Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery-Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery


Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Bantam, Apr 3 2012, $26.00

ISBN: 978-0345530448



Fortyish Latigo Bly owns the highly successful Safe & Sound auto insurance firm that operates in the Mid-Atlantic region. Also in his forties Victor Gatzembizi owns the also successful and as lucrative as Bly’s business ReNu collision repair with many locations in Virginia including Crozet. Safe & Sound includes ReNu on its list of acceptable vehicle repair companies that they recommend to their customers.



Crozet resident Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and the Very Reverend Herbert Jones take his Chevy pick-up to ReNu. In the office they found the murdered body of mechanic Walt Richardson whose head was bashed in. The other mechanics insist they know nothing about Richardson’s death. Soon afterward someone shoots mechanic Nick Ashby with a bullet to his heart. The third mechanic Bobby Fultz is also killed with his body left by the Trumball monument on Flag Day. Victor offers a sizable reward for the capture of the serial killer. Harry, with Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker having her back, investigates the homicides only to find she placed herself in a dire situation in which she and her menagerie may join the dead mechanics.



The 20th Anniversary of the Brown writing team is a charming and enchanting mystery that affirms the Crozet cozies remain fun tales as Harry and her Puss ‘N Cahoots squad investigate the homicides. Even while the heroine continues her battle with breast cancer that she believes she is winning, she still makes inquiries into the murders. While Harry has landed in death-threatening scenarios before (see Santa Clawed) fans will appreciate this engaging anthropomorphic whodunit.



Harriet Klausner

No comments: