Customer Reviews

Murder on the Prowl (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Reading the Mrs. Murphy mysteries out of order is not too bad as long as the reader knows she is doing that. The underlying stories of the lead characters, including Harry, Fair, Susan, Miranda, Mim, BoomBoom, etc., does run through the books, but the individual mysteries stand alone, since it's usually the . . . Well, mustn't give too much away.

This mystery starts when false obituaries are printed in a local newspaper. The two subjects are members of St. Elizabeth's a private school. When both of the victims of the pranks end up victims of murder, the chase is on.

Harry just can't ignore a mystery and her friends have not only come to expect her sleuthing, they join in. After all, they know everyone in town and the surrounding area. The setting is well described, although there may have been a couple of mistakes in Brown's description of Waynesboro, and residents and former residents will know exactly where she has taken us.

These mysteries are always good quick reads with characters we can care about. Be sure to read them all.

Actually, this stunt (putting a person's obit in before their death) sounds a little more on the college-age level than on high-school age level. And if it was done giving someone a great obit for being a great person, it could have been complimentary. But everyone who has read Brown's books, knows that when something like this happens, a body is sure to follow...and Harry is sure to follow the body to where it leads her; whether or not it is her business.

My animals roll their eyes at things I do too, so I am sure they don't think my IQ is very high in certain area. They are also prone to charge across my table when it is spread with homework from my chemistry students or papers I am referencing...leading to considerable time spent putting the papers back in order. They amuse me, and I feed them. That's the deal. They also answer the door for the deaf person...me.

I love Brown's descriptions of her characters and the area in Virginia. Under normal circumstances I would love to live in an area like Crozet, though I'd be more in Harry's financial circumstances. Unfortunately, the occurrence of murder in Crozet happens a little to often for my taste (come to think about it, there are a few areas around Pittsburgh where murders are happening too often too now, but the means and motive differ considerably).

Harry and her animals, and her friends make for great light reading. The writing is intelligent, you learn something new everytime, and the characterization is wonderful. And unlike other mystery writers at this time, Brown does not feel the need to fill her books with bad language and sex. A lot of that stuff can be implied without having to resort to cluttering up the readers' mind with trash...

Karen Sadler

When phony obituaries begin appearing in the Crozet, Virginia's local newspaper Harry knows that something strange is going on. But when dead bodies start turning up, she begins investigating. But even before she can find out what's going on her furry companions, Tee Tucker (Welsh Corgi), and Pewter and Mrs. Murphy (cats) are on the case trying to find out who will turn up murdered next, and trying to keep their owner out of danger.

Rita Mae Brown has done it again. This is one of the best Mrs. Murphy mysteries to date, and a must-read for fans of the cat-cozy genre.

In Cozet, Virginia, the best kept secret is that all the animals fully comprehend English to the point of being able to talk to each other and read the language. Humans are unaware of this ability. When the headmaster of a local school, a film director, and a female assistant are all murdered, Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen and her two cats (Mrs. Murphy and Pewter) and her dog (Tucker), independently investigate the killings.

Rita Mae Brown with the help from her own feline, Sneaky Pie Brown, demonstrates why she is such a popular author. She creates an exciting mystery series that deftly anthropomorphizes animals so that readers believe in the fantasy world she has devised. MURDER ON THE PROWL is a particularly well constructed mystery that is a brilliant blending of The Lady And The Tramp with Ms. Jessica Fletcher.

Harriet Klausner

MURDER ON THE PROWL is one of the better novels in Rita Mae Brown's popular "Mrs. Murphy" series, and like all books in the series it is set in Crozet, Virginia--a small town where cats and dogs occasionally set out to help their humans solve whatever murders occur in their midst, which in this story center around a private highschool.

The premise is extremely whimsical, and the plot is scarcely the tightly structured creation found in classic detective and mystery fiction; in fact, most readers could safely float a battleship through some of the holes. But even so, Brown's talent for creating entertaining, likable characters makes for an extremely enjoyable read, and if you're able to accept the premise and overlook the plot's foolishness you'll have an extremely good time.

What a well constructed plot! The characters seem to be living persons! I have never read anything like this. Whereas plot and setting remind you of the traditional English mystery, the animals are a brilliant new idea. Even more ingenious is the idea that animals can understand human beings but not vice versa. This gives the plot a lot of dramatic irony. This was my first Mrs. Murphy novel and I am going to read them all!

I think that Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown really out did themselves on this one.I loved this book,more than any other in the Mrs.Murphy series.I could relate alot better to "Murder on the Prowl"seeing as I'm 18 years old and this one had a wider cast of younger members.I think anyone who enjoys mysteries,young or old,will appriciate this one,and enjoy it just as much!

iti

My Grandma didn't like books with naughty language and excess sex. In the '80s, I started to read different mystery series that I thought she would like and the Mrs. Murphy books fit the bill. Even though Grandma's gone, I still read the Mrs. Murphy books because I'm hooked on this lightweight, but cute series by Rita Mae Brown [and Sneaky Pie Brown]. Murder On The Prowl, the sixth book featuring 'Harry' Haristeen, postmistress of Crozet, Virginia, and her very talented companion animals, is not the best book in the series, but is still an entertaining read. St. Elizabeth's, Crozet's private high school, is the focus of the multiple mysteries in this story. Film classes, false obituaries, field hockey, high tech car washes, and halloween dances are some of the things that occupy the time of our now familiar cast of characters. It has never been difficult to accept the fact that the animals can communicate with each other or that they solve the mystery before the humans do. My biggest complaint involves the poison used on the second murder victim. Malathion can't kill people in the way it supposedly did in the book. That out of the way, I recommend that you read Murder On The Prowl and the 5 previous Mrs. Murphy mysteries.

I've been reading through this series from the first book up to this one. This is not my favorite author by a long shot. She's horrible with dialogue. Harry and Susan are supposed to be best friends since school, but their conversations are stiff. I've never liked Susan but I can't tell you why. I just don't think that I would ever be friends with her. And here's the funny thing -- I can't stand the animals! I know, I know. Why would I read these books then? I guess I get caught up in the story and want to know who the murderer is. I've gotten to where I totally skip over anything in italics. Maybe I should just stop reading these books. If you enjoy talking animals then you would probably like this book. If not, then I don't recommend it. I found myself just reading it to get to the end so I could start a book I enjoy, one without talking cats.

In the 6th book in the Mrs. Murphy and Tucker Mystery series, the little town of Crozet, Virginia is shaken by the appearance of an obituary in the local paper. On its own, it wouldn't be shocking, as people unfortunately pass on each day. However, this obituary is of the headmaster at St. Elizabeth's prep school, and everyone is shocked by his sudden "death". Thankfully, the obit turns out to be false and is found to be a school age prank, and the town quickly returns to normal. That is...until one more false obituary of another prominent citizen appears, and the boy who placed the first bogus obituary swears he had nothing to do with this one. Then, one of the men is murdered, shaking the small town and its citizens. Mary Minor Haristeen (aka Harry) is the postmistress of the town, and has solved a few cases in the past with the help of her irrepressible feline companion, Mrs. Murphy, a tiger cat, and her canine companion, Tee Tucker, a Welsh corgi. Adding to that mix is Pewter, a large grey cat who is spending more time away from her former home at the market, to enjoy time with Murphy and Tucker. The four friends jump in to solve a murder, and find themselves fighting for their lives against a killer out for blood.

This is a great series! The animals talk to one another, and feel that they are superior to humans because we do not speak "cat" or "dog". For some readers, it does take a little bit of time to get used to the communication between the animals, but it is well worth it. I love the way that the residents of the town interact with one another, and this is as much of a draw to the books as is the mystery. I am often guessing until the end as to how the mystery will be resolved, and I am also curious to see how the animals will help in solving the case. This series makes me wish I could pack up and visit Crozet on my next vacation.

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