"For Lovers of Cats, Dogs, and Murder"
If you're one of those people who sometimes looks at your
pet and thinks, "What is he *really* thinking?" or "I
wonder how much she *really* understands?," this delightful
mystery and its sequels are right up your alley. Mrs.
Murphy, a gray tiger cat, and Tee Tucker, a corgi bitch,
live with Mary Minor Haristeen (aka "Harry"), postmistress
of the little country corner of Crozet, Va. When local
paving contractor Kelly Craycroft turns up in a dismembered
condition in one of his own cement mixers, Harry and her
pets (assisted by Pewter, the fat gray cat who lives in the
market next to the post office) are drawn inexorably into
the case through Harry's realization that the killer uses
anonymous picture postcards to telegraph his intentions.
The gimmick is that we readers (unlike the humans in the
story) can understand what the animals are saying to one
another--and they prove to have very keen perceptions
regarding the murder and subsequent events. And when the
killer's identity is at last revealed, it's Murphy and Tee
whose teeth and claws save the day. This is the first of an ongoing series of "Mrs. Murphy
Mysteries" signed by Brown and her cat Sneaky Pie. Whether
Sneaky actually had a paw in the writing is for the reader
to decide, but certainly Brown has a keen insight into the
animal mind: the behavior of the pets and their private
reflections on the human condition ring very true. The
human characters, too, are unforgettable: Harry's soon-to-
be-ex-husband, ambivalent veterinarian Fair (Pharamond)
Haristeen; Mrs. Miranda Hogendobber, widow of Harry's
predecessor and a devout member of an obscure Christian
denomination; Mim Sanburne, grande dame of the village;
Rick Shaw, the chain-smoking sheriff who finds himself in
water deeper than he expected, and his able second-in-
command, Off. Cynthia Cooper. Flavored with witty humor
and vivid portrayals of the Virginia countryside and
customs, "Wish You Were Here" and its sequels are not to be
missed by pet-lovers and mystery aficionados.
Reviewed by Christine Jeffords
Posted July 7, 2002
|
