There’s nothing like a tail well told. Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown return with an all-new mystery featuring Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and ever-faithful Tee Tucker the corgi. TAIL GAIT Spring has sprung in Crozet, Virginia—a time for old friends to gather and bid farewell to the doldrums of winter. Harry and her … of winter. Harry and her husband, Fair, are enjoying a cozy dinner with some of the town’s leading citizens, including beloved University of Virginia history professor Greg “Ginger” McConnell and several members of UVA’s celebrated 1959 football team. But beneath the cloak of conviviality lurks a sinister specter from the distant past that threatens to put all their lives in jeopardy.
When Professor McConnell is found murdered on the golf course the next day—gunned down in broad daylight by an unseen killer—no one can fathom a motive, let alone find a suspect. Just as Harry and her furry cohorts begin nosing into the case, however, a homeless UVA alum confesses to the crime. Trouble is, no one believes that the besotted former All-American could have done the foul deed—especially after Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker make another gruesome discovery.
As the questions surrounding Ginger’s death pile up, Harry’s search for answers takes her down the fascinating byways of Virginia’s Revolutionary past. The professor was something of a sleuth himself, it seems, and the centuries-old mystery he was unraveling may well have put a target on his back. As Harry edges closer to identifying an elusive killer, her animal companions sense danger—and rally to find a way to keep Harry from disappearing into history.
Praise for the Mrs. Murphy mysteries
“As feline collaborators go, you couldn’t ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Mrs. Murphy mysteries are fun, sweet, and beautifully adventurous.”—Bustle
“Brown [is] the queen of the talking animal cozy.”—Publishers Weekly
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Love this series, have read them all. Clean, no sex or profanity.
these are the best books
There isn’t a book Rita Mae Brown has written I don’t love.
The Fox Hunting books are my favorite, but all of them are great.
Get one. You’ll soon read all of them. !
This is a fun series, better read in order, but not really required to understand what’s going on. There’s a list of characters in the front of each book, so you know who the participants are. I particularly enjoy the animals’ participation in solving the crimes.
Love Mrs Murphy
Not up to Rita Mae’s usual plot building, but always love spending time with Harry and the kids.
If you like the previous books, you’ll like this one too
I Love Harry and her fur babies… her barn critters too!
I just love Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie! Another fun read from my favorite feline author!
This series is one of the best and I always look forward to another edition. The characters are realistic, but quirky and fun
Love all these books!
Not the same quality as the beginning and mis- series. More of a personal political statement.
Very informative about the area setting. Interesting to see the times change back and forth from civil war years to the present.
I have a hard time with knowing what the animals think. It seems the mystery could not be solved without the help of the animals and that is ridiculous.
This whole series is a fun but serious read. I have enjoyed all of them. If you like mysteries, this series has all of that and a pet twist to make them unique.
I always like the Virginia history and quirky characters in this series.
Can’t beat Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown for a good story!
very enjoyable book from a well established author. includes participation and commentary from the pets. familiar characters with information about revolutionary war integrated into the story quite well.
I enjoyed this book. My kind of cozy mystery.
I enjoyed how the historical action caught up with the modern mystery.