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Sour Puss: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)
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Manufacturer: Bantam
Author: Rita Mae Brown
Publisher: Bantam
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $7.50
You Save: $ ( % )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Bantam
Author: Rita Mae Brown
Publisher: Bantam
Average Customer Rating:
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Sour Puss: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) Description
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780553586817
ISBN: 0553586815
Label: Bantam
Manufacturer: Bantam
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 320
Publication Date: 2007-02-27
Publisher: Bantam
Product Release Date: 2007-02-27
Studio: Bantam
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780553586817
ISBN: 0553586815
Label: Bantam
Manufacturer: Bantam
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 320
Publication Date: 2007-02-27
Publisher: Bantam
Product Release Date: 2007-02-27
Studio: Bantam
Editorial Review of Sour Puss: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)
In this latest whodunit, Rita Mae Brown and her feline partner-in-crime-detection, Sneaky Pie Brown, return to the scene of their bestselling crimes—picturesque Crozet, Virginia. Love is in the air as spring comes to the small town, but no sooner has Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen remarried than she is rudely interrupted—by murder. And no sooner does the trouble start than curious cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with corgi Tee Tucker, sink their claws into the case.…
After an unexpected rekindling of their romance, Harry and her veterinarian ex-husband, Fair Haristeen, have happily remarried. But the excitement of their nuptials is quickly overshadowed by the murder of Professor Vincent Forland, a world-famous grape and fungal expert who was in town visiting the local vineyards.
Within days of giving a lecture on how distilled fungus and cattle diseases are the current basis of chemical warfare, Forland’s decapitated body is discovered. After their initial fright, the residents of Crozet believe that this was a political murder and settle back into their routines–until a local is also found dead, killed in the same gruesome manner as Professor Forland. Now residents can’t help wondering, is this really the work of an
outsider—or one of their own?
No longer working in the post office, Harry had just planted a quarter acre of grapes, which fuels her natural curiosity over just what the two murder victims knew and had in common. Once the warmth of spring arrives, the grapevines blossom and Harry’s furry entourage discovers the first critical clue. But how can they show the humans what they’ve learned? And how can they—or anyone—stop the killing?
From the Hardcover edition.
After an unexpected rekindling of their romance, Harry and her veterinarian ex-husband, Fair Haristeen, have happily remarried. But the excitement of their nuptials is quickly overshadowed by the murder of Professor Vincent Forland, a world-famous grape and fungal expert who was in town visiting the local vineyards.
Within days of giving a lecture on how distilled fungus and cattle diseases are the current basis of chemical warfare, Forland’s decapitated body is discovered. After their initial fright, the residents of Crozet believe that this was a political murder and settle back into their routines–until a local is also found dead, killed in the same gruesome manner as Professor Forland. Now residents can’t help wondering, is this really the work of an
outsider—or one of their own?
No longer working in the post office, Harry had just planted a quarter acre of grapes, which fuels her natural curiosity over just what the two murder victims knew and had in common. Once the warmth of spring arrives, the grapevines blossom and Harry’s furry entourage discovers the first critical clue. But how can they show the humans what they’ve learned? And how can they—or anyone—stop the killing?
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews of Sour Puss: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A bit heavy on the Agri-info, but a fun read
Review: I think it is cute that Rita Mae Brown gives co-author credit to her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown! How cool is that?
The discussions between the animals gave this book real flavor. We get to learn the thoughts of Mrs. Murphy and Pewter (cats), Tucker (dog), plus that of an owl, possum, snake, and a mule.
The main human character is a lady named Harry, a retired postal worker who spends her time tending to her farm and solving mysteries.
This was a fun read with pretty good mystery elements. The only thing I didn't care for was the overabundant speil of agri-information concerning grape cultivation, vine diseases, horse raising, and biochemical warfare. I felt it was a bit heavy on those parts. I still enjoyed the book, though.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Entertaining
Review: I really enjoy all the books by Ms. Brown and Sneaky Pie. I don't understand why everyone seems so outraged by this one. So she goes on about certain subject matters. I didn't think it was that bad at all. A fiction book that actually tries to teach you something, what is the world coming to...
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Love is blooming ...
Review: ... all over the place:
Love between humans; love between humans and animals; love between animals and humans; love of humans for wine; and love of humans for money.
If you need to sum up this book it's all about the love.
The book starts with the long anticipated marriage between Harry and Fair. Since this is the second time for each of them - although to each other, again - the church wedding is lightly attended and immediately the scene is stolen by Mrs. Murphy and Pewter who stage a royal cat fight right in from of everyone.
From there, we go on to spend most of the book on wine, vines, and vineyards. As this is a huge turnaround from the horse country chitter chatter of the previous books, it takes one quite aback. I suppose that Albemarle County has to evolve or maybe Rita Mae Brown got tired of writing horse tails - in any case, please be aware that the horses are in very minor roles here.
Next come the mystery and the murder. Just on schedule, one of the new characters is missing. A search yields nothing but that is because the searchers neglected to ask the animals for their advice. Once Pewter, Tucker, and Murphy are engaged they find the body and lead Harry to it. Which, of course, leads to more questions and more bodies until Harry herself gets involved.
The storyling in this book was flat in several respects. First of all, one of the main charming points of the series up until now was how Harry knew everyone from her post in the little post office. Well, she quit it last book and rather than being even more penny pinching, she suddenly has no job and lots of money - early on in the book it's mentioned that she bought the 230 acres from Blair - enough money not to really be working at anything beyond her beloved farm chores. She certainly has time to drive around with Susan, Coop, Boom Boom and her other assorted friends rather than earn a living. Is all of this money coming in from her husband?
Other changes that took place were also somewhat stilted. Boom Boom apparently discovers that her true love has always been other women. This is from the same Boom Boom that has been features in many of the books as either a marriage-buster or husband-stealer. So, now she is a lesbian?
Because the small old post office was demolished, Miranda is also relegated to tiny roles and only appears once in person - although her baking is still mentioned frequently!
Finally, the mystery itself is not much of a mystery. By the middle of the book it was obvious to me who the murdere was and I found the rest of the killings to be done in poor taste. The whole plot was really stretched out and made too convoluted as supposed explanations for what was going on. Another trend that I do not like is that Harry has lately always had to be the one who resolves the crimes at severe risk to herself. In this case, she is completely uninvolved in the story line until almost the final chapter or two, but then is viciously attacked and only the help of her various animal friends saves her life. The finaly negative comment is that the final battle is way too graphically depicted! We do NOT need to read about what each bloody attack accomplished in terms of pain and damage to various body parts.
For all those reasons, I downgraded the rating to a three. I still love the concept of the animals solving the crimes and telling the stupid humans where to look; I still enjoy reading about the Virginia aristocracy and their foibles; and I still enjoy Harry and the various people she associates with. So, let's hope for a better effort in the next volume and raise a glass of wine to it!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Boring textbook
Review: I've always been a fan of Sneaky Pie, but I think she allowed Rita Mae a bit too much input on this one. Borrrrrring, endless details about the Virginia wine-making industry (I'd call it an info-mercial) and many product placements (boots and coats) make this read more like a combination of an agricultural textbook and a slick-cover catalog than the murder mysteries I've loved.
Let's hope the next installment, due out in 2008, goes back to the previous format where the story is actually about the characters and not "things".
Many hisssssssssssssssses and swats for this one.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Where is my Harry?
Review: Now, this Harry Harristeen is not the same charming person that used to work in the post-office! What has happened? The dialogues sound like excerpts from an agricultural manual. Real people don't talk like that! Of course I understand the problem of writing a murder mystery series situated in a small town with mostly the same people: You have to introduce new characters in every book which (surprise!) mostly end up either as victims or murderers. (That's why Miss Marple always traveled so much!) Well, maybe there is hope, since Harry and Fair are going on their honeymoon to Kentucky in the next book... Sometimes I wonder, if Ms. Brown is even still writing these books, or if they're ghostwritten by a farming politician who loves horsepower, but not so much cats and dogs...PS: And I do miss Miranda's orange-glazed sticky buns!
Review Summary: A bit heavy on the Agri-info, but a fun read
Review: I think it is cute that Rita Mae Brown gives co-author credit to her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown! How cool is that?
The discussions between the animals gave this book real flavor. We get to learn the thoughts of Mrs. Murphy and Pewter (cats), Tucker (dog), plus that of an owl, possum, snake, and a mule.
The main human character is a lady named Harry, a retired postal worker who spends her time tending to her farm and solving mysteries.
This was a fun read with pretty good mystery elements. The only thing I didn't care for was the overabundant speil of agri-information concerning grape cultivation, vine diseases, horse raising, and biochemical warfare. I felt it was a bit heavy on those parts. I still enjoyed the book, though.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Entertaining
Review: I really enjoy all the books by Ms. Brown and Sneaky Pie. I don't understand why everyone seems so outraged by this one. So she goes on about certain subject matters. I didn't think it was that bad at all. A fiction book that actually tries to teach you something, what is the world coming to...
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Love is blooming ...
Review: ... all over the place:
Love between humans; love between humans and animals; love between animals and humans; love of humans for wine; and love of humans for money.
If you need to sum up this book it's all about the love.
The book starts with the long anticipated marriage between Harry and Fair. Since this is the second time for each of them - although to each other, again - the church wedding is lightly attended and immediately the scene is stolen by Mrs. Murphy and Pewter who stage a royal cat fight right in from of everyone.
From there, we go on to spend most of the book on wine, vines, and vineyards. As this is a huge turnaround from the horse country chitter chatter of the previous books, it takes one quite aback. I suppose that Albemarle County has to evolve or maybe Rita Mae Brown got tired of writing horse tails - in any case, please be aware that the horses are in very minor roles here.
Next come the mystery and the murder. Just on schedule, one of the new characters is missing. A search yields nothing but that is because the searchers neglected to ask the animals for their advice. Once Pewter, Tucker, and Murphy are engaged they find the body and lead Harry to it. Which, of course, leads to more questions and more bodies until Harry herself gets involved.
The storyling in this book was flat in several respects. First of all, one of the main charming points of the series up until now was how Harry knew everyone from her post in the little post office. Well, she quit it last book and rather than being even more penny pinching, she suddenly has no job and lots of money - early on in the book it's mentioned that she bought the 230 acres from Blair - enough money not to really be working at anything beyond her beloved farm chores. She certainly has time to drive around with Susan, Coop, Boom Boom and her other assorted friends rather than earn a living. Is all of this money coming in from her husband?
Other changes that took place were also somewhat stilted. Boom Boom apparently discovers that her true love has always been other women. This is from the same Boom Boom that has been features in many of the books as either a marriage-buster or husband-stealer. So, now she is a lesbian?
Because the small old post office was demolished, Miranda is also relegated to tiny roles and only appears once in person - although her baking is still mentioned frequently!
Finally, the mystery itself is not much of a mystery. By the middle of the book it was obvious to me who the murdere was and I found the rest of the killings to be done in poor taste. The whole plot was really stretched out and made too convoluted as supposed explanations for what was going on. Another trend that I do not like is that Harry has lately always had to be the one who resolves the crimes at severe risk to herself. In this case, she is completely uninvolved in the story line until almost the final chapter or two, but then is viciously attacked and only the help of her various animal friends saves her life. The finaly negative comment is that the final battle is way too graphically depicted! We do NOT need to read about what each bloody attack accomplished in terms of pain and damage to various body parts.
For all those reasons, I downgraded the rating to a three. I still love the concept of the animals solving the crimes and telling the stupid humans where to look; I still enjoy reading about the Virginia aristocracy and their foibles; and I still enjoy Harry and the various people she associates with. So, let's hope for a better effort in the next volume and raise a glass of wine to it!
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Boring textbook
Review: I've always been a fan of Sneaky Pie, but I think she allowed Rita Mae a bit too much input on this one. Borrrrrring, endless details about the Virginia wine-making industry (I'd call it an info-mercial) and many product placements (boots and coats) make this read more like a combination of an agricultural textbook and a slick-cover catalog than the murder mysteries I've loved.
Let's hope the next installment, due out in 2008, goes back to the previous format where the story is actually about the characters and not "things".
Many hisssssssssssssssses and swats for this one.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Where is my Harry?
Review: Now, this Harry Harristeen is not the same charming person that used to work in the post-office! What has happened? The dialogues sound like excerpts from an agricultural manual. Real people don't talk like that! Of course I understand the problem of writing a murder mystery series situated in a small town with mostly the same people: You have to introduce new characters in every book which (surprise!) mostly end up either as victims or murderers. (That's why Miss Marple always traveled so much!) Well, maybe there is hope, since Harry and Fair are going on their honeymoon to Kentucky in the next book... Sometimes I wonder, if Ms. Brown is even still writing these books, or if they're ghostwritten by a farming politician who loves horsepower, but not so much cats and dogs...PS: And I do miss Miranda's orange-glazed sticky buns!