![]() I’m delighted that I had a chance to ask Rita Mae Brown a few questions. Tall Tail is available from Amazon and everywhere books are sold. While both authors excel at portraying immensely likable animal and human characters, I suspect that the animal scenes are written by Sneaky Pie rather than Rita Mae – after all, who else but a cat would have such insights into the limitations of the human mind? My favorite part of all the books in the series is the interplay between the animal characters. Rita Mae Brown is often accused of being preachy in the newer installments of the series, and she certainly isn’t shy about weaving her personal views into the book, but I found that interesting rather than off-putting. Even with some skimming through the historical sections, it was fascinating to me to see how the two storylines came together in the end. I won the Northern Beaches Commendation Award! Read It Won’t Come When You Call It.I found the historic parts of the story a bit hard to follow but thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book.What to read, what to read, what to read?.(Thanks to my lovely friend Genevieve for putting me onto this series!) You may find a review of some of the books on this series here in the future – I’m sure I won’t be able to resist. Owing to limited space in my bookshelves and limited funds in my bank account I sincerely wish the entire series had been available as e-books. Until recently the second was also available electronically. ![]() You can buy the first book of the series as an e-book on Amazon. Overall, if you have imagination, a sense of humour, and a love of animals, I suggest you give this series a try. ![]() ![]() It’s the only downside to this series of ‘cozy’ mysteries with an edge all its own. Characters “cite”,”name” or “state” an explanation several times in each book. I think any reader who’d made it to page 113 in a book that also has a horsey flavour to it would have worked out for themselves that the Colonial Cup is a race. “She came within a hair of taking the Colonial Cup.” Fair cited a famous steeplechase race. This is an example: The conversation is between two characters is about horses and racing… Much as I have loved devouring this series (rather like Pewter with a ton of tuna in front of her), Rita Mae …er, Sneaky Pie … has a rather annoying way of pointing out the bleeding obvious to those among her readership who may not be particularly savvy or able to put two and two together with a degree of accuracy. Um… children’s books do not feature felines with a propensity for profanity: “Give me that back, you striped asshole!” These books are for adults, and adults with a broad sense of humour and fun at that. If you think you’re going to be reading a childish series full of talking animals, think again. Heroine Harry changes careers from postmistress to full-time farmer through the series she’s a very energetic person and I almost feel guilty relaxing with one of these books as her days are long and full – this woman doesn’t seem to ever rest! However, each book can be read independently of another. Supporting characters – and there are several regulars – also grow and develop. The human characters grow with the series, and Harry newly divorced in book one, falls in love again with her ex-husband over the series until they remarry. Out of the artists who have provided the drawings I prefer the superbly talented Michael Gellatly’s delicate and realistic work. The books are illustrated with line drawings of the animals. They are well thought out mysteries, laugh out loud funny, beautifully improbable and highly entertaining. I wonder that their owner Harry doesn’t get sued by the victims! The cats and dogs are the true crime-solving heroes and heroines, often taking on the villain with tooth and claw. The series is set in Virginia in the present day, and the animals assist human heroine Mary Minor (aka Harry) Haristeen out of trouble murder trouble, with Harry generally finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Would you want a cat who could read? You’d never hear the end of it! □ She’s assisted in her crime-solving by corgi Tee Tucker and grey cat Pewter (aka the grey cannonball as Pewter is ruled by her ever-hungry stomach).īecause this is a cat’s fantasy series, for want of a better description, the animals’ conversations are reported in English and these clever beasties can also read and do many other things you don’t even want to think of your cat doing. Heroine Mrs Murphy is a tabby (or tiger cat as she is described in the books, tiger cat apparently being American for tabby). ![]() This clever feline has, with the help of her human, written 18 books to date in this quirky series. Inside most books you’ll find a note from Sneaky Pie herself asserting that she is the author. According to the cover, the Mrs Murphy series is written by Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. ![]()
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