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Jun 30, 2011

Suspense Magazine rated it:

There’s a whole lot to like about “Hiss of Death”, the nineteenth “collaboration” between tiger cat Sneaky Pie Brown and her human, Rita Mae. This series is guaranteed to tackle some tough issues and the latest one doesn’t disappoint. It gives readers an inside look into what happens when a woman—in this case, lead character Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen—is diagnosed with breast cancer.
The book opens with Harry and several friends from Central Virginia Hospital gearing up for the annual race More...

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Jun 01, 2011

Judy rated it:

Dear Sneaky Pie Brown: I have always really liked the books that you allow Rita Mae Brown to co-author with you--and by the way, why does she always insist on having her name listed first?--but I have had a little problem with the last several books. I know that this is no way your fault, but would you please ask Rita Mae to tone down on the political opinions. While I may agree with some, or even most of these opinions, I find that they distract from the flow of the narrative and can even be More...

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May 14, 2011

Judy rated it:

I love Pewter, Mrs. Murphy, and Tucker! This time they have their work cut out for them. While Harry deals with health issues of her own, she also gets involved in trying to solve the mystery of 3 deaths of people, who work at the medical center. I think the thing I like best about these books is the extra understanding you get by the the animals have to say. It isn't hokey and it isn't nursery rhyme-ish. It just works. I'm sure that Sneaky Pie Brown, who co-writes these books with Ms. Brown, is More...

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Apr 18, 2011

Jeannie rated it:

"Hiss of Death" made me uncomfortable on several levels. Now, this is not a negative, this means the contents of this book touched my personal emotions and made me reflect upon politics, health, friendships and then there was the reason for the mystery....murders!

Harry and retinue go through a health crisis that I have faced myself. My results were far more extreme in one sense, however, it really made me think about the science behind the illness. I was interested by how Har More...

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Apr 13, 2011

Wendy rated it:

I didn't finish this book and let me tell you why. After two chapters I remembered why I hadn't finished the last Mrs. Murphy book either: the author's insistence of putting her opinions about government and politics and all kinds of other issues into the mouths and minds of her characters.

Here's the thing, I don't necessarily disagree with Brown's opinions on global climate change, entitlement reform, or gay rights, but this book series isn't the place to voice them. I've been readi More...

6 comments like (5 people liked it)

May 17, 2011

Cece rated it:

So far this is much preachier than previous books in the series. Heavy-handed message delivery. I am a bit disappointed. Will see how this develops.

Almost 100 pages in now. Lurching from petroleum dependence to the high cost of farming to alternative technologies to health care reform to imported products made in China. Rita Mae, I fear, has lost the sense of lighthearted joy that percolated through the earlier books.

P. 160. Add misguided legislation that is crippling More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Oct 05, 2011

Terri rated it:

I have enjoyed all of Rita Mae Brown's Harry Hairsteen stories very much and this one is no exception. Harry's diagnosis of breast cancer and her reactions to it are the springboard of the mystery, but they are also a very contemporary situation that all too many women are facing. Even though I am not a native Virginian, I enjoy the setting very much - I know the area and references to other parts of my state that are familiar to me gives a sense of intimacy to the story. As an "animal p More...

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Jun 10, 2011

Anne Hawn rated it:

This was a little disappointing. There were so many medical warnings that I felt like I was being preached at through most of the book. It became very tiresome. I think it is fine to slip in that the main character is going for a yearly check up or that another has been told by his doctor to lead a healthier life style, but it was everywhere you turned in this book and got in the way of the story. The mystery also didn't take center place. I never felt as if it developed because there were More...

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Jul 18, 2011

Jae rated it:

Remember when this was a great series? Not so much any more. This used to be my favorite series. It used to have exciting plots and wonderful, charming characters. Not so much any more. Now the plots are thin and boring. Now the characters are trite and flat.

The last two books have killed this series for me. Brown no longer seems to care about her stories or her readers. She spends most of her time, every third page or so, boring us and pulling the reader out of the story by beating More...

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Jun 10, 2011

Bibli-ophelia rated it:

I have read a lot of the Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker books but I agree with the majority out there- this was one of my most horrendous reads of the year.
I understand the necessity of addressing the cancer part of the story, and it is important, hell, my mother, sister and aunt had breast cancer and I've had at least 5 other relatives die of it.
But if you want to air your uneducated backwater views on politics, write an editorial in your local paper. No one cares, is interested o More...

