Saddlebred Competition in Shelbyville, Kentucky, some nine hours from home. They are enjoying a honeymoon, and Harry is a few days short of turning forty. Their friends Joan Hamilton, who runs Kalamara Farm and breeds Saddlebreds, and her husband, Larry Hodge, who trains Saddlebreds, are in the competition; Paul and Frances Hamilton, Joan’s parents, are still active in the Saddlebred world. Other breeders/trainers at the Competition are Booty Pollard, who thinks a lot of himself (he raises snakes, and brings his pet monkey, Miss Nasty, everywhere, and dresses the monkey like his ex-wife), Charly Trackwell, who trains Saddlebreds for an exclusive client list, and Ward Finley, who runs a very small training establishment but who is ambitious. Also at the Competition is movie star Renata DeCarlo; she is the most exclusive client on Charly Trackwell’s list, and a host of Mexican grooms and other workers. In fairly short order Renata’s prized horse, Queen Esther, is missing from the show, and one of the Mexican grooms who works for Kalamara Farms is found dead, with a double cross carved into one of his palms. As usual, Harry wants to find the solution to this and to other mysteries at the Competition, and as usual her cats and her dog are devoted to helping her and keeping her (and Fair) safe.
After reading this book, I know more about the American Saddlebred than I ever knew before (which was nil); this book is a love letter to those horses. And I am quite sure that, as we never heard mention of American Saddlebreds in the previous books in this series, we will never hear of them again. But this was a very good entry in the series.
February 6, 2022
Puss in Cahoots by Rita Mae Brown (and Sneaky Pie Brown) is the 15th book in the "Mrs Murphy" series of cozy cat mysteries.
Newly (re)married Harry and Fair Haristeen have traveled to Shelbyville, KY for their second honeymoon. There, they plan to visit their friends, Joan and Larry, and take in the famous Saddlebred horse show. Accompanying them on the trip are cats Mrs Murphy and Pewter, and corgi Tee Tucker. Not long after the horse show begins, Joan's heirloom pin is stolen, then someone's prize mare comes up missing. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, a stablehand is found murdered, and INS conducts a raid, searching for illegal immigrants. With so much going on, it's almost enough to make Harry forget her fast-approaching fortieth birthday. She puts her keen mind to searching for clues and trying to suss out motives. Rivalries and blood run hot among owners, trainers, and riders, and it's anyone's guess as to how everything fits together.
Another excellent story in this series. Most of the characters were new, since the action took place in another state, but all characters were three-dimensional, right down to the other animals that Mrs Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker encounter. Some things I figured out readily, such as who stole Joan's pin, but others kept me guessing right up to the end. Pacing was good and kept me engaged, and the narrative proceeded in a smooth, sensible fashion.
Exciting and enthralling, five stars!
Newly (re)married Harry and Fair Haristeen have traveled to Shelbyville, KY for their second honeymoon. There, they plan to visit their friends, Joan and Larry, and take in the famous Saddlebred horse show. Accompanying them on the trip are cats Mrs Murphy and Pewter, and corgi Tee Tucker. Not long after the horse show begins, Joan's heirloom pin is stolen, then someone's prize mare comes up missing. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, a stablehand is found murdered, and INS conducts a raid, searching for illegal immigrants. With so much going on, it's almost enough to make Harry forget her fast-approaching fortieth birthday. She puts her keen mind to searching for clues and trying to suss out motives. Rivalries and blood run hot among owners, trainers, and riders, and it's anyone's guess as to how everything fits together.
Another excellent story in this series. Most of the characters were new, since the action took place in another state, but all characters were three-dimensional, right down to the other animals that Mrs Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker encounter. Some things I figured out readily, such as who stole Joan's pin, but others kept me guessing right up to the end. Pacing was good and kept me engaged, and the narrative proceeded in a smooth, sensible fashion.
Exciting and enthralling, five stars!
January 30, 2020
First of all, a disclaimer. I didn't know what to expect with this novel. It is a mystery at a horse show in Shelbyville, Ky and the list of characters are all involved in the horse show.
This particular book is the 15th in a series and some of the characters are continuing, some may be "one time" appearances. It is a caste of Harry and her new once again husband going from their home in Virginia to Kentucky to support Harry's friend Joan who runs a horse training farm. In the same area there are three rival handlers all having investments in the outcome of the events.
