Harry and Susan discover a dead man in a ditch. Although nothing appeared wrong with him, an autopsy reveals the presence of fentanyl. Amidst learning about showing Irish Wolfhounds and preparing for Christmas, Harry and her friends are drawn into the problem of drugs as deaths continue. In a second storyline, residents of the area in 1789 are setting up the first steeplechase race in America.

I liked the dog breed information woven into the story. As usual with Brown, her opinions on topics are clear. While I usually enjoy learning more of the area’s history, Brown usually has a tie between the time periods’ storylines that I didn’t find as clear in this book. I was troubled by her presentation of prostitution as a positive choice for women in 1789, and the discussions set in a historical brothel were more graphic than I expected in this series. For me, this isn’t the best representative of the series. Here’s hoping the next goes back to an actual investigation with involved pets. Purchase where the previous titles have done well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The latest Mrs. Murphy book finds Crozet experiencing a series of deaths from people with no ids, all with fentanyl in their system.

Unfortunately, this book doesn’t have a lot of modern investigation (it has the 1789 storyline concurrent which has not been my favorite since that started). I missed the days when Harry openly investigated and her animals had their own investigation into the death at the same time. That just isn’t present here.

Hiss and Tell continues the mystery series of Mrs. Murphy by Rita Mae Brown. I have always enjoyed stories of Harry and Mrs. Murphy but I think that it is returning to Crozet, Virginia that keeps me coming back. Brown does a wonderful job of going between the two time periods but I often wish for 2 separate books instead of having to transition my mind between the two periods. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With Christmas coming, Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen’s main focus should be on decorating, buying Christmas gifts without spending too much money, and delivering holiday baskets to neighbors in need. She has also enrolled her Irish Wolfhound puppy Pirate in classes with thoughts of preparing for a future exhibition. She has plenty of things to keep her busy but when Harry and Susan discover the body of a man by the side of the road and two more bodies are later found, Harry can’t help but start digging into what is going on. What she discovers will not only sadden her but put her in real danger.

“Hiss and Tell” is the thirty-first book in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mystery series. This series has changed a lot since it first started but, while I miss some of the earlier characters, I have become used to and even fond of some of the characters in the Revolutionary war time period flashbacks. Their ongoing story has unfolded over several books (it is best to read this series in order) and was quite interesting in this book – even if there was no real mystery (this time) in that storyline. There is enough mystery in the current day plotline to make up for the no mystery in the past storyline (although the past storyline manages to be bloodier than the current day one) – by the end of the book both storylines tie in nicely together. The current day mystery is very timely – touching not only on COVID but the ever growing drug crisis. One thing to be aware of – Brown can be a bit preach and there’s no doubting how she feels about things like the COVID vaccine by the end of the book!

“Hiss and Tell” is another good mystery by Rita Mae Brown.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

It’s Christmas time in Virginia, and Harry Haristeen and her family and friends are getting ready for the holidays. Things aren’t are cheery and bright however; Harry and her best friend Susan find the body of a man in a ditch. There’s other mysterious occurrences - a van crashing and everyone running away; people being found shot with no ID. Harry’s concerned - how are the people of the IDless victims going to know their fate?

I was so excited when I saw this book. I’d read some of the Mrs. Murphy books in the past, but it had been a decade since I last read one. I soon remembered why: too much politics (for lack of a better term) and too little mystery. This was more about drug smuggling and IDless / illegal people then ‘whodunnit’. There was a side plot into the summer of 1798 which was entertaining, but didn’t add to the modern day plot. It was a little uncomfortable too - some explicit details in a brothel, for example, that seemed to glorify the brothel but nothing about the negatives like unplanned pregnancies or STDs. Same with some the scenes involving slaves.

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more of it hadn’t been presented as a ‘Mrs. Murphy Mystery’ (since there was very little Ms. Murphy and lots of Pirate, the new dog) and maybe just 'life in Crozet’. I guess if you’ve really enjoyed the most recent Mrs. Murphy novels, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. As for me, I think I’m going to go back to the earlier ones which had more mystery.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

This book seemed to take a 90 degree downturn. I admit sometimes the past titles have been too sweet, but this one took a wild turn. I’m no prude but I wasn’t expecting somewhat explicit details of a brothel to be thrown into what was a great story line set back in the 1700’s. I didn’t really enjoy this book at all. Too much explanation about drug running and illegal aliens. Those are not new concepts for anyone and the rather detailed droning on got monotonous. The mystery has become the 3rd or 4th plot line and the animals, while still a small focus, don’t really help solve any crime anymore. I hate to say it but I may stop reading this series and I have been a fan from the start.

