Rita Mae Brown delivers another delightful mystery in *Hiss and Tell*, packed with her signature charm and wit. The animal perspectives are always a fun twist, and the small-town setting adds to the cozy feel of the series. However, I would recommend starting from the beginning, as I found it a bit challenging to catch up with the characters and their relationships. Long-time fans will no doubt enjoy revisiting old favorites, but newcomers might want to begin with the earlier books for a more seamless experience. I know I wish I did.

Thirty-one adventures with Mrs. Murphy (cat) and Harry (human) who now live as farmers in rural Virginia. I have been a fan since the beginning of this series. I love the bifurcated approach to dialogue, with the animals discussing the their human companions, and vice versa. A reader might often wonder what their pet is thinking. Brown seems to know.

In Hiss and Tell, Harry is on an austerity regime, a costly replacement for a necessary piece of farm equipment has left her determined to not overspend during the coming Christmas season. Freezing her cards in ice water feels like a very typical Harry like solution. Nevertheless Harry enters with a whole heart into the winter holiday season. Care baskets are delivered, the perfect tree is found, and festive meals are prepared and enjoyed. Of course, this is a mystery, and so crime enters as well.
Brown, ever an astute commenter on current political situations has a lot to say about the present fentanyl crisis.

Brown agrees with Churchill's quote: Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Recently, two interconnected story lines are part of the plot. Eighteenth Century plantation living contrasts the wealth of white privilege with the harsh reality of slavery. Brown is unsparing in her retelling, leaving the reader is suspense, hoping for the best outcome.

Cozy mysteries might still have a bad reputation from literary snobs. Time for them to read Brown who is witty but never frothy.

This book is a great addition to Mrs. Murphy's mystery series. It has a mystery to solve and will keep you guessing until the end.
I received a complimentary copy from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Mrs. Murphy series is one of my absolute favorites. I love all of the characters and especially enjoy hearing the voices of the animals. This book touched on a lot of current real world concerns, and I appreciated the way in which they were handled. If you enjoy a cozy mystery and characters that you want to grow with through the years, this a great series.

Rita Mae Brown gives us another Mrs. Murphy mystery Hiss and Tell. Mysterious deaths near Christmas in Crozet, Virginia require the help of Harry and her cats to find the reason for murder. Covid and an uptick in fentanyl deaths upset relations in the area. Harry, cats and corgi want a solution before Christmas. Solutions are sordid. The historical connection brings out the corruption from earlier times. Best part of puzzle is the animal problem solvers.

The Mrs Murphy series is a wonderful escape from the headliners in todays top ten mysteries. Rita Mae Brown pretty much owns the cozy mystery genre. I've been reading about Harry and her team for many years and enjoy each story equally, Brown has yet to write a dud.
HISS & TELL finds the team investigating a murder while trying to make the best of the holiday activities. Their methods are unique and often inspired, that's what keeps readers coming back for more.

Amazing story and this is the 31 in the series. It talked about lots of points in time when certain things happened. The characters were interesting. Looking forward to the next in the series

I still love the characters in this series of books. This is book 31 in the Mrs. Murphy series and the animals can communicate so well with each other. My complaint is that the books are getting very political about issues currently in the news. The effects of fentanyl on small communities is certainly an important topic as well as illegal immigration’s. But I prefer my fiction fun reading to be cozy mysteries without the authors opinions trying to influence me. Still love Mrs. Murphy and the new dog, Pirate. I enjoyed learning more about the breed of wolfhounds and showing dogs. The 2nd storyline set in the past was ok but I don’t think it really added much to the story.

It was so wonderful to visit with Harry and friends again but especially during the Christmas season. I loved following along on the investigation to solve the drug deaths. Well done.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's been a while since I read about Harry and her crew. I approached it as a new to the Harry and crew tale but also as one who has been reading them from the beginning. The continuity allows the reader to pick up and enjoy at any point in the series. The writing makes the action flow easily. The characters blend so well you have to remind yourself if human or animal. It's another win.

The characters in Hiss and Tell are well-developed and relatable. Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen is a likable protagonist who is passionate about her work and her friends. She is also a talented sleuth, and she uses her skills to track down the real killer. Her pets, including her cat Mrs. Murphy, also play a big role in the story and are quite entertaining.
I enjoyed the way that the author wrote from the perspective of a cat. It was a unique and interesting perspective, and it added a lot of humor to the story.
I thought the mystery was well-written and suspenseful. I didn't know who the killer was until the very end, and I was surprised by the twist at the end.

