Cat's Eyewitness

It’s no secret that cats are a mystery writer’s best friend. Just ask the bestselling team of Rita Mae Brown and her furry partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, back on the prowl with another unforgettable whodunit. This time a controversial miracle in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains sparks religious fervor–and a suspicious death. Now the indefatigable felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with the dogged corgi Tee Tucker, must trust their animal instincts to sniff out the worst of human nature....

With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their show more worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood.

Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.…

When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved. Then there’s the shocking revelation of a mystery that has perplexed the citizens of Crozet for ages.

With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive.... show less

#13 in the Mrs. Murphy mysteries set in Crozet, Virginia and featuring not only the wise tabby cat but her friends Pewter the fat gray cat and Tucker, the Welsh Corgi. And let’s not forget their human, Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen. Thanksgiving in Crozet should be a relaxed and happy time, and it is, until Harry’s friend Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a monk at the local monastery dies, praying in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary that had begun crying tears of blood. Harry, ever the skeptic, wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t witnessed the phenomenon herself. Brother Thomas was over 80, so his death wasn’t investigated as suspicious, but when a reporter who had broken the story about the Virgin also ends up dead, show more very obviously murdered, Harry’s ‘something’s not right’ antennae start twitching and she starts asking pointed questions, much to the chagrin of her friends and family and Sheriff Rick Shaw. Personally, Harry is a bit at loose ends, having quit her job at the Post Office, and is investigating growing grapes and starting a vineyard. And Fair, her ex-husband, has put more pressure on her with regard to his oft repeated proposal of re-marriage, too.

The mystery was fairly straightforward, but I’ve come to love these characters more and more as the series wears on, and I’ve also grown fond of this reader, Kate Forbes, too. I found it hard to stop listening to this one and had to find things to do to occupy me so I could finish it. And now my bathrooms are really, really clean. LOL I’m glad my library has all of these available for audio download—I’ve already got the next one on my list. show less

In this latest entry in the Sneaky Pie Brown mystery series, many of the residents of Crozet, Virginia are at a crossroads in life. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has quit her job as postmistress because her two cats - Mrs. Murphy and Pewter - and her dog, Tee Tucker, are no longer allowed there. As she tries to decide what to do next, Fair, her ex-husband, proposes for what he says will be the last time. Harry's best friend Susan, has problems of her own, including a secret she has kept buried for years; plus she is convinced that her husband, Ned, who has just been elected Senator, is cheating on her. "Boom Boom" who has always been a man killer, finds herself in a surprising relationship. While they are all dealing with these changes, show more Harry and Susan visit a monastery where they discover a statue of the Virgin Mary that appears to be crying tears of blood. When Susan's Uncle Thomas, a monk, is found dead kneeling at the foot of the statue, Harry suspects he was murdered. When a news reporter is brutally murdered, Harry suspects the two are related, but will she be able to catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?

"Cat's Eyewitness" is one of the weaker entries in this cozy mystery series. At times I forgot I was reading a mystery, since the book seemed more about the characters' mid-life crisis rather than the mystery itself. Taking Harry out of the post office seems to have weakened the series, as she no longer interacts as much with many of the characters that helped make this series so interesting. The book focuses on the changes the characters are going through in their lives and while I found most of the changes plausible, Boom Boom's new relationship just didn't work for me. Rita Mae Brown has always used this series as a means of expressing her personal beliefs, but she went overboard in this book with her thinly disguised lectures on issues such as politics, war, and abuse in the Catholic Church.

Devoted fans of this series will want to read "Cat's Eyewitness" but casual fans may want to skip it. show less

Harry, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter are at it again. Along with Susan for human company, the group is out to solve another murder in Crozet County.
Added to this particular mystery is the life decisions Harry has to deal with, giving her more than just a murder to solve.
I enjoy this series and the personalities of the characters. Also the images of Crozet and its residents. Reading Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie's books, takes me on a vacation without leaving the comfort of my own home.

This was my second Rita Mae Brown. I wasn't real impressed by the first, but tried this one because she is so popular. I like this one better, but don't feel compelled to read another. However, in this case, the narrator probably had something to do with it. It was often difficult to differentiate between the character voices. There could be four women talking together and I'd have no idea who was speaking. Several times she forgot to switch back to narrator voice. You know, in the middle of Herbert's dialogue he says something like, "Herbert looked at his watch," and the real dialogue continued. So I definitely don't recommend the narrator, and if you like mysteries with cats, I'd recommend Lilian Jackson Braun's books instead

Aaannnnddd. Done, I think. At least for now.

This one just didn't grab me. Starting to be way too formulaic, and the characters are turning flat. But again, familiar and a relief from daily challenges in a tough time.

I usually love all of Mrs Murphy's books, but this one was a little boring and drawn out. Maybe I just didn't care for the subject matter. No bother, I'll still read the next!