This is book 2 of this series however you DO NOT have to read these in order; but I feel you could understand everyone's relationships better if you at least read the first book in this series as it explains who every one is and who everyone is within the community. I had to skip book 2 and read book 3 and I was a little 'lost' to minor issues that wasn't a big deal in the story. Reading them in order you get to 'know' the characters little quirky things about them but it doesn't spoil the stories themselves if you can't read in order. This was a really good mystery. If you enjoy animals-are an animal lover then you will really enjoy how the author(s) incorporated the main characters dog and cat as main characters. The humans talk and work together and so does the animals within the story. When the humans aren't 'doing the job' then the animals kick in and work together to try and solve the crime before their beloved human gets hurt. It's not corney but written in a way that is really nice and not 'child like' at all. This book keeps you wondering 'who did it' or even 'why' right up until the very end of which I like, nothing like figuring out who did it way long before the book was done and then having 'fill in' material for the rest of the story. I can't wait to read more in this series. You get to know and love the people of this small town both two and four legged and anticipate what they will be up to next. This book I really liked since it wasn't a 'suspense' type of murder; but through the story although there was a murder and the community was trying to figure it out. You learn more about the characters and working with one another and caring etc. Also the descriptions of Halloween and Christmas was very nice. I personal listened to this on CD. The reader did a pretty good job at the way she read this to us. Changing her voice when she needed to. But there were sometimes that some of the characters had the same voice so you really had to listen to figure out who was doing the talking at that moment in time. I would have probably given this a 4 1/2 to 5 star had it not been for the language that was used throughout the story. It wasn't 'flooded' with bad language but enough that I took away a star for it. I don't hand out 5 stars very often but when I do it's for a story that I feel I can recommend to just about any age to read...adults, teens or preteens. And this one just had to much language for me to recommend for a preteen. Some people language doesn't bother and I excuse it every now and then but this had a little bit more than I liked. The story would have been just the same without the language in my opinion. Still a good story though, Just a good mystery and one of good friends.
Sometimes a cozy mystery is a bit more than just that and in this, the second of the Mrs. Murphy series, was one of those books. Ms. Brown delved a bit into environmentalism and the meaning of real and lasting friendships. I will probably wind up reading this whole series. Harry, aka Mary Minor Haristeen, is a recently divorced attractive young woman and postmistress of the small town of Crozet, VA. She feels it is perfectly within her rights to read postcards. After all, if the sender had wanted privacy, they should have placed a letter into an envelope. She is also and more importantly a true friend to most of the town's quirky residents and her animals. In this edition, her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, finds a dismembered hand and only under duress gives it up to Harry who of course alerts the police. I found this book well written and the characters, while exaggerated examples of small town Southerners, still believable and ones to whom I could enjoyably relate. While Harry is the human main character, Mrs. Murphy, Harry's tiger cat, is inb many ways the true main character. As a cat aficionado and general animal lover, this series and this book in particular appeal to me on that level as well. If you like cozies and animals, you just might enjoy this delightful one!
Do You like book Rest In Pieces (1993)?
The good, the bad, the profound....GOOD: entertaining cozy mystery; I enjoyed the verbal conversation between the animals, particularly the animals analyzing humans' strange habits. The BAD: the descriptive fox hunt (Chapter 33) seemed endless and overkill in details. I also thought the author could have penned a better, more-believeable method in apprehending the killer. The PROFOUND: There are many thought-provoking statements made by the author throughout the novel. For example, the main character of the book experienced some very deep reflections (Chapter 35) in dealing with the death of a classmate who was one year older than she. Also in Chapter 7, the author points out that we all live in a "perpetual state of renewal" and there's even "renewal in destruction".
—F
The fact that they take place in Virginia and I live in Maryland makes them a little extra interesting to me. I always feel like I could go visit Crozet!
—Ann
tI thoroughly enjoyed Rest in Pieces, the second book in the Mrs.Murphy series. The mystery was interesting (though this was not the very strong point of the story). The strongest point of the story was the characters. The citizens of Crozet and their goings-ons were what captured and held my attention - sometimes the human ones, but mostly the animal ones - I love Mrs.Murphy and Tucker. Even Pewter has grown on me, as has the timid Simon.tWe also learn more about the human residents of Crozet, and here's my feelings. I like most of them with a few exceptions and am pleased to see a (potential) love interest for Harry show up. I especially enjoyed the animal'a; Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, Pewter & Simon as well as the human's Harry, Mrs. Hogendobber, & Blair. Also revealed in this book are several of the characters backstories (some anyway) and interesting tidbits - like how Harry got her nickname. tOverall, I liked the mystery - but I love the characters (animal and human) and their interactions/relationships even more. 4 stars.
—Christyn
