When a mechanic dies a quiet death at a party in the small town of Crozet, Virginia, things are about to get very interesting. Harry, who works at the post office, has a habit of getting in the middle of police investigations, just because she is so curious. Although, her 2 cats and 1 dog may also have something to do with it. This book is one of many in a detective series about one of the cats Mrs. Murphy. It is an interesting way of telling a story and it certainly had me compelled, since the cats, dogs, and other animals one might meet in their daily lives, all get a voice and dialogue. Even though the animals understand each other, the humans still do not hear anything other than barking and meowing. Which sometimes leads to the cats figuring out things way earlier than the humans, but most of the time incapable of communicating it.I found Catch as Cat Can in the 'library' here in my hostel in Costa Rica and was mainly drawn to it by the presence of cats (crazy cat lady, right here!), but I am definitely going to see if I can find the other books somewhere as well as they are very entertaining.It is nothing too complicated and very easy to read. However, the great amount of people involved (pretty much the entire town) sometimes makes it a bit confusing to keep up with who's who, and what were they doing again?? Especially when it all was unraveled and the cop explains the whole thing I got lost in all the names.
MusingsCatch as Cat Can starts very slowly and if it wasn't for Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker, I think I probably would have put this cozy mystery down. But the action finally picks up and the story line moved along quite nicely. I loved the animals' antics - they made me laugh. I now wonder what my two cats are saying. This may not have the book to introduce me to Harry Haristeen and Crozet, Virginia, but I will try another book in the Mrs. Murphy Series. SummarySpring has finally come to Crozet, Virginia. Even Mary Minor Haristeen has a slight case of Spring Fever. BoomBoom finally is trying to make amends and sets Harry up with a gorgeous date for the Dogwood Festival Party and Dance. But an untimely death of a local mechanic Aunt Tally's party slightly puts a damper on the festivities. And there is the connection of the stolen hubcaps to consider. Mrs. Murphy thinks Roger's death is a little suspicious, but the humans only think that his death is sad - so young. And someone definitively declares that Roger was into drugs. Or was he, because within days a young man is found hung and another person is shot. Mrs. Murphy thinks she knows who "done it" and who is next on the killer's list. And she is afraid for her human, Harry. Harry doesn't have nine lives like she does.
Do You like book Catch As Cat Can (2003)?
The first book in the series-- a mystery she co-wrote with her cat-- was pretty clever and cute in a fluffy-mystery way. I thoroughly enjoyed THAT one. Then they kept coming, and we had a "Murder She Wrote" kind of thing going on-- I mean really: if you have that many murders EVERY year in the small town,committed by people you've known your whole life, wouldn't you give up and move eventually?? As for this one, it's still a fluffy little mystery, and Rita Mae Brown is always an engaging writer, even when she seems to be phoning it in.
—Jen
Spring Time In CrozetIt is spring in Crozet, Virginia and it is a wet one with thunderstorms occurring every day. The roads and fields are muddy and having fun hurting the springs festivities and balls. The animals are talking to each other a lot making for an enjoyable read. At the tea party Roger O' Bannon found dead of apparent natural causes. The thief who stoleMiranda's hubcaps is arrested and later found hanged. Mrs Murphy and friends are worry about Harry as she is trying to solve what is going. The animals need to a way to save Harry. Will they succeed?
—Betty
I've read them all...and ALL of Rita Mae Brown's books in the Mrs. Murphy--the sleekest, smartest cat ever-- series are fun reading. They're like potato chips--you can't eat just one. The fact that Harry is/was the postmistress of a small Virginia town and a great horsewoman in the middle of Virginia horse country is a big plus. And the animal part of the adventure is well done--if I ever have a Corgi, it'll be named Tucker, and every snotty fat gray cat I come across is Pewter. The animal help in solving all of Harry's mysteries is family work at it's best...
—terry
