Customer Reviews

Cat of the Century: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I have loved most of RMB's earlier books. I have all of them except for this one. When she wrote "Sour Puss" something about her changed I think as a person and it caused her delightful, fun, engaging fiction to plunge into a dismal state of getting on soap boxes, complaining about the government and basically all around using her book as a political platform with an occasional cuteness thrown in with a comment from Mrs. Murphy, Pewter or Tucker. Except now she has even gone and corrupted the animals. They are truly still the most likeable of the bunch, including Aunt Tally's Gordon Setter, Doddles, and Enzo, Inez's dog whose breed escapes me.

I truly thought after "Puss" I would give up reading Mrs. Murphy's series because I figured out whodunit after 60 pages and didn't bother finishing the book. However, I had high hopes when she released "Santa Clawed", her last book, because it remaind truer to her previous wonderful stories rather than political jib jab and high horses. I had hoped sincerely with all the positive PR "Clawed" received that RMB would go back to what works. I was sadly mistaken.

In summary, I agree with most of the reviewers here who said they miss the old books with their playful banter and amature detection, rather than forums and pomposity. I am sick of the political forums, I would watch the news if I wanted that. Her dialogue has even changed where the characters now speak at each other rather than to each other. She adds qualifiers to everything! There is a part where Aunt Tally uses the word "Ain't" in a fairly well known colloquialism most anyone can recognize, but Brown points out she is just using the expression as Tally always has an excellent grasp of the English language and grammar. So unnecessary! The writing here is just plain awful and once again, I figured out whodunit halfway through the book.

I would normally say die hard fans should check it out and see for themselves, but this book was so bad I wouldn't even buy it in paperback when it comes out to complete my collection. Skip skip skip it unless you get it from the library and positively have nothing else to do. It is more fun to scrub your toilet than read this. I am sad to say good bye to Mrs. Murphy, but I too agree this will be my last one. There are so many other books out there to read than to hope Brown will go back to the old days.

I used to really enjoy these Mrs. Murphy books, and own most of them. However, this one will be my last. Every single conversation between characters turns into a dig on the government. That is not why I read these cozy mysteries. Most of the politicizing has absolutely nothing to do with the storyline, and leaves me scratching my head as to why the author included it. Surely there is a better venue to express one's political views than a cat mystery book?

I have really tried to like her last three books but alas, I think this is it for me.
I am tired of the soap box and whatever tirade she is on at the time of her writing. The cats and dogs are the best part of the book.

If I want politics, and preaching I will turn on the all day news. they all do enough of it.
I read to escape and relax but Her latest books do neither. I know of two people that quit before the last two.

While I applaud the remarriage- Oh for the days when Harry and Miranda pushed the pets around the post office in a cart.

I am glad to see so many like-minded readers out there. I was afraid it was just me who found this book boring, tedious, offensive, condescending... need I go on? I am only sorry that Amazon doesn't offer the "no stars" option for reviews because this book (and I use the term loosly) deserves NONE!
I have enjoyed Brown's earlier works when I was in the mood for mindless, simple entertainment. Having a corgi and several cats myself, I could relate to her four footed characters. It has always bothered me how she felt the need to patronize her readers by explaining and labeling every other sentence, but for the most part her books have done just want I wanted them to do... offered a pleasant escape.
Until Cat of the Century, that is. I can't comment on the plot of this book because, truthfully, I couldn't find one amidst the politcal diatribe. If I wanted to listen to Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh ramble on about all the evils of liberals I would watch Fox News (I would rather have root canal without pain killers, thank you very much). What Brown spews across the pages of this book isn't worth the killing of so many helpless trees, and certainly wasn't worth my time reading the first 40 or so pages, as that is all I could slog through before I got disgusted and picked up something better.
And while I know that as Americans we have the right to free speech, there must be more appropriate forums for Brown to air her's than a cozy mystery featuring thinking, cognizant pets. I will miss Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker, and Pewter... but not enough to ever pick up one of Rita Mae Brown's books ever again!

