Murder at Monticello (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Rita Mae Brown (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mrs. Murphy Mysteries | Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Mrs. Murphy digs into Virginia history—and gets her paws on a killer.

The most popular citizen of Virginia has been dead for nearly 170 years. That hasn't stopped the good people of tiny Crozet, Virginia, from taking pride in every aspect of Thomas Jefferson's life. But when an archaeological dig of the slave quarters at Jefferson's home, Monticello, uncovers a shocking secret, emotions in Crozet run high—dangerously high.

The stunning discovery at Monticello hints a hidden passions and age-old scandals. As postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and some of Crozet's Very Best People try to learn the identity of a centuries-old skeleton—and the reason behind the murder—Harry's tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her canine and feline friends attempt to sniff out a modern-day killer. Mrs. Murphy and corgi Tee Tucker will stick their paws into the darker mysteries of human nature to solve murders old and new—before curiosity can kill the cat—and Harry Haristeen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third Mrs. Murphy mystery, coauthored by novelist Brown and her cat (Mrs. Murphy is also a feline), in which the purring detective must solve a mystery involving the discovery of a body during archeological excavations at Thomas Jefferson's old estate.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Make no bones about it, when a skeleton is discovered at Monticello, famed feline sleuth Mrs. Murphy (Rest in Pieces, Bantam, 1992) will find the murderer.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553572350
• ISBN-13: 978-0553572353
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rita Mae Brown is the bestselling author of the Sister Jane novels-Outfoxed, Hotspur, Full Cry, The Hunt Ball, The Hounds and the Fury, The Tell-Tale Horse, and Hounded to Death-as well as the Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries and Rubyfruit Jungle, In Her Day, Six of One, and The Sand Castle, among many others. An Emmy-nominated screenwriter and a poet, Brown lives in Afton, Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder Then and Now., November 25, 2004

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder at Monticello (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Is this old murder from 1803 connected to the new one that just occurred in present day Crozen? Harry and her friends think so, so they begin to dig deep into old records and letters to find out what the connection could be. Can some knowledge be that great that it covers two centuries? Apparently so because it appears that someone really wants some old secrets kept secret. I enjoyed this book actually more than the previous two because I found that the two murders separated by almost 200 years were very well connected by the author. I still find the "talking" done by the animals in this series a little off-putting, but the mysteries are quite good in spite of this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder, Mystery, and Thomas Jefferson, May 28, 2006

By 

L Smith "acozylover" (Macomb, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder at Monticello (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

In the 3rd installment of the Mrs. Murphy and Tucker Mystery series, a body has been discovered in the slave quarters of the home of Thomas Jefferson. Since Jefferson has been dead for 170 years, it is impossible to question him about the man found dead from a blow to the dead. And when another recently murdered body is discovered, it becomes apparent that someone wants the secrets that have been buried with the body to remain so. Coming into question is the practice of slavery, and the descendants of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had been rumored to have fathered a child by one of his slaves, and it appears that the man found murdered may have been also been involved with one of the slaves. The citizens of Crozet band together to prove that their beloved Jefferson had nothing to do with the murder or cover-up, and while doing so they unearth secrets that have been hidden in the town for over a century.

I have become a big fan of this series, and enjoy the banter between the animals. The relationships between the members of the town have been evolving, and I like the way that Harry is loved and embraced by the people who have known her all of her life. She works hard, cares for her animals, and genuinely cares for the town and its residents. I look forward to future books in the series, and am hopeful to see more of Blair as a potential love interest for Harry.

The first book in this series is called "Wish You Were Here". Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, August 10, 2001

By 

Demosthenes (Rome and Germania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at Monticello (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

For anyone who has thought that maybe their pets are trying to tell them something, this is a great book. And what makes this book stand out in a series of Mrs. Murphy (that's the name of the cat) books is the amazing mixture of past and present mystery that are seemingly unrelated. Ms. Brown gives the reader a lesson on Thomas Jefferson, the human nature, and hate as well as a lively comedy between cats, a dog, an ex-husband, and a nosy small town somewhere in Virginia. All in all, it kept me amused and I learned a lot about life at Monticello as well.