Hiss & Tell: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy, #31)

by Rita Mae Brown

When a series of mysterious deaths spoil the Christmas season in Crozet, Virginia, Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen and her beloved cats and dogs lend the police a helping paw in this exciting holiday mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown.

“As feline collaborators go, you couldn’t ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown.”—The New York Times Book Review

Christmas is coming and Harry’s to-do list is a mile long. The days are filled with delivering holiday baskets to neighbors in need, chopping down the perfect tree with her best friend, Susan Tucker, and hunting for that elusive special gift for her beloved husband, Pharamond “Fair” Harristeen. Harry also decides to try her hand at dog showing, enrolling her handsome Irish Wolfhound puppy Pirate in classes to prepare for a future exhibition. Through it all, holiday cheer—and plenty of treats for Pirate—keep spirits high.

But the holidays aren’t cheerful for everyone. Harry’s friend on the police force, Cynthia Cooper, warns that the season can bring an uptick in crime. Her words prove tragically prescient when Harry and Susan discover the dead body of a man by the side of the road, without any clues to his identity. One suspicious death is bad enough, but when Cooper reports that two more bodies have been found, also unidentified, Harry knows trouble is afoot. The autopsies for all three bodies reveal the presence of a deadly drug. Could their deaths have been accidental, or is a devious killer on the prowl?

With help from her feline sidekicks, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, as well as Tee Tucker the corgi and Pirate, Harry vows to find the answers and stop the spate of deaths so that all of Crozet can have a very merry Christmas.

• ISBN10: 059335754X
• ISBN13: 9780593357545
• Publish Date: 28 March 2023
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Bantam
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593357545

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Hiss & Tell is the 31st (!!!) Mrs. Murphy mystery by Rita Mae Brown. Released 28th March 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Bantam book imprint, it's 304 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I've long been a fan of the author, and enjoyed her cozy Mrs. Murphy series as well as her more serious writing. This anthropomorphic cozy series is a pillar of the genre (and the author a prolific and dependable source of cozy reads in several disparate series).

The dialogue and writing are pitch perfect. Typically for Ms. Brown, the writing is solidly comfortable and engaging. Reading her books is almost like visiting with an old friend you haven't seen for a while; you just pick up where you left off the last time, even if you haven't seen them for ages.

This is a series with a vast returning cast of characters. The author has provided a comprehensive dramatis personae section at the beginning of the book in case the reader needs to sort of who is who. That being said, it is the31st book in the series and would probably be best read roughly in order. The story is told in alternating flashbacks from the modern day to the 18th century. The dates are given in the chapter headings, so it's no trouble to keep the intertwined stories straight. It's a testament to the author's technical ability that she manages to write period appropriate dialogue alternated with modern times without giving the reader whiplash or managing to lose the disparate plot threads.

Readers should be aware that the author does not shy away from the admittedly accurate period depiction of slaves, racial violence, and slavery, which can be somewhat jarring for a cozy book. It's probably edifying to talk about openly, but especially in light of the recent racial upheavals, I found it especially sad that we've not managed to make much of an appreciable difference in following 230 years.

I personally love anthropomorphic mysteries, but fair warning, if talking animals bug you, this probably isn't the series for you. The book also does a superlative job of giving a glimpse into Virginia hospitality and etiquette and the 18th century culture parallel to the modern day as well as providing a glimpse of daily life in the area both in the 18th century as well as the modern period.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.