3.5 / 5.0 stars

Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen is facing the crazy holiday season and trying to keep it meaningful and less frenetic. A series of drug-related deaths in the remote country environs has everyone wondering what is going on. In between deaths, Harry and her friends are preparing their Irish wolfhounds for a dog show exhibition. Harry is not so keen on the showing aspect but wants to get young Pirate some instruction under his paws. In alternating chapters, we learn about early steeplechase preparations, plantation life and the inner workings of an 18th century brothel, all about a decade after the Revolutionary War.

This series has certainly changed over the years. There was a time when the animals conducted their own investigations concurrently. Yet, such is not the case here. Their charming dialogue is present and still a joy to behold. This 31st installment in the Mrs. Murphy mystery series was interesting and quite instructional. There certainly was a vast amount of research which went into the book's writing. However, to this reader, the connection between the current day and the colonial world never quite tied together. There was certainly a mystery to be fleshed out in the current day story and there could have been one in the colonial story but it just didn't seem to be there.

The writing is solid. The roster of the panoply of characters is much appreciated and certainly needed. One would probably be well-served to read the entire series in order to get a fuller understanding of the dynamics among characters. Regardless, the stories were interesting and most informative.

I am grateful to #Bantam Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through #NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Bantam Books
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0593357552
No. of pages: 304

a very unique style with two stories that are not connected. At first I was confused and disappointed that the stories did not merge. Both stories were interesting and the animals are the reason I read this series. there are the usual surprises and twists with my favorite characters both human and animal

I started reading the Mrs. Murphy mysteries years ago and it is so easy to slip back into the lives of Harry and the clan. So interesting and and entertaining that it doesn't take long to finish reading the book. Another wonderful addition to the series.

For folks who love the Mrs. Murphy mysteries, this is a good entry. There is a contemporary and an 18th century story line, loosely related. The contemporary plot involves some strange deaths, Harry being observant over a period of time and ultimately exposing a major danger in the community. The best animal part was fun for me. Pirate, Harry's Irish Wolfhound, is doing some obedience training and the trainer has his eye on him to be shown, something Harry is reluctant to do. It's a fun side story. The old part of the book is about an early steeplechase race, issues around enslavement and an early brothel. The writing is fine and the illustrations spectacular.

I loved Rita Mae Brown's early writing, starting with Ruby Fruit Jungle and going forward with pretty much everything until the Mrs. Murphy mystery series. This time, as I picked up and put down Hiss & Tell, I asked myself why can't I get into these. I finally realized that using third person narrative, i.e., telling the story externally about the various characters and not letting us into at least some people's minds doesn't work for me when I am reading a fairly straightforward mystery. The characters feel too flat to me, their motives unclear and the turns of events bore me. Yet this is well written. There are cute animals who talk to each other. The plots are as good as any other popular series. So, for me, Mrs. Murphy and I are breaking up. But if you loved the other ones and like this kind of writing, you'll love this one too.

3.5 stars

In this addition to the 'Mrs. Murphy' mysteries, amateur sleuth Harry Haristeen is concerned about drug deaths in her county. I think it's necessary to be familiar with the series to fully enjoy the book.

The 'Mrs. Murphy' cozy mystery series began over three decades ago, with the charming premise that animals could speak amongst themselves and help their owner solve crimes.

In recent years author Rita Mae Brown has used the Mrs. Murphy novels to promote her politics and to discuss American history. This bothers me, since I don't think authors should use fiction as a platform to 'teach.' That's what non-fiction is for. Still, I've been following these characters for a long time, and the stories are interesting, so I keep reading them (so far).

Rita Mae Brown's recent Mrs. Murphy novels have followed two storylines, one set in Crozet, Virginia in current times and the other set in the same region in the late 1700s, a decade or so after the Revolutionary War.

*****

During the Christmas season of 2021, Harry Haristeen, a lifelong resident of Crozet - in Albemarle County, Virginia - has a lot going on.

Harry is married to a large animal veterinarian named Fair Haristeen; she takes care of her farm and horses; she hangs out with her lifelong best friend Susan Tucker; she and Susan deliver Christmas baskets to needy families; she's arranging a surprise Christmas present for her husband Fair; and she and Fair belong to a 'dining club' composed of close friends that sample high end restaurants.

