I've been reading the Mrs. Murphy mysteries since 1990... a new one come out every year around my birthday. I'm a sucker for stories that revisit the same characters over and over, so I'll keep reading these as long as Rita Mae keeps writing them. That being said, I can't help noticing that Rita Mae keeps inserting her politics and point of view more and more into these books... that's her perogative as the author -- I don't necessarily disagree with all her opinions, it just seems so obvious and often doesn't fit within the narrative.

I also wonder if she is auctioning off appearances in her books... now and then random characters appear, and they are no more than a mention then gone again. I imagine it is a lucrative fund-raising scheme, yet as a regular reader, those insertions stick out.

I miss Harry working at the P.O., and her relationship with Miranda, and Little Marilyn marrying Blair has never felt right to me... still, I love visiting Crozlet every year, and seeing the latest twist Rita Mae has cooked up.