Pay Dirt [Hardcover]

Rita Mae Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

Crozet, Virginia, postmistress and town gossip Mary Minor ""Harry"" Haristeen gets help from her nosy tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, in solving the strange case of a murdered Hell's Angel and a rampant computer virus. By the author of Murder at Monticello.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first word of this fourth collaboration of Rita Mae Brown and her cat (following Murder at Monticello) is, appropriately, the italicized "Cozy." The dog days of summer in sleepy Crozet, Va.-where postmistress Mary Minor Haristeen, aka Harry, lives with her tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker-are disrupted by a computer virus and the arrival of a drugged-up biker looking for a woman named Malibu. A few days later, the biker turns up murdered. Meanwhile, the computer virus seems to have hit Crozet National Bank, which suffers an inexplicable $2-million shortfall. Harry's stumbling onto a small clue to the bank troubles inadvertently leads to another murder, which is quickly followed by a third. One detects coauthor Sneaky Pie's self-serving little paw as Mrs. Murphy-helped by Tee Tucker and their pal Pewter, the grocer's fat cat-not only leads Harry to the truth about the murders and the money but also rescues her from the killer. As usual, the Browns have fun with a supporting cast of eccentric characters (both two- and four-legged), whose foibles and quirks flavor what is the best Mrs. Murphy adventure yet. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Once again murder and mayhem have come to Brown's (Wish You Were Here, LJ 11/1/90) sleepy little town of Crozet, Virginia, heralded by the arrival of a leather-clad biker who storms up to historic Ash Lawn (James Monroe's home) demanding to see the "thieving slut" Malibu and upsetting the docents. Later, when the biker's body is found in Sugar Hollow, postmistress/detective Harry Haristeen, accompanied by the incorrigible cat Mrs. Murphy and Welsh corgi Tee Tucker, finds herself in the middle of the investigation. A computer virus that threatens the local bank and two love triangles are only some of the complications that spice up the plot. For fans and those who dote on cute, cozy mysteries, this is the ticket.
Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 251 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553096036
• ISBN-13: 978-0553096033
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,140 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute..., May 27, 2002

By 

Miss D. AwesomePants "Amazon Junkie" (Hoboken, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pay Dirt (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

The 4th book in this series... again, proves to be a cute read.
Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker return with Harry to solve a murder. This book brings the return of Blair, Harry's possible romance, and develops a lot of the character relationships more.
I will be reading more in the series... (i think it's on #10 now!)
Very cute, easy read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, May 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pay Dirt (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

I don't care if the animals talk or not, they are still a very good part of the story. I like the fact that they are totally loyal to Harry, and care so much about her. The writing is great and very enjoyable to follow, you wait for the next set of happenings to see if it matches what you thought was going to go on. Being able to figure out "who done it" is just part of the good fun of the entire series of books. Reccomend for a good read and a fast one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book with Exciting, Always changing plot, April 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Pay Dirt (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

These series of books with Sneaky Pie Brown are always intriguing. The plots are great and the animals always add humor to the story. The characters are well described and all like someone that you could relate to. The endings are always surprising and never are what you would expect. The books are an all-around great mystery