I was so excited to get this ARC from netgalley. I’ve been a fan of theirs series since I was in college but have not read one in probably ten years. I was not disappointed! The characters were still the same even after our long separation. I quickly was reintroduced to everyone in the first couple chapters and loved the animals shenanigans as they are always able to solve the mystery before the humans! Great read as always!!

It is always a pleasure to read one of Rita Mae Brown’s mysteries! She expertly weaves history, local culture and sweet animals to make very engaging books. Central Virginia is the setting and it stars as a well-described character along with the usual cast of people and pets.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this great ARC.

Hiss and Tell is set during Christmas time. Harry and her friend Susan are enjoying the season when a dead body appears on the side of the road - there is no clue who he is. Then a few more pop up. It appears that poison is the reason for their deaths.

It is up Harry, her cats and her dog to help solve the crime.

The story is as delightful as ever - a good book to read anytime but a great book to read during the Christmas season.

Every time I say I won’t read another book in this series, I do…and I find it enjoyable and yet fave a few things that annoy me. That said, I do keep coming back for more…so I must like it and need to accept the things I have a bit of a problem with, mostly around the animals. But it’s the setting in VIrginia that always draws me back in and home again.

Being book 31 in the series, it’s obviously a well loved and well read series…and I think you will find the mystery well thought out and written in each and every book!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

I normally adore cozy mysteries but I think this is the first time I'm not finishing one and I'm rating it 2 stars. I liked the animals...the mystery was fine...I didn't particularly care for the characters. I was just so uninterested in what was going on that it was so hard for it to hold my attention. Full transparency: I did DNF at around 40%.

Another wonderful novel by Rita Mae Brown. I love all her series with animals. The Crozet novels always teach some history on the side.

It's been a while since I met up with the Harry and her animals in this series by Rita Mae Brown.
Hiss and Tell is the 31st book in this series and no matter how long it is between books, the animals never fail to make me laugh.
This book goes between the current time period and the 1700's, which really intrigued me.
The story was well written and I enjoyed following along until things were resolved.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.
#HissTell #NetGalley

Ms. Brown, once again, weaves a complex story that combines present day and mid-1700s events into a compelling story. As the 31st entry in this series, the modern day is well represented with familiar characters, although this book is easily read as a stand-alone. The modern story includes the scourge of fentanyl and the historical story deal with slavery in Virginia.

Hiss and Tell is the 31st book in the Mrs. Murphy Mystery series. I have read this series from the beginning and love all of them. There are two parts of this story, Present time and Eighteenth Century. The story takes place in Crozet, Virginia during the Christmas holiday. The story opens with Pharamond (Fair) Haristeen, an equine vet who is coming home from a colic call. He notices a truck that is going very fast and goes off the road and crashes into a tree. Several people get out of the truck and run into the woods. He calls Deputy Cynthia Cooper their next door neighbor and reports the accident.

Mary Minor Haristeen, Fair's wife and her best friend, Susan Tucker are on the hilltop looking over the 1000 acres that Susan inherited from an uncle. It has black walnut trees that Susan plans to harvest down the road. Harry is there with her pets Mrs Murphy, a tiger cat; Putter, a fat gray cat; Tucker, a corgi and Pirate, a wolfhound. They are all important parts of this story, Coming back on back roads they come across a body of a man who has been shot. They call Coop. Coop checks the person and finds no ID. They give their statement and leave.

Harry is taking her dog, Pirate, a wolfhound, to classes about showing them. When leaving one of the other participants is robbed of her purse. Coop is called and she captures the two men. Again they don't have ID. The two men are later found shot to death. That makes 3 shot.

While shopping with Harry, Coop gets a phone call from her boss that the 3 men who died all had fentanyl in their system. Later in the story Harry's friend, Ballard Perez who lives in a small cottage on his mother's estate called Lone Pine was at the class training his wolfhound when he suddenly falls on the floor after taking Advil. He is rushed to the hospital and also found to have fentanyl in his system. Their friend, Sy Buford was found dead in his peach orchard. Also was found to have fentanyl in his system. There is a lot of discussion about drugs in this story. This is where I will leave the story to the reader to read and enjoy.

The second part of the story follows two families, Ewing Garth who owns the estate, Cloverfield along with his daughters Catherine Schuyler along with her husband, John and her sister, Rachel and her husband, Charles. The other family is Maureen Selisse Holloway who owns Big Rawly along with her second husband, Jeffery. She can be cruel towards anyone who crosses her. She is a very wealthy woman. A third person is Georgina Howard who owns a high class brothel. I will again leave this story to the reader as there is so much that it is impossible to tell all.

The story comes to a climax of who killed the men and why. The story ends with Christmas Day at Harry's and Fair's house with Cooper, Susan, her husband Ned, Ballard comes to visit and brings Harry a present of papers about horse breeding. They are papers of Catherine Schuyler. His family bred horses in the colonial times.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for this ARC.