The Litter of the Law: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery Offered by Random House LLC Price: $10.99
Like Reading a Textbook, October 24, 2013   Book Description Publication Date: October 22, 2013Rita Mae Brown collaborates with feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown in a new mystery starring Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, the curious cat detectives Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker, the valiant crime-solving corgi. Halloween arrives early this year to rural central Virginia, when a twisted killer will stop at nothing to protect a multimillion-dollar scheme. THE LITTER OF THE LAW Autumn has descended and crops are being harvested all over Crozet, Virginia, ideal conditions for a scenic drive for Harry and husband Fair. Bucolic views are all well and good, but Harry’s nose for trouble leads her straight to a cornfield’s macabre scarecrow—an all too real murder victim that frightens all but the noisy crows. This accountant’s gruesome death is only the first of many disturbing events in this normally pastoral corner of the world. While Harry tends her beloved grapes and sunflowers, a killer edges closer—as does Harry’s protective menagerie of animals. Halloween’s approach brings with it bona fide terror and a beloved local tradition that threatens to become fatal. Rooting out the guilty in the treacherous center of a lucrative conspiracy requires Harry’s farmer’s wisdom—along with the quick wits and extraordinary senses of Sneaky Pie, Pewter, and Tucker. A vicious murderer may know the lay of the land far better than Harry does, but that’s about to change. It’s up to her vigilant four-footed companions to make sure that the unearthing of this plot is not Harry’s last act. “As feline collaborators go, you couldn’t ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown.”—The New York Times Book Review This review is from: The Litter of the Law: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Kindle Edition) If you want to learn about crimes against indigenous tribes , organic gardening or certain types of politics instead of reading a cozy mystery, then this will be a great book for you. I have stayed away from Ms. Browns work for a while now ever since she started taking the books into a new direction and infusing them with the authors opinions on politics, world views, religion et al. I thought I would give this author one more try. I am sorry I bothered. We are back to the rants and raves of previous books with the added thrill of the environment. Yes, I know Harry is farmer now so environmental concerns are important, but they don't really make for an interesting cozy mystery read. People are dying and the corpses are being arranged in gruesome and very public manners. Of course, Harry and Fair stumble accidentally on the first corpse. (Big mistake to take the postmistress job away from Harry, however that came about, it makes for weaker less believable story lines now). It takes about 60% of the novel and a thin novel it is already, for anything interesting or even resembling a clue, to happen! I usually love the animals, but this time I found their dialogue tedious at best - plain old word filler at worse. It was a huge struggle for me to finish this book. I used to be able to just sit there and gulp them down in one sitting, but no more. Reading this supposed cozy mystery novel, was more like being in school and reading a textbook.*ARC Supplied by Publisher*