Harry is also the 'mom' of two cats called Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and two dogs named Tucker and Pirate. The pets converse among themselves - discussing the news of the day and other things - and talk to other animals as well. In this book Harry is taking Pirate - a 150-pound Irish Wolfhound - to dog showing classes, just for fun.

Besides everything else Harry is a compulsive amateur sleuth, and she pokes into deaths being investigated by her friend and neighbor, Deputy Sheriff Cynthia Cooper.

In this book Harry becomes concerned about a number of Christmas season fatalities: three undocumented middle-aged men who have no IDs are murdered; a Crozet orchard owner named Sy Buford is found dead; and three young people overdose at a party.

All the deceased contain traces of Fentanyl, and Deputy Cooper and Harry are concerned about drugs in Crozet. Harry even starts carrying Narcan, which can revive people who overdose on opioids if used in a timely manner. In an interview, Rita Mae Brown acknowledges that this storyline is inspired by concerns about the country's ubiquitous drug problem. In any case, Harry tries to determine how the drugs are being distributed in Virginia, and she endangers her own life as a result.

In the alternate storyline, set in the Crozet area in 1789, the action centers around two plantations and a high class brothel. One plantation, called Big Rawly, is owned by Mrs. Maureen Selisse Holloway, a cruel woman obsessed with profits and keeping her slaves in line.

The other plantation, named Cloverfields, is owned by a kind man named Ewing Garth, whose married daughter Catherine - a superb horsewoman and businesswoman - helps her dad run Cloverfields. The Garths are kind to their slaves, but have no thoughts of freeing them. It's clear that author Rita Mae Brown is against slavery, but her characters justify the practice as an economic necessity. In this story, Catherine arranges for a steeplechase race on Cloverfields property, and the author (a horsewoman herself) describes the race in great detail. 🙂

The 1789 brothel, called The Tavern, is run by a money-obsessed woman called Georgina. The Tavern serves its clientele gourmet food, provides musical entertainment by a talented singer, and has beautiful prostitutes for after-dinner entertainment.

All this might be fine and good except that Georgina has young girls kidnapped to work at The Tavern. Georgina seems to think she's providing a 'better life' for these gals, but its human trafficking no matter how you slice it.

I'm intrigued by the high-end eateries frequented by Harry's dining club, which serve things like grilled young squab with seared foie gras nesting on rhubarb compote. For dessert, Harry always orders orange-glazed sweetbreads with crème brûlée, which I might try given the chance.

The Mrs. Murphy' novels used to be REAL cozy mysteries with Harry searching for and finding clues....often with the help of her fur babies. More recently, and especially in this book, the 'investigation' is VERY superficial and the story is about all manner of other things. So you're forewarned.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rita Mae Brown, and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of the manuscript.

I really really adore this series. There's mystery, there's real life, but it's all in a very gentle way. I love popping back and forth between now and history to see how things are the same and how they're different. So soothing.

Hiss & Tell is the latest novel in the Mrs. Murphy cozy mystery series. It has a Christmas setting, as Harry Harristeen enjoys Christmas shopping and showing her beloved Irish Wolfhound. But she and her friend Cynthia discover a man dead by the roadside and become involved in solving the mystery.

I wanted to read this novel because I have enjoyed this series so much. I love both cats and Corgis, so the pets who help Harry are part of the fun for me! This was a charming mystery and a great addition to the series. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, and especially mysteries that also involve cats and dogs.

HISS & TELL by Rita Mae Brown is the latest mystery in the Mrs. Murphy series, featuring Harry Harristeen, her cats and dogs, and many friends in Crozet, Virginia. Like other recent series entries, this title alternates between present day and post-colonial (1789) times. I wish these stories still focused on Harry and find the multiple time periods unnecessary. Also, this latest title seemed quite preachy about immigration; it moved slowly and was difficult to finish. Enjoy the earlier adventures instead.

I love the Mrs. Murphy series and this one didn't disappoint. It's always interesting to catch up with Harry and friends. Christmas is coming but so are murders. The Christmas spirit is marred by overdoses of friends and strangers. Although Harry and Susan aren't actively investigating, somehow Harry finds herself in danger once again.

These characters have become like friends and I always look forward to the visit. There is also the continuing story line from the late 1700's that is interesting.

I'm already looking forward to the next one.