I agree with all the comments which have expressed disappointment with Rita Mae Brown's increasing use of her fiction as a political soapbox. It detracts from the writing, making it feel like an awkward polemic. It also takes up space which used to be used for character development, which I feel has fallen off sharply, to my sadness. I loved these books when I first discovered them, partly because Brown did develop real characters--not only Big and Little Mim, but Boom Boom, Miranda, Blair and a host of others. Now, she barely allows her current cast to speak for themselves!
I also loved them because I was living overseas at the time and they reminded me of things I missed about America. Now, they would remind me our acrimonious and shrill political environment!
I have had a great run with Harry and Mrs. M, but think this one may be the last polemic for me......

I used to enjoy Rita Mae Brown's books, but recent offerings have been much less satisfactory, and this book was truly abysmal. I couldn't figure out if I was reading 1) a self-righteous exposition of her energy conservation practices; 2) a rant about the superiority of English polo shirts over Ralph Lauren polo shirts; 3) a brochure for an obscure and undistinguished midwestern university; or 4) an invitation to join the Tea Party. The plot, such as it was, was impossible to follow, the characters were eminently forgettable, the motive for the murders was never clearly defined, and even the denouement of the forty-year old mystery was anti-climactic. When Brown wrote actual mystery stories they were sparkling and witty. This was nothing more than a preachy, rambling sermon. For someone who professes to be such a friend of the environment, Rita Mae Brown certainly destroyed far too many trees to produce the paper used to print this tripe.

I agree with the majority of the reviews here. I own all of the Sneaky Pie mysteries - but this one did not live up to the earlier stories. Political statement after political statement with product placements in between. I really got tired of hearing about Barbour coats; Wellington boots; Jaquar XJ whatever; Volvo wagons; and expensive watches. I'm beginning to believe she gets a kickback every time she mentions a product brand by name - like paid advertisements. On top of that, the storyline lacked continuity, and the ending felt rushed. Just boom - it's solved. Unfortunately this book did not live up to the previous ones.

I, too, am a disaffected, long-time Rita Mae Brown fan. I find it hard to believe that the same person who wrote "Wish You Were Here" and "Rest in Pieces" produced this travesty. The plot is not just thin, it's chaotic. There are numerous one dimensional characters who randomly pop in and out of various vignettes which seem to be linked with one another only by Harry's driving her new car from one location to the next. In fact, the car is one of the better developed characters in this book. Far too much of the dialog is devoted to political posturing, which, even if one agreed with the author's point of view, is, at best, an annoying distraction. It's as though the book were merely an excuse for the author to air her political ideology and grievances. Most unforgivably, Ms. Brown has taken Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker into this wasteland with her, and I will miss them.

I have read all of RMB's Mrs Murphy and fox hunting mysteries, and I used to look forward to the release of each new book. Sadly, that is no longer the case. There were so many things amiss with this story that I do not even know where to begin. For starters, since the book takes place during a blizzard at a university in MO, many of the characters we have come to enjoy are not featured in this novel. And the ones that do, including Harry, have become preachy and exhibit a continual "holier than thou" attitude that overwhelms the thin thread of the murder mystery. In fact, so much so that I cannot remember who actually killed Mariah. Tucker smells blood at the school stable but nothing ever comes of that until much, much later, by chance, other people discover the body. The story is told in fits and starts, constantly interrupted for endless whinging on about the evils of taxation (does RMB actually think that any of her readers enjoy paying taxes and need to have the enjoyment of a good book ruined by the reminder?) and alcohol.
There was virtually nothing about horses, riding or fox hunting and very little amusing dialogue for the animals. I am SO bitterly disappointed and I see that I am not alone! PLEASE bring back the fun and great plots of the earlier books!

Rita Mae Brown is one of the authors, I always monitor--looking for a new title. I was very excited when Cat of the Century was released on the kindle so early. I just finished reading it last night--I kept hoping that she'd just tell the story and stop trying to convince us to join the "Tea Party". In her Sister Jane books, Ms. Brown spends a lot of time "explaining" fox hunting, horses, etc.--even though after the second book, it was getting repetitive, it didn't get in the way of the story. But in this one, the ranting about taxes seemed to become a justification for ponzi schemes, cheating and murder. The story would have been more compelling if she'd left all that moralizing (if you can call it that) out. I am so disappointed, I may never read another one of her books, and I certainly would not recommend this one. Even if I agreed with her premise, the "preaching" is so pervasive it gets in the way of the story. She has joined Susan Conant and some other authors -- authors whose "message" is more important to them than telling the story.

--No Longer a Faithful Reader