Rita Mae Brown

Four murders, two time periods, a lovely Virginia estate, a hunting hound competition and a bunch of retired former members of the diplomatic corps, military and CIA. Sound interesting? Sure enough, it truly was.

A fully clothed African American woman's body bedecked with a stunning pearl necklace and pearl earrings surrounded by diamonds, had been hastily buried atop two freshly buried caskets...back in 1787 in the local graveyard. In 2018, with so little information on which to draw, her show more identity remained a mystery. The reader is treated to the 18th century background story in alternating chapters to the main story taking place in 2018 Loudoun Co., Virginia.

Meanwhile, members of the local chapter of the National Beagle Club of America are out on their grounds at the Institute in Aldie, clearing paths and trails of fallen trees and brush in preparation for the annual hunting basset and beagle competition hosted by Hounds F4R Heroes. At days end, as a storm is forming, another dead body is found and on the next day, another. They're members of the Club and now it's all looking rather personal.

Protagonist "Harry", (Mary Minor Haristeen), and her cadre of felines and canines are on it. Curiosity is her weakness and unsolved murders on the competition grounds is just bad for business.

Although this is my first foray into the Mrs. Murphy mystery series, I found the story solid as a stand-alone. With its excess of 34 characters, thankfully, there's a roster for both the current and the 18th century time periods. Ms. Brown is a whiz at educating her readership with her engaging tales and this story was no exception. One learns about colonial plantation life of Virginia, the beagling hobby, bits about regional Civil War history and the Battle of Aldie. There's also an interesting discussion regarding diplomatic corps service which sometimes appears to be at cross-purposes with the intelligence gathering community.

This was definitely an informative and most enjoyable read. I look forward to catching up on other installments in this series.

I am grateful to Bantam Books and NetGalley for having provided an advance uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone. show less

Winter has come to Crozet, Virginia, bringing with it a fresh blanket of snow. Harry and her husband, Fair, are hip deep in their usual end-of-the-year activities: distributing food to needy residents, and shopping for outfits for the Silver Linings youth organization’s annual fundraising gala. But buried beneath the white stuff are dark secrets from Crozet’s past—and Harry and her posse of pet detectives are determined to sniff them out.

Two Silver Linings mentors have been found dead show more in suspicious circumstances. If that weren’t enough to chill the bones of the locals, a pair of severed human fingers has turned up in a pencil jar in the bookkeeper’s office at St. Cyril’s church. What does this grisly display have to do with the mysterious disappearance of Harry’s voluptuous high school Latin teacher, a quarter of a century ago? Maybe nothing. But when the animals make another gruesome discovery in the woods behind Harry’s farm, it becomes clear that terrible crimes have been committed in Crozet—and somebody’s gone to great lengths to cover them up. It’s time to stop shoveling snow and start digging for clues.

The truth will be revealed. A cold case will be solved. And a twenty-five-year-old love triangle is about to get untangled. The weather outside may be frightful, but Harry and her four-legged friends refuse to be spooked off the case. Mrs. Murphy show less

This novelist makes a point that if you going to write a lesbian manifesto in the 1970s you must deal with raw sex in its multitude of possibilities. This is not porn cleverly hidden but a refreshing, open, clear eyed journey. Yes, parts described within might be called sleazy but this is far from being a sleazy book. Her main character wants to belong but on her terms. There is plenty of back bone and a certain jauntiness that makes this an enjoyable read.

Quotes: (page 49) “'Leota, you show more thought about getting married?'
'Yeah, I'll get married and have six children and wear aprons like my mother, only my husband will be handsome.'
'Who you gonna marry?'
'I don't know yet.'
'Why don't you marry me? I'm not handsome, but I'm pretty.'
'Girls can't get married.'
'Says who?'
'It's a rule.'
'It's a dumb rule. Anyway, you like me better than anybody, don't you? I like you better than anybody.'
'I like you best,but I still think girls can't get married.'”

(page 176) “'Fuck you. You have to throw in my face that you don't have that option, don't you. People like you make me sick, wearing your poverty like a badge of purity.'
'I didn't mean it to sound that way. Maybe I did sound self-righteous. Well, hell, I'd like to go to Paris myself or wherever. But all I'm trying to say is, don't make a ritual out of getting your head together, that's all,'” show less

This is the third book in the Mrs. Murphy series and I find myself disliking it more as I go forward. This one, which centers around a historic victim found in a slave quarters at Monticello, is the hardest to like so far. Characters with sanitized/racist views of slavery in the U.S? Check. Trying to depict a nuanced view but being tone deaf? Check. I want to like this series but it’s been a downhill ride so far.