Suddenly, one of their grooms is killed. Of course it turns out to be murder...and just the first. Harry is not really the detective. That duty belongs to her two cats and her dog, along with Joan's dog. There is a villain in the form of a monkey with a nasty mouth, a movie star trying to decide what is next and horses with real personalities.
I like mysteries, but it is not my favorite genue and trying to keep huge numbers of characters separate isn't either. However, overall the book is rather entertaining although I found it so only after I gave up on keeping up with all the personalities involved in detail.
This particular book is the 15th in a series and some of the characters are continuing, some may be "one time" appearances. It is a caste of Harry and her new once again husband going from their home in Virginia to Kentucky to support Harry's friend Joan who runs a horse training farm. In the same area there are three rival handlers all having investments in the outcome of the events.
Suddenly, one of their grooms is killed. Of course it turns out to be murder...and just the first. Harry is not really the detective. That duty belongs to her two cats and her dog, along with Joan's dog. There is a villain in the form of a monkey with a nasty mouth, a movie star trying to decide what is next and horses with real personalities.
I like mysteries, but it is not my favorite genue and trying to keep huge numbers of characters separate isn't either. However, overall the book is rather entertaining although I found it so only after I gave up on keeping up with all the personalities involved in detail.
December 11, 2021
Harry, Fair, Mrs Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker have gone to Kentucky for a Saddlebred horse show. They're on the lookout for a horse for their friend Alicia. I've vacationed in Kentucky, I've read Dick Francis books, and I have some horsey friends, so I enjoyed the topic. Although the book was written in 2008, the subplot about trafficking in Mexican workers was still timely. The only change was the use of "INS" instead of "ICE". Although there was the familiar complaining about the government, people complain so much more now days that it was fairly easy to ignore.
One of the horse trainers has an ill-mannered pet monkey named Miss Nasty, who was an amusing foil for the cats and dog. Otherwise, the horse folks had similar foibles to the Crozet regulars. Someone's valuable pin gets stolen, then a horse disappears but is found under questionable circumstances, and eventually, someone ends up dead. It all gets sorted out it in the end, and there are hints on of the horse people may come visit Crozet in the future. I enjoyed it.
One of the horse trainers has an ill-mannered pet monkey named Miss Nasty, who was an amusing foil for the cats and dog. Otherwise, the horse folks had similar foibles to the Crozet regulars. Someone's valuable pin gets stolen, then a horse disappears but is found under questionable circumstances, and eventually, someone ends up dead. It all gets sorted out it in the end, and there are hints on of the horse people may come visit Crozet in the future. I enjoyed it.
October 20, 2020
2.5/5 Stars
If there is one thing I can say about these books, it's that they are consistent. If you've followed the series you know what you're getting into, something to pass the time - easy reading. I will say in this one, I feel like there was quite a bit I learned about horses, what will stick is another story. There are definitely "preachy" moments that come up in the book, but it tends to be a trend in the series.
In this one we don't get to see the whole Crozet gang which I was a little disappointed by, but we did still get to catch up a little with Harry, Fair, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker which I liked. We also got to meet a mean, devious, but well-dressed (if ill mannered) little monkey (and Pewter's nemesis) aptly named Miss Nasty. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't particularly taken with this mystery but we'll see how the next one goes.
If there is one thing I can say about these books, it's that they are consistent. If you've followed the series you know what you're getting into, something to pass the time - easy reading. I will say in this one, I feel like there was quite a bit I learned about horses, what will stick is another story. There are definitely "preachy" moments that come up in the book, but it tends to be a trend in the series.
In this one we don't get to see the whole Crozet gang which I was a little disappointed by, but we did still get to catch up a little with Harry, Fair, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker which I liked. We also got to meet a mean, devious, but well-dressed (if ill mannered) little monkey (and Pewter's nemesis) aptly named Miss Nasty. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't particularly taken with this mystery but we'll see how the next one goes.
August 4, 2022
It has been several years since I’ve read this series. I found it was one that while I heartily enjoy I needed a break. The change from Harry being postmistress to not was hard to accept. I picked up this book for my cozy mystery book bingo and it was perfect.
It opens at the beginning of August at the Shelbyville, KY saddlebred horse show. Harry and Fair are on a honeymoon type trip and visiting friends while attending the show. A groom is murdered and a valuable jeweled pin is stolen. Are the two crimes related or just a coincidence? Can Harry and her pet crew figure out what is happening or will they find themselves on the wrong side of the arena?
A good read filled with a lot of saddlebred knowledge. I found that interesting since I live in Louisville and hear about the horse show at the fair every year. The horses at the fair are a sight to behold.
It opens at the beginning of August at the Shelbyville, KY saddlebred horse show. Harry and Fair are on a honeymoon type trip and visiting friends while attending the show. A groom is murdered and a valuable jeweled pin is stolen. Are the two crimes related or just a coincidence? Can Harry and her pet crew figure out what is happening or will they find themselves on the wrong side of the arena?
A good read filled with a lot of saddlebred knowledge. I found that interesting since I live in Louisville and hear about the horse show at the fair every year. The horses at the fair are a sight to behold.
December 18, 2022
I had read several reviews of this book and none of them very positive. This is the 14th book of the series and I've read all of them. I agree with the reviewers that the later books are not as engaging or endearing as the ones earlier. But, I did find this book enjoyable and had no trouble making my way through it. This book takes place outside of Crozet and so many of the main, repeating characters were not in it. That is a huge part of the charm of this series...meeting up again with the previous characters both human and animal and not only sharing their latest adventure, but also seeing how their lives have changed and how they've grown over time. To me that's what brings me back to the series. I start to miss the people and animals who populate the books and want to check in with them once again.
April 23, 2023
I had read several reviews of this book and none of them very positive. This is the 14th book of the series and I've read all of them. I agree with the reviewers that the later books are not as engaging or endearing as the ones earlier. But, I did find this book enjoyable and had no trouble making my way through it. This book takes place outside of Crozet and so many of the main, repeating characters were not in it. That is a huge part of the charm of this series...meeting up again with the previous characters both human and animal and not only sharing their latest adventure, but also seeing how their lives have changed and how they've grown over time. To me that's what brings me back to the series. I start to miss the people and animals who populate the books and want to check in with them once again.
October 28, 2019
Mary Minor "Harry" and Fair Haristeen have re-tied the knot. This time around, instead of a traditional honeymoon they choose to attend the saddlebred horse show in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
Pretty much from the start, strange things happen. An heirloom pin goes missing from one of Harry's friends. Then a prize mare disappears into thin air. When a murder occurs things really become serious.
Ex-spouses, volatile trainers, jealousy, deception can be found among the suspects.
Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker and Pewter are on the prowl to solve these happenings. The question is whether their humans will see what the animals see and come to the same conclusion.
Told from the perspective of the animals, it is an enviable series. There is humour along with seriousness of solving the crimes.
Pretty much from the start, strange things happen. An heirloom pin goes missing from one of Harry's friends. Then a prize mare disappears into thin air. When a murder occurs things really become serious.
Ex-spouses, volatile trainers, jealousy, deception can be found among the suspects.
Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker and Pewter are on the prowl to solve these happenings. The question is whether their humans will see what the animals see and come to the same conclusion.
Told from the perspective of the animals, it is an enviable series. There is humour along with seriousness of solving the crimes.
August 12, 2019
Instead of a typical honeymoon, Harry and Fair are in Shelbyville, KY, attending a Saddlebred horse show, so right off the bat, this book has two of my favorite things in the world, cats and horses! I'm in heaven before I get past the first page! But there's trouble on the horizon, of course, and Harry finds herself dealing with stolen jewelry, a stolen horse, a body or two, and one small-ish explosion! Readers will find the "whys" pretty straight-forward, but the "whos" are elusive up until the very end! I had a lot of fun with this book, and picked up some interesting facts about Saddlebreds that I did not know.
April 7, 2021
Liked the mystery and that this setting was in Kentucky. Pretty sure this is the first Mrs. Murphy set outside Virginia, so that's a nice change. It let Brown introduce new people without automatically setting them up as a potential suspect or victim. Everyone is new so anyone could be involved. That being said, I did not care for the monkey. What is apparent the longer this series goes on is how involved the author is in the horse world. Her knowledge and obvious enjoyment about technique, training, and shows shines through.
June 12, 2022
Harry and Fair are on their honeymoon, with their two cats and corgi dog. And they're in Kentucky to watch horse shows. But of course, their is drama and murder. And even a ridiculous monkey named Miss Nasty (which fits her!). It's actually a bit refreshing to move Harry and all to Kentucky for a story. There are lots of horses, and plenty of old and new friends, and a few twists and turns. The issue of illegal immigration rears its ugly head, but I thought the author handled it fairly evenly. In all, a nice, cozy read.
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