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Jun 30, 2011

Marni rated it:

Rita Mae Brown is my absolute favorite mystery author. And mysteries are my fave genre. This series is fantastic about a woman and her pets. The difference is that in these books the animals all talk to each other and usually solve things before their human. But theyre not campy. They are funny and heartwarming. Im not the biggest animal person but I get choked up when the animals rally around their humans in their time of need. And there is always a great animal rescue at the climax of her book More...

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Aug 08, 2011

Donna rated it:

I always enjoy these books. To me they are purely for enjoyment, kind of a guilty pleasure when you don't want to think too much. With that said, I do enjoy the fact that Brown usually weaves political, agricultural, financial, and in this book medical information into the fictional story. But it still allows you just to enjoy the story, it's not anything fast-paced or requiring a lot of thinking. And of course, I have a "Mrs Murphy" tabby cat of my own that I hope never learns to More...

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Oct 22, 2011

Georgiann rated it:

HISS OF DEATH.Ah Spring as a wave of tilling and planting sweeps over Crozet,Virginia,Harry is especially excited this is her first year planting and harvesting grapes to sell.But than a health care crisis sends her reeling into the forbidden world of doctors and hospitals, treatments and procedures.Harry is diagnosed with stage one breast cancer surviving this journey will be tough on her Fair her husband and her animals mrs . Murphy, Pewter and Tucker will help steer her in the right directio More...

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Oct 23, 2011

Elizabeth rated it:

If the book club hadn't selected this as a book I probably would not have read it. It was an interesting perspective to see a human interpretation of what our pets are actually thinking. I've often wondered that exact question when I see my neighbor's two dogs, especially when I'm dogsitting.

This book takes place in Charlottesville, Virginia and is based around a group of female friends who are organizing a 5k breast cancer race. One of them is found dead right before the race a More...

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Jun 21, 2011

Nora-adrienne rated it:

Let me preface my coming remarks by saying. I truly love Rita Mae's writing. I've been reading her books for over 30 years, starting with a 2nd paperback printing of Ruby Fruits.

This new Harry book just isn't up to her usual standards. It started slow, jumped into a murder that Harry gets drawn into, and spends the next 40 or so pages discussing cancer (an important subject of course but) to the exclusion of what I thought should be the story. Then she gets into politics, which we More...

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Sep 14, 2011

Julie rated it:

I enjoy the characters in this series, both human and animal. But I had a difficult time with this book because of it's strong emphasis on educating people about breast cancer. I guess it's a good thing that Ms. Brown wrote it; I'm sure there must be mystery readers out there somewhere who don't know their facts about breast cancer. But I found it a little heavy handed.

That said, I enjoy reading about Harry and her human and animal friends and would normally give the books in seri More...

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May 02, 2011

Lora rated it:

I love Sneaky Pie Brown, I've read every book, but man oh man when Rita Mae goes on a tangent she really goes all the way. I liked but didn't love this one. The story was a bit of a stretch. The continual lecture on cancer was drawn out just a bit much for my taste. Since Harry has had radiation now, does that mean she won't be having children in the future? For all her talk about treatements she didn't mention this aspect at all. The animals were as cute as ever (love that Pewter). The t More...

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Apr 20, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Normally, I really love these novels. The idea is the same in each one. Townie Harry sticks her nose where it doesn't belong, nearly gets killed, is saved, and the bad guy is caught. In this one the same idea is there, which is comfortable and familiar, however, the tone was rather preachy. There were times when it feels more as though it's a PSA for cancer, more eco-friendly cars, etc. I get it, but I want to read books in this series as an escape rather than being lectured. While I admire More...

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Jun 06, 2011

E. rated it:

Harry faces one of the biggest challenges in her life as she deals with all of the repercussions of a serious medical issue. Naturally, there are inexplicable deaths that befall the people around her and Harry juggles her investigation with the interactions that she is having with the medical personnel around her. The intrepid four-footed associates once again prove their love and support for their mistress. Beautifully illustrated as usual (except for a slight error in one of the depictions) More...

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Apr 29, 2011

Gregory rated it:

I have read everyone of Rita Mae Brown's books from her earliest to this one and I have either loved or enjoyed almost all of them. However in this book it seems that Ms. Brown has forgotten that the essence of a novel is a good story. Tell me a story and you can preach politics all you want, make social commentary, and let your opinions hang out. But remember to show me not to tell me. I can read the daily news and get all the insanity and political naivete that I want. But when I'm reading More...

