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Mrs. Murphy #1-3
Three Mrs. Murphy Mysteries: Wish You Were Here; Rest in Pieces; Murder at Monticello
Rita Mae Brown and her inseparable co-author, that fabulous feline Sneaky Pie Brown, are together again in this triple-threat collection of mystery and manners, southern-style. In fact, the first three novels in the Browns' Mrs. Murphy bestselling mystery series are reprinted here in their entirety. Whether you are already familiar with the detective work of postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her tiger cat Mrs. Murphy or are new to the team, you are sure to be intrigued by their unique approach. It's murder with a touch of whimsy, all set in the cozy hamlet of Crozet, Virginia. Meet Harry's friends, neighbors...and suspects--folks like notorious society vamp Boom Boom Craycroft in Rest in Pieces , or the nice Miranda Hogendobber in Murder at Monticello , and get a good taste of Brown's wickedly observant take on manners below the Mason-Dixon line. Cat lovers, mystery aficionados, and anyone who might like an armchair visit to a delightful old town down South, is sure to enjoy these witty, cleverly-plotted tales of suspense.
864 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2003
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
161 books2,315 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 3, 2019
Dog and cat and murder! Doggo and catte are innocent, but it's nice to have animal detective work for a change. Also this is three books and not just one, so I feel like it should count for three, but alas.
October 1, 2026
This collection delivers the perfect dosage of small-town southern charm, neighborhood secrets, and clever whodunits. Rita Mae Brown builds such a vivid community, and the unique perspective of the animals solving the crimes alongside the humans never gets old. It’s a slow-paced, feel-good anthology that makes you want to curl up with your own pets and a warm cup of tea!
March 18, 2018
Two thirds of this book aren't bad. I would skip the final section, unless you think that the Civil War was fought over "states' rights".
April 5, 2009
Ok, I'm going to do a standard review for the rest of the Mrs. Murphy books I read, because I really can't think of something smart to say about every single one of them. Actually, it's hard to come up with something smart to say about any one of them, because they are not really smart books.
Though, no, that's not true. They aren't trivial as such, they aren't too easy - or, in other words, they don't hurt my brain while I read them. But I think we can all agree that they are also not "great literature", and certainly not intellectually challenging, and as such, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. (that and the talking animals, of course)
But they are pretty straight-forward crime stories, not overly complicated, but also never boring. They live from the interaction of the characters and the settings, both of which Brown handles brilliantly. That she also manages to make the reader fall in love with the characters, not only the familiar ones, but also the new ones she adds in each book, shows that a master she really is.
And so I have no problem admitting that I have read and loved every single one of the Mrs. Murphy books, and I'm convinced that I'll continue to love them for as long as she continues to write them, which I hope will be until forever.
Though, no, that's not true. They aren't trivial as such, they aren't too easy - or, in other words, they don't hurt my brain while I read them. But I think we can all agree that they are also not "great literature", and certainly not intellectually challenging, and as such, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. (that and the talking animals, of course)
But they are pretty straight-forward crime stories, not overly complicated, but also never boring. They live from the interaction of the characters and the settings, both of which Brown handles brilliantly. That she also manages to make the reader fall in love with the characters, not only the familiar ones, but also the new ones she adds in each book, shows that a master she really is.
And so I have no problem admitting that I have read and loved every single one of the Mrs. Murphy books, and I'm convinced that I'll continue to love them for as long as she continues to write them, which I hope will be until forever.
December 9, 2016
As surely did many of a certain age, I loved 'Rubyfruit Jungle' way back when, then eagerly tried the next one or two and pretty much lost interest at the lack of any continued socio-political theme. Next time I noticed her on a shelf was this volume, years later. I tried once and just couldn't get past the first pages. Another 15 years or so and it rose to the top of a pile... and this time I found its charm.
This volume comprises the first three mysteries in the series. The first introduces this silly world in a rural Virginia town and is pleasant enough with just enough cursing to not scare you off from a cast consisting of a postmistress, her cat, her Corgi and assorted other hangers-on of both human and non-human variety. The second stumbles in a surprisingly large number of ways, what with too many relationships addressed and being dragged on a lengthy side trip into the world of fox hunting on the way to an overly lengthy reveal. The third recovers a bit from all that, but seems to forget that the cat is supposed to be the author, as entire scenes occur without animals present, and maybe race and genealogy aren't really their forte anyway.
I can't imagine ever chasing the 20+ more in the series down, but I'd happily read any I stumble across at the right moment.
This volume comprises the first three mysteries in the series. The first introduces this silly world in a rural Virginia town and is pleasant enough with just enough cursing to not scare you off from a cast consisting of a postmistress, her cat, her Corgi and assorted other hangers-on of both human and non-human variety. The second stumbles in a surprisingly large number of ways, what with too many relationships addressed and being dragged on a lengthy side trip into the world of fox hunting on the way to an overly lengthy reveal. The third recovers a bit from all that, but seems to forget that the cat is supposed to be the author, as entire scenes occur without animals present, and maybe race and genealogy aren't really their forte anyway.
I can't imagine ever chasing the 20+ more in the series down, but I'd happily read any I stumble across at the right moment.
August 5, 2003
I've chosen this edition to show the three titles that I started the series with. I did enjoy several of this series but haven't read the newest ones. The animals are delightful as are the main characters. A solid series. Fun to read with very nice line drawings for periodic illustration of the stories.
May 8, 2010
I enjoy reading the beginning of the Mrs. Murphy books. It's nice to get reaquinted with the characters. I had forgetten why Little Mim was divorced. It's nice to also see how the characters have developed through the series. I might go back and read the beginning of other series' that I enjoyu.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 8, 2014Murder At Monticello The Harry and friends are investigating a murder that occurred in the 1800s at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. Archaeology of the slave housing is occurring and a body is found under the foundations. The cold case is well written and interesting and how relates to present. Mrs Murphy, Tucker and Pewtor are secondary characters to the main plot.
May 2, 2008
More modern cat whodunnit series, set in a small town in Virginia. Fun characters (including the various cats, dogs and other creatures around town). Reasonable mystery plots, although it'll be interesting to see how much more the population of the town gets depleted!
May 27, 2009
I love Rita mae Brown, this omnibus was the first of her books I had read after fing The Rubyfruit Jungle, she never disappoints. Mrs. Murphy is the perfect relax in the sun, put your feet up and eat something sinful companion.
July 5, 2010
A good mystery where Harry's animal friends and pets help with catching the murderer in the end. Rita Mae Brown does a nice job of writing with her use of metaphors and descriptors.
September 7, 2012
LOVE IT!
May 16, 2014
Mindlessly amusing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews