Whisker of Evil
by Rita Mae Brown
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rita Mae BrownEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-01-25
ISBN: 0553582860
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of Whisker of Evil
Book Review: The series gets better!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the twelfth book in this seris. With other writer, ennui tends to set in at this point and the writer either rehashes previous plots or loses interest in the characters or the storyline and it shows. That is absolutely NOT the case with this book.
The main characters and the setting of rural Virginia are a major part of the charm of this series. The fact that this series is a spoof on the detective genre is also part of the fun. Having cats, dogs, horses, possums, birds, and foxes all talking to one another and filling in the gaps in the human knowledge base is also part of the fun. Finally, the climatic scene in which the murderer is exposed and the cats and dog have to swing into action to save some humans has also become a standard part of the plots. The mystery itself was surprisingly easy to resolve for me, but I was still assidously reading the text to keep up with what happens next.
The real fun of this series is to explore the author's depth of knowledge and love of the Virginia countryside. The reader is rewarded with descriptions and explanations of why southerners seem to be lazy; how the virginia aristocracy works; and - in this volume - a lot about the horse breeding culture.
The mystery itself involves a disappearance of a local woman 30 years before and its links to a rabies-infected murdered person in the present. By the time the tangled web is completely unwoven you have learned a lot about what seems to go on beneath the placid-seeming surface of this small town.
For longtime readers of this series, be prepared! There are some major developments in what I call the "soap opera" lines. The various people to people relationships are explored and are developed ... sometimes to a surprising degree.
The only discordant note to me was that the author has chosen to become more apparent in her discussion of her own social poilitics. This was always a part of the series, but in this volume, it takes another step forward. My fear is that this factor would become more prominent and would distract from the wonderful world that she has created.
Nonetheless this is a delightful read and fun for those who have followed this series for years.
Summary of Whisker of Evil
A mysterious death in a Virginia farm town has the locals scratching their heads?while frisky feline Mrs. Murphy and her friends, fat-cat Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker, uncover clues as they curl their way around a cold-blooded killer.This balmy summer in Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor ?Harry? Haristeen has a lot to think about. Things have been pretty cozy between her and her ex-husband, Fair and her beloved old post office is in danger of being replaced with a modern building?and modern rules. Harry?s thoughtful contemplation is shattered the day she stumbles over a dead body near Potlicker Creek. Barry Monteith, the handsome local horse breeder, has been savagely murdered. A true ladies? man, Barry was known to have left a string of broken hearts behind him. But could a spurned lover be responsible for his untimely demise?
The plot only thickens when an autopsy reveals that Barry was infected with rabies weeks before he was killed. As usual, Harry can?t resist doing a little digging?with Mrs. Murphy close by to warn of approaching danger. Harry makes a remarkable discovery in the creek?the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who disappeared thirty years earlier along with her prized Thoroughbred stallion. Like Barry, Mary Pat was a successful horse breeder?and now all of Crozet is wondering if the two cases are linked. As the police struggle with the evidence, the pressure gets hotter than a June afternoon?especially when another person is found dead of less-than-natural causes. As usual, Mrs. Murphy and her crew are the first to sniff out the truth.
But if they don?t find a way to help Harry piece together the puzzle, she could become the killer?s next target?and even Mrs. Murphy?s slinkiest moves won?t be able to save her.
From the Hardcover edition.
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