Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen is a horse trainer. She has a
curiosity for solving mysteries as much as her feline
companion, but a poor sense of self protection when danger
is near.
Mrs. Murphy is Harry's extraordinary cat. Or is that the
other way around? Does Harry belong to Mrs. Murphy? When a
mystery abounds, it is usually the animals with the clear
train of thought as to who the guilty party is and why.
Harry expects to mix business with pleasure when she attends
the Saddlebred Show at the fairgrounds of Shelbyville,
Kentucky. The entertainment isn't provided just by the
horses. Renata DeCarlo, a beautiful actor whose career is
fading, is performing on Queen Esther. Returning from the
practice ring, Renata's performance on Queen Esther nearly
matches the very public and vocal display when she breaks up
with her boyfriend Charles Trackwell.
The fun is quickly leached when Joan Hamilton, Harry's
friend, loses her grandmother's lucky ruby and sapphire pin.
The secure clasp made it impossible that the piece of
jewelry simply fell off, leaving the group of friends with
only one possibility. They have a thief at the event.
That night Harry writes a quick note to Fair, her husband.
She drives to the stables. The next time she sees these
equines, depending upon how they stand in the competition,
may be out of her market price. Jorge, the night watchman,
is there. During their lively discussion a truck arrives. It
seems a strange time, but Harry accepts Jorge's explanation
that it is a feed delivery. The next day he denies to Joan
that any delivery at all was made.
Renata's prized horse is stolen. With Queen Esther, Renata
would have been taken as a serious contestant. Who would
hate her that much? Charly, her ex, a man used to getting
his own way? It seemed unlikely. And