Tall Tail

A Mrs. Murphy Mystery

De: Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown

Narrado por: Kate Forbes

In this fast-paced mystery by Rita Mae Brown and her feline coauthor, Sneaky Pie Brown, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her animal friends seek to solve a whodunit rooted in 18th-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.

©2016 American Artists, Inc. (P)2016 Recorded Books

Enjoyed it

I've always liked this series, in part because I used to live in Crozet. Thus, one issue for me in this book is the lack of time spent in Crozet, except for a few minutes at the very real and wonderful Over the Moon bookstore. The story is interesting, but if you don't peg the murderer in the first fifty pages you have not been paying attention. It also grated on me that the reader mispronounced two names very familiar to Albemarle county folks - Duners, a wonderful restaurant in Ivy, and Van Yahres, the last name of a man who was the local delegate to the Virginia General Assembly for a long time, and who was an honest and humble person, beyond rare among politicians, He was a real citizen legislator. That said, the plot was absorbing, the writing good, and the characters true to form.

starts out slow but stick with it.

its worth it. i didn't like tge book at first but decided to stick with it cause i like the narrator. glad i did. the story is good, even if i figured out the bad guy by ch 25

another great fun mystery

Rita Mae Brown writes beautifully:. smart plotting, great word choice and beautiful sentence structure as well as interesting fully-realized characters. Always a great read.

another good listen, excellent story line

if you listen to these light muder mysteries, this is one of their better ones. I have been waiting for it & not disappointed

Loved the history lesson!

I enjoy the history lessons as well as the mysteries. Rita’s proofreader needs to be replaced and not just because of this story (I.e. victim dies from stab wounds but later in story the gun is said to be the one which was used to kill the victim.) as a history buff and teacher, Brown’s interweaving of past and present is appreciated. The only problem with this story was the reference to “ Swing low, sweet chariot” being referred to as mourning the passing of a master. My knowledge, derived from a number of sources, mainly written, was the intelligence of slaves’ communications. This particular hymn was mentioned more than once, The slaves would sing hymns as they worked in the fields to communicate messages to other slaves. This hymn was one to communicate that runaway slaves were making their way north and requesting any help to make the journey safer. The infoBrown used in this story did give me more insight into some aspects of the descents of mixed race medical problems and what this medical info means to them. I may not always agree with the author’s/characters’ stance on issues, but standing up for what you believe is the American way.

A very fun activity.

I enjoyed this audio book very much..I listen to one every night I enjpoyedTallTall. An avid fan of sneaky pie and frieze

Love the double story

I love how she tells two stories that have future ramifications. Read all the books I love hearing them on audible while working.

Book 25 - Tall Tail is the 2nd in a 4 book series

I have listened to almost all of this series in order and have just finished the last available book, #27. I feel it very important to let listeners know that 4 - from Tail Gate, Tall Tail, A Hiss Before Dying and Probable Claws should actually have one title followed by 1,2,3,4 as they are intricately connected. If you try to listen to anything out of order you will be lost.
Please go to the review for Book 24- Tail Gait - as I wrote it after I finished Probable Claws. It will give the complete review of all 4 books.

Best yet

With the exception of the ill conceived "Sneaky Pie for President" this whole series is enjoyable. But, this is absolutely the best yet combining history, genetics, and a dandy mystery plot. Don't miss it

Good story

I like the historical fiction in this one. Pewter is a hoot as usual. Good read.