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Apr 28, 2011

Jane rated it:

This is a series of books that I've now read everyone that's out and I've never been more disappointed than I was when I finished this one. The story is very thin but if you want great information about breast cancer, equine semen shipping, autopsy details, and politics of the present this is the book for you. I missed her regular characters who appeared very briefly or were out of town. I missed the use of the animals in the solving of the mystery - really not much there. Way too much talk More...

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Oct 24, 2011

Selene rated it:

It was not exactly what I expected. I don't really read mystery novels, and maybe there's a reason for that. I was not thrilled by the characters - there were too many of them and they were all one dimensional. Still the animals in the book were jewels. I realize I read like the last one in the series so maybe most or even all of the characters were firmly introduced in a previous book, but I didn't have a clue as to who they were. Despite that I did figure out who the culprit was, though some o More...

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Oct 10, 2011

Melissa rated it:

I'm really tired of Ms. Brown's rants- including having a character appear at one point just to deliver one! I don't care whether I agree with her or not (some I do, some I don't) a mystery book is not the place for them. If she wants to give her opinions on things, write an essay! This will proabably be my last Mrs. Murphy book because of this. She also had incorrect information about breast cancer therpy, eg that radical mastectomy is the best way to ensure a cure (no longer true) or that rad More...

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Feb 08, 2012

Donna rated it:

I love these mysteries! I've read every one! I never know the culprit.
OK, after writing that, I have to add that I'm not a die-hard mystery lover.
I was attracted to these stories because of the cats and the other animals. Rita Mae Brown knows how to write about animals well. I can swear that my cats say the same things as Pewter and Mrs. Murphy.
I also have to add that I don't like these latter mysteries as well as the earlier ones, although this one was one of the better ones of More...

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Aug 07, 2011

Susan rated it:

Apparently, Rita Mae Brown has become old and cranky and taken Harry with her. So sad to see this series deteriorate into a platform for the author's pet peeves.

Also, it was absolutely unbelieveable that Harry would deal with breast cancer with no support from the regular characters she has loved and supported throughout the years. They are all missing from the book with little or no explanation. In their places are just pages of data dumping in dialogue form. No one would stand by a More...

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Aug 12, 2011

Saadia rated it:

With the familiar set of characters, Humans and animals in the horse-centric central Virginia area... Interesting commentary about the cost of good health care, the types of doctors and specialists, and vitamin therapy, electric cars and cost of living, etc. Very up to date issues of the day. Harry joins gym to improve muscle tone and maintain figure as she moves through middle age. One has to pay attention to the little clues strewn by author to piece together the likely motive and killer.. More...

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Oct 19, 2011

Teresa rated it:

For the most part I enjoy Ms Brown's books this one had some faults however. The murderer was apparent early in the narrative, I did not really want exacting details as to how a good horse barn was built, details on the shipping of horse semen, details on the difference between exercising and body building, or the use of cell phones on the brains of young people. In short this book was padded. The animals which are usually enjoyable were not present as often usual in the series.

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Apr 28, 2011

Judy rated it:

Harry Hairsteen and friends go have a mammogram together and they found a small problem with Harry. She goes through a biopsy and surgery, radiation, etc. Harry joins a support group and as usual she gets involved in several murders in town. I thought the story was good and Harry and her animal friends try to figure out what is going on around town. Also, within the story there is talk of health care coverage and the process of breast cancer surgery. I found it informative as well as a good More...

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May 29, 2011

Patty rated it:

Normally I enjoy this author's mysteries, but this one fell way short. I felt that the author wrote this one to put her own personal opinions out there. It felt like the story was contrived and written only to support the author's agenda. Even the conversation in this book felt stilted and weird. Not at all like the normal flow of her books. I don't mind a book highlighting different viewpoints, but this one felt like a sermon, and not a very well written one.

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Apr 20, 2011

Tracey rated it:

I'm getting kind of tired of RMB's social and political commentary posing as dialogue or description. I like these as fluffy sorts of reads, but the right-wing preaching has gotten more and more pronounced since 2008. I still love the pets, and it was nice to have the horses play a kick-ass role in this one, too.

Honestly, though, if anyone else dies horribly in the neighborhood of Crozet, Virginia, they ought to shut the place down, and move everyone someplace safer. Like Baghdad.

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