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Written by Lisa Neff and Ms. Joplin, Staff writers
Apr 7, 2011
To write the bestselling Mrs. Murphy murder mystery series, lesbian author Rita Mae Brown teams up with her tiger cat Sneaky Pie Brown. So to review the newest Mrs. Murphy book, “Hiss of Death” from Bantam, WiG editor Lisa Neff is sharing a byline with her long-haired feline friend Ms. Joplin, who meows in italics.
The Blue Ridge Mountain town of Crozet, Va., is almost heaven.
Crozet is cozy, comfortable, picture-perfect. The problem in this fictional place created by authors Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown is that bodies tend to pile up.
Murderers in Crozet kill in threes and fours.
But they always get caught – thanks to those sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and that tag-along corgi Tee Tucker.
And, of course, their human, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen.
The 19th installment of the Mrs. Murphy series, “Hiss of Death” from Bantam Books, arrives in bookstores April 12. Rita Mae Brown, who is touring for the book, will appear during a ticketed event at 7 p.m. April 15 at Next Chapter Bookshop, 10976 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon.
“Hiss of Death” begins with the onset of spring – the thaw in temperatures, the tilling of soil, the opening of buds, the return of snowbirds. But with the springtime promise of new life and rejuvenation, comes a trio of deaths – a nurse, an addiction counselor and an oncologist.
And illness.
Right. Harry, the plucky former postmistress and farmer Mrs. Murphy mystery fans have gotten to know so well through 18 prior novels, copes with stage one breast cancer – the diagnosis, the surgery, the radiation and the recovery.
Some readers might think that the book is preachy on the cancer concerns but, as a two-year survivor, I connected with Harry and her fears of mortality. That’s a myth about cats and nine lives.
There’s a lot to connect with in “Hiss of Death.” The authors have multiple interests and this shows in their mystery – which offers something for the gearheads and pet-smitten, For the Cure campaigners and equine enthusiasts, fitness buffs and forensic-philes.
And the morbid. That last death was grisly, something only a human could execute but a cat could enjoy reading about. “Hiss of Death” is like Purina Whisker Lickin’s treats for armchair detectives. The chicken and cheese flavor.
Or like catnip for suspense seekers.
Rita Mae Brown appears April 15 at 7 p.m. at Next Chapter Bookshop, 10976 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon. Tickets are on sale now.
