Pawing Through the Past

"You'll never get old." Each member of the class of 1980 has received the letter. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, who is on the organizing committee for Crozet High's twentieth reunion, decides to take it as a compliment. Others think it's a joke. But Mrs. Murphy senses trouble. And the sly tiger cat is soon proven right ... when the class womanizer turns up dead with a bullet between his eyes. Then another note followed by another murder makes it clear that someone has waited twenty years to take revenge. While Harry tries to piece together the puzzle, it's up to Mrs. Murphy and her animal pals to sniff out the truth. And there isn't much time. Mrs. Murphy is the first to realize that Harry has been chosen Most Likely to Die, and if she show more doesn't hurry, Crozet High's twentieth reunion could be Harry's last. show less

Eighth book in the Mrs. Murphy cat mysteries featuring Mary Minor Harristeen, postmistress of small-town Crozet, Virginia and her troupe of animal friends. I enjoy the reader for this series so have started listening to them, although I’ve enjoyed them in print, too. While they do feature animals that communicate, it’s not really a cozy series as there’s definitely too much cussing and details about the sordid secrets of small-town life. But that bit of an edge makes it interesting and I think the animal bits are very well done. In this book, Harry (as MMH is referred to) and her friends are preparing for their twenty-year class reunion when they all receive a mysterious letter saying, “You Will Never Grow Old.” At first show more it’s taken as a joke. But when first one, then a second of her classmates ends up shot between the eyes, no one’s laughing. Are the murders the result of something happening now, or rooted in the decades-old past? Even though admonished to ‘stay out of it’ and let the police investigate, Harry and her furry friends are determined that no more of their classmates should perish and are on the scent. Delightful as usual with the excellent reader and the wonderful characterizations the author brings out. I had a good idea who the killer was fairly early, but it was one of those ‘gut feelings’ and I was by no means sure. show less

Harry is on the committee for Crozet High's twentieth reunion. Along with all the excitement comes a letter sent to all the classmates with the message "You'll never get old." Who sent it and what does it mean? They soon find out that it means murder. As classmates turn up dead there is a need to quickly find out what the link is between the bodies and reason for the murders.

Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker and Pewter and once again on the trail to figure out the mystery. The animals are able to get into areas that the humans can and can use their sense of smell to tract down clues. The only problem is getting the humans to understand what it is they have found.

Is it a matter of revenge for something in the past? What secret can it be? And there show more are a few that resurface and need to be explained.

I enjoyed this book as I have others in the series. Even the clues that come up from left field. These are light but not watery reads for me. show less

A nice mystery. Although I had figured out about halfway through who did it, I began to waver towards the end and changed my mind. Oops. Great writing.