Murder Shoots the Bull

Southern Sisters #6

by Anne George

Patricia Anne would swear that either she or her sister Mary Alice were switched at birth, except they were both born at home. Flashy, flirtatious Mary Alice is one foot taller, twice the body weight of Patricia Anne, and three times as likely to do something completely off the wall. But now Mary Alice’s impulsive behavior has landed them both in the Birmingham jail!

It all begins with a call from their good friend Mitzi Phizer, who’s starting an investment club—kind of a Beardstown Ladies group. Patricia Anne is willing to make a small, conservative investment in a thriving chain of HMOs; Mary Alice is hot to trot to put her money on Viagra. But before the club idea gets off the ground, the sisters spot Mitzi’s supposedly faithful husband in a chummy little huddle with a redhead—and the next thing they know, Arthur is accused of murdering the mystery woman. Nothing about the whole sordid story fits the kind, gently Arthur, and Patricia Anne is doing her best to console her good friends. But when their house catches on fire, and Arthur is shot in a place that won’t allow him to even sit down at his own murder trial, the sisters know they have to stand up for the poor fellow. And that means checking out everyone—from low-down cads to highbrow bank presidents—to find a no good gun-toting arsonist who believes big money is to kill for.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Cozy, Southern, Audiobook

260 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Anne Carroll George was an American author and poet. She was Alabama's 1994 state poet. George died in 2001 of heart surgery complications.

Anne George was an Agatha Award-winner and a former Alabama State Poet. She was a cofounder of the Druid Press, and a regular contributor to literary and poetry publications. She was nominated for several awards, including the Pulitzer for a book of verse entitled Some of It Is True.

Series:
* Southern Sisters Mystery

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to put up this same review for the entire series. Instead of reading this set of books, I listened to the audiobook versions of the entire series. The series is about a couple of sisters that bumble onto murders and wind up solving them. I don't know if it's the books, or the reader that I liked the most. By the time I had finished a couple of the books, I felt like the reader and the characters were old friends. The stories are light, easy to follow, and not terribly complex, but to me, they were thoroughly enjoyable. I only wish Anne George had lived long enough to write a few more.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the zany sisters a lot more than I expected to. I enjoyed the mystery and appreciated the banter between several of the characters. The dialogue was lively and realistic. The mystery was complicated enough to keep my interest.

[Susan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

these ladies are so funny. I hate that there were only 8 of these stories written before Ms George passed away.

[Tiffany Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series so much and see my family members being the characters. I am sure it's because the setting is so close to home. Of course our sisters has a murder show up and the sisters end up solving the mystery. I just don't know how murder finds them but they figure it every time. I really enjoy this series and feel like I am one of them watchin Vulcans bootie each night. I love the chemistry with the members in this series and I look forward to what they will ne into text book!! Want to laugh,Roll your eyes and simply have a fun book then read this book to try.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the Southern Sisters cozy mystery series. The two elderly sister are so alike yet so different. They compliment each other very well. It had been awhile since I had read one if these and I found I confused the characters with the cousins in the Bed and Breakfast series. The Southern Sisters is much less sarcastic and may even be classified as having more meat on it's bones.

There was only one dead body in this particular novel. And it certainly wasn't a gruesome death. There was the typical amount of blackmailing, the usual rush of a great deal of characters (but not enough to make the story confusing; just enough to keep you guessing). There were no far-fetched solutions with non-existent clues. And I still had no idea whodunit and had totally misplaced my assumptions.

What a shame that the author passed into the netherworld before she could create more than 8 books in this great cozy mystery series.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read in the Southern Sisters series. Almost twenty years ago I was looking for something to read and couldn't find anything. I have to admit the title caught my attention so I read the description on the back. I still wasn't sure--it didn't really sound like my type of book, but I was desperate for a new book so I bought it.
It was wonderful, funny and extremely absorbing. I loved it so much that I got the other books in the series--without reading the descriptions because while they might tell part of the story they could never tell about the terrific, sometimes absurd, and really interesting characters that live in the pages.
This series is the series that got me interested in cozy mysteries and I really, really recommend it to anyone who loves cozy mysteries, quirky characters, and really funny situations.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is really funny . . . until it's not. At least this time Patricia Ann isn't about to get murdered when she finds the murderer. Her interactions with her husband, sister, and neighbor are wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed her getting to know her daughter-in-law after 15 years of trying to stay out of their lives. She herself had a miserable mother-in-law and is determined not to be one herself. Sometimes that backfires as many of us have learned the hard way. Another great addition to the Southern Sisters series!

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this Southern Sister's" series; the relationships between the characters is so sweet and funny. The sister's have love and acceptance for each other, but over-coated with some snippiness and light sarcasm. The entertwining of their families is an enmeshment that enriches all their lives.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious installment in a fun series.

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Murder Shoots the Bull is probably my least liked books in Anne George's series "A Southern Sisters Mystery". In past books, it's been of the two sisters solving the mysteries together and the craziness they get into doing it. But this one was more of just Patricia Anne and her daily going on's. How many times must we read about her making coffee for herself or for others? Or cooking (more like heating up) meals for breakfast, lunch or suppers? It's as though this was the basis of the story with a murder thrown in.

I lived in the Birmingham area for 8 years, so I always enjoy reading about the places and thinking, yupe, I've been there, or darn, I should had gone there, or I didn't know that.

It was also disappointing that it wasn't as funny (or fun) as the other books. There were really only two times that made me crack up when Patricia Anne called her sister, Mary Alice, "The Mouth of The South" and "Guess who called 911".

SPOILER ALERT: You couldn't even solve this mystery if you tried, as the character wasn't in the story until the end.

Being bummed that this story wasn't as good as the others won't deter me from reading the remaining ones I have yet to read.

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very sad that this is my last Southern Sisters mystery. Maybe someday I'll reread them all - this time in publication order.

I'm also sorry to say that this wasn't my favorite. I've never had the "is this book EVER going to be over?" feeling while reading a Southern Sisters mystery, but I had it several times while reading this one. There were very few exciting moments and not that many humorous moments, either. But I guess that could have just been me? It felt like we just followed Patricia Anne throughout her day - including all the details of every meal - with the occasional bit of information about the next-door-neighbors and her son and daughter-in-law. I didn't find the mystery all that compelling and was just happy when I got to the end.

Of course I still want to go to Birmingham some day and see that statue of Vulcan! And I do really want to read these all again someday. Maybe when I do, I'll find out that it was just my mood that was the problem while reading this and not the book.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio CD version while driving home from Boise. The reader, Ruth Ann Phimister, was excellent. She was good enough that my husband and I kept listening after the story started to irritate us. Phimister is why my rating is 2 star rather than one star.

This is the first Southern Sisters book I have read and will be the last. I suspect this is a series fans enjoy more for the characters than for trying to figure out the mystery. All the important hints are not revealed until the end--no trail of bread crumbs that you wonder how you missed them when the who-done-it is revealed. The listing of so many brand names also irritated me. I suspect if those are brands you are also faithful to, it would be a way to connect to the characters. Clearly many people love this series. I am not one of them.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another quick and cozy read. Patricia Anne, addressed as 'Mouse' by her sister, is a typical housewife and Sister can only be described as a quirky character with more money than common sense. The two sisters could not be more different, but they get along well. I like that Patricia and Fred get along so well after 40 years of marriage. There is mystery, murder, comedy, and chaos in sunny Florida. And once again, the Southern Sisters were able to figure out who the killer was before the police did.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason I thought I had read all of Anne George's southern sisters series (set in Birmingham, Alabama), but when I saw this one at the used book store last weekend, I realized I missed it somehow. Now that I'm done, this may very well be the best of the lot. With a situation developing right there in the neighborhood with Patricia Anne's neighbor, this cozy murder mystery was a fun read. Of course we have Sister/Mary Alice and the assorted kids, husband, former husband, etc. and they combine to make for an interesting read.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun read in the Southern Sisters Mystery series. I did not enjoy this one quite as much as the previous books in the series though. The characters involved in the actual mystery and their relationships were hard to follow and the ending was a little too thrown together for me. I still enjoyed the relations ship between Mary Alice and Patricia Anne and will be finishing up the series soon.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice join an investment group, with unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, they see Patricia Anne's long-time neighbor Arthur lunching with a strange woman, who seems to be sick. When she dies, they learn that the woman was Arthur's first wife, and he's a suspect in her murder. Obviously ridiculous, but that doesn't stop the police from arresting Arthur, or Patricia Anne and Mary Alice from involvement in the dead woman's wealthy, dysfunctional family.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister and Mouse are joining a women's investment club and settling down after their last adventure, when Mouse's neighbor is arrested for murdering his first wife. Mouse knows that mild mannered Arthur Phizer could not possibly have done it. When it becomes obvious that someone is trying to kill Arthur, the sisters can't help but get involved.

We meet some new characters and learn a bit more about the sisters. I just love them. I will hate to get to the last book. They are just so funny.

[Peggy Sinden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my fifth book about the Southern Sisters from Alabama. I still laugh at the relationship between these two and marval as to how they seem to find murder where ever they travel. You got to read it to believe it. Now where can I look to find out if there is another book out there just waiting to be read.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all started with a call from Patricia Annes neighbor Mitzi about joining an investment group. But when Mitzis husband is charged with murdering his first wife. And then their house is set on fire and he gets shot. Its up to Patricia anne and Mary Alice to solve the crime.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Southern Sisters manage to get caught up in another murder investigation in this fun, light entry in the series. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Ruth Ann Phimister who always does such a good job with the characters.

[JoDee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading and I still love this series.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to reconnect with Patricia Anne and Mary Alice from Birmingham, Alabama, and especially if Ruth Ann Phimister is reading the book. She truly brings the Southern sisters to life.

[Kathy Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

These light mysteries always make me laugh.

[Lois Hecksel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun cozy mystery from the Southern Sisters

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Anne and her sister Mary Alice are nothing alike, but have a loving-but-needling relationship that often powers the humor in this series. In this entry, something is going on with Patricia Anne's neighbors Mitzi and Arthur. Arthur has gotten reacquainted with his high school girlfriend and her wealthy family, which does him no favors when the lady drops dead in a restaurant parking lot and Arthur is arrested. When he gets out on bail, thanks to the murdered woman's wealthy son in law, Arthur's house is set on fire, and then he gets shot. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice need to find out what in the world is going on--they know it has something to do with the vast amount of money involved, and something that happened in the family's past.

This is a fun series, and I appreciate that Patricia Anne is both ladylike and cheerfully but politely crude, if that makes sense. She talks a lot about the bare-behinded statue of Vulcan that moons her neighborhood from the hilltop in Birmingham, and she and her husband clearly enjoy all the parts of their relationship. Not having a sister myself, I can't speak to the realism of the sisters' relationship, except to say that it feels genuine to me. The mystery was fine, but in books like this, it's a bit of a second fiddle to the humor and the characters, and that's fine with me. The audiobook reader does a good job, and it always makes me smile when she says "Piggly Wiggly" (a southern supermarket chain) in her Georgia accent.

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Patricia Anne and Mary Alice have lived in Birmingham, Alabama for most of their lives. So, the sisters have been invited to a women's investment club. Unfortunately, Arthur Phizer, Mitzi's husband, has been arrested for murder. Now there is no way that Arthur killed anyone, so who poisoned Sophie Sawyer? Can the ladies figure it out before Arthur is convicted? And why did Patricia Anne and Mary Alice end up in the Birmingham jail?

Dislikes: There really isn't much in the way of investigating going on in this book. But all of those investigating are almost eighty years old, I think we can forgive them for not getting physical.

Likes: Mary Alice dos prove that southern ladies don't take any disrespect. Al Corn so deserved it.

Also, Patricia Anne and Fred kept out of their children's marriages.

Conclusion: This was a sweet cozy mystery. It is more suited to those readers who aren't looking for too serious of a story. Enjoy the read.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder Shoots the Bull is Anne George’s sixth book in her Southern Sister murder mystery series. I think I found it the most enjoyable thus far. I do know I laughed out loud more than when reading the others in the series. Told by sixty-something Patricia Anne, a fairly sane housewife, and peppered with her five-years-older sister Mary Alice, the book is a tale set entirely in Birmingham, unlike the one before set in Florida. The sisters join a ladies’ investment club, and soon a murder ensues. It is up to Patricia Anne and Mary Alice, of course, to solve the murder while navigating the waters of stock investment and high finance. One can always count on Anne George to weave a fun tale, and this one kept me guessing.

[Linda Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series and the banter between the two sisters is often laugh-out-loud funny. This is a small complaint, but the title of the book does not relate to the story in any way I could see. My bigger complaint is that the resolution to the mystery comes out of nowhere at the very end of the story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s as if the author got to the end of a complex story and had to pick one of the characters to be the murderer and then quickly wrote a couple more pages to justify the choice. There were few clues as the plot unfolded. But I like the main characters well enough to read more of this series.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burned through this book; it was a fun, delightful, easy read!
I got it as part of a Mystery Box of Mystery Books for $5 (15?), so I wasn’t familiar with the series/characters but I don’t think you need to be.
Anne George’s writing style is filled with easy, colorful chatter and character. A fun bonus to this is that the normal hints & clues to the answer of the mystery don’t stick out quite as obviously as they do in other mysteries because it’s interwoven into miscellaneous backstory and everyday details.
Reads like what I imagine it’d be like to blend Murder She Wrote and The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.