There were a few too many characters to keep straight,but overall a good Murphy solved mystery

I LOVED THIS STORY. I AM TRYING TO FIND EARLY BOOKS.

I have read all of the "Mrs. Murphy" series and of course I was just as delighted with the Audible Books on my MP3. The only complaint I have with th..Show More »is book is the pronunciation of the city of Sevierville, TN. It is supposed to be pronounced like "severe weather"; "Severe-ville". I live about 150 miles from there; and I know Dolly Parton can pronounce Sevierville! In this audible version, it...well I don't know how to "spell" it. It was so comical, I played it for everyone in my family. And it was actually pronounced differently each time it was used in the reading. Kate Forbes does a wonderful job, maybe just a little more research would have done the trick.

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This is my first Rita Mae Brown book; I purchased this book after reading a great many positive reviews of Ms. Brown's work. I also listened to the s..Show More »ample offered from this website. Unfortunately, my listening experience of the whole book has been, at best, scrambled. This story contains so many characters that I found it hard to isolate the main theme of the story. I am not sure if there is a theme to this story. Although there were murders, I am unable to find any relevance in the story for the murders. I think the motivation for the murders is distorted by the extreme lack of developed characters. I accept that the Mrs. Murphy character is an intrinsic part of the story. But, the vagueness in the personalities of the other characters in the story adds no true foundation to the "mystery" that is being played out. The ending does not justify the means. Ms. Brown's desire to insinuate the reason for the murders at the end of the story does not justify her obliqueness during the story.

I enjoy a good mystery! I enjoy a good story! I enjoy having a lot of interaction between the main characters of a story when I am listening to them on my way to & from work. I did not find this story enjoyable to listen too.


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A delightful listen! At first I found the running commentary re: the animals' thoughts a bit tedious and distracting but it didn't take long to be suc..Show More »ked into the plot. Once that happened, I was no longer conscious of the technique. Loved the bickering and banter among the animals. Lots of rich ironic twists in this plot. Lots of interesting characters. Loved Harry, the heroine. Will read (listen to) more by this author.

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I love this series, which is obviously cozy. This book is not only a good mystery, but moves the characters foreward in their relationships with each..Show More » other
As usual. I enjoy Kate Forbes as narrator. She IS Harrys voice.

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This murder mystery kept me hooked until the end, and what an unexpected ending! The speaking animals is a little far-fetched, but I enjoy hearing the..Show More »ir side of the story.

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Really like Rita Mae Brown's books. A+

The story and the plot were mildly entertaining, but there were far too many minor characters with little to add to the story, making it difficult to ..Show More »know which characters to remember and which to forget. There were a couple of fist fights which seemed to be added in for no particular reason. This is one book which would work well as an abridged audiobook.

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Mrs. Brown's traditional cozy mystery stories took a turn for a rougher element this time. While the story was interesting and enjoyable, I missed th..Show More »e quiet little town with the friendly Post Office. Missing, also, were all the old town inhabitants of the previous books.
I quickly became bored with all the horse show lore and also resented Mrs. Brown taking up my time with a lecture on illegal immigration.Most of all, I was unhappy with the foul language her rough characters spouted in this book. All in all, I would have to say, this latest read did not stand up to her previous books.

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In the latest installment of the Mrs. Murphy series, Rita Mae Brown brings you discussions on abortion, the evils of the Republican Party, the evils o..Show More »f politicians in general, relative merits of the BMW vs Mercedes transmissions, the importance of proper Virginia bloodlines for breeding, how to fit into Virginia society if you are not lucky enough to have the proper pedigree, the merits of heat pumps vs. oil burners, the glory of Ford F-150s (but the shilling is less than earlier books), evils of tv and the internet, the differences between the sexes, panty fetishes, the difficulties of veterinary coding for billing and filling, Jeffersonian architecture and the brilliance of animals. What you won't find, sadly, is a mystery of any real significance.

The series has faded from its former glory and so has the heroine, Harry Haristeen. The mystery is tacked on in most places and only rarely is it the focus of the story. Harry continues her roller coaster ride from very intelligent heroine to a stereotypical dimwit who ties herself down on the tracks in front of the proverbial train. Will her animals save her? (Of course they will). Will the enlightened and liberated modern women still need saving by the stud hero? Tired cliches and increasingly one dimensional characters are sadly taking over what were once truly pleasurable reads. They mystery would have made a good short story in length, but it still would have been mundane.

The writing is fundametally good and the debates are often fair if not balanced, but the mystery is what Rick and Coop (the law) should be listing as missing.

Kate Forbes continues to be an excellent narrator.

Bottom line: Don't feed what has become a cash cow unless the quality comes back.


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I used to enjoy this series by Rita Mae Brown. Never great mysteries, it's true, but enjoyable, light reading with mostly sympathetic characters and ..Show More »decent plots. The animal characters could strain one's ability to suspend reality, but they mostly "fit," providing amusing alternate perspectives to the tale. My complaint with this entry doesn't concern any of the characters, animal or human. Halfway through, there's precious little plot, no suspense, no character development, and all too much socio-economic/political/religious commentary. I read most mysteries for entertainment. I have no interest in Ms Brown's pronouncements on the evils of the 21st century. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much else to this entry.

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Despite the "heavy" story lines entwining cancer and murder, this was a delightful "light read." While the humans are trying to figure our what's goin..Show More »g on in their town, so are the animals who seems to always be a step ahead because they pay attention. Love the way Rita Mae gets the 2 species to intermingle. Gave me a fresh perspective to my own critters, 2 rescue felines. They talk and I am listening with fresh ears now. The narration seemed a bit stilted at times but did convey the the flavor of the central Virginia area, and that brought back memories, having lived in CVille for some years in the 1990s.

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