The Purrfect Murder (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) by Rita Mae Brown
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Book Reviews of The Purrfect Murder (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)
Book Review: Rita Mae Brown, where are you?
Summary: 2 Stars
I was so looking forward to a good Mrs. Murphy mystery. I loved the series until Whisker of Evil, which seems to have begun the downhill slide. We know that Rita Mae Brown can write - the plots and characters in the early books of this series are a testimony to that. Why, then, has she allowed herself to release these past few books?
The writing in this book is abhorrent. The characters lack life. There is far, far too much of the author's soapboxing. I did like the ending, though.
Please, Ms. Brown, take the time to do it right if you plan another one.
Book Review: Phony Feminism
Summary: 2 Stars
I agree by and large with the other reviews.
What really irritated me, though, was that the books is set out to be so feminist (i.e. apparently pro-abortion). Yet at the end we get the the classic female in danger. Without giving anything away, the now 40-year-old Harry puts herself in danger with incredible stupidity, with no back up arranged--then is saved partly (of course) by the animals, but mostly by her 6-foot-5 husband.
I think I'll pull out an old VI Warshawski.
Book Review: Getting Totally Sick of This FFV Junk
Summary: 1 Stars
I agree with all of the other reviewers who have complained about Rita Mae Brown's soapboxing - whether you do or do not agree with her on any particular issue, whenever her characters break into some philosophical musing on something "deep", the dialogue comes off as incredibly clunky, intrusive, and smug. The characters could dislocate an arm with all the self back-patting they do, all of the "we few, we special few, we are the only ones who truly understand..." whatever. I mean, she even makes a big deal about how real smokers only use matches, never lighters, unlike the hoi polloi...Jeez, it's like the core characters have to be this small, exclusive group that's in the know about absolutely everything. Bet in her next book she reveals that there's some super-special way to blow your nose (only on pure cotton hankies, never on vulgar kleenex?) that only true Virginians know.
And that's what I find really infuriating - sure, regional mysteries have their charm, describing the quirks of a particular region and making you wish you could go for a visit...but when you get to the point where the characters (and, by extension, the author) do nothing but drone on about how wonderful they are because their ancestors have been planted in the same spot of land since forever...please. I mean, we all had ancestors 200 years ago, and 2000 years ago, and 10,000 years ago. What's so special about having a family where nobody has thought to make a move in a few centuries? I guess by this reasoning those FFVs (First Families of Virginia, in case you didn't catch the hundreds of references in the books) aren't quite as good as all of the families in European, Asia, Africa, South America, etc. who never decided (or were forced) to emigrate.
Oh yeah, and what gives with all this "country people are always so much smarter than city people" business? That got old with Aesop.
Book Review: Could have happened in about 30 pages
Summary: 1 Stars
I had never read a Mrs. Murphy mystery series book before, and I have to say I don't think I was missing anything. I was looking for a nice, light, cozy mystery, but many character gave their opinions on abortion, which meant a lot of rehashing of the same things over and over. And I noticed the product placement too. Sheesh, gas mileage on a car as filler conversation while two characters are going somewhere, and apparently the mileage was covered in more than one book before? Really? I know cozy mysteries don't go too deep, but this one was only deep when it came to the political views. If you just kept the parts directly related to the mystery, then the book would be much shorter. And if you cut out the ridiculous conversations between the animals, then it would probably be a pamphlet. I expected the writing of the animals to be more about animal behavior, not about imaginary conversations between the animals. And seriously, cats talking about anuses is not funny.Book Review: Quit reading on page 57
Summary: 1 Stars
That is as far as I could charitably get in this clunker. I have read every book in this series, many of which were delightful, but I have observed that the plot lines have gotten weaker as the political rhetoric has become stronger. I can handle the occasional comment, but in this volume, the author just droned on and on with her personal politics. Misbegotten comments such as "...isn't it (abortion) better than just outright killing girl babies like they do in India and China?" Hmm, is that the alternative? In the same pro-abortion discussion, the reader is also treated to "Global warming is caused as much by overpopulation as by cars." Right-wing legislators were referred to as "opportunistic buffoons." And what she says about the current administration, I dassent repeat in polite company. All that in fifty-some pages. I can only imagine what comes after. Yes, I am finished with the series. More's the pity, since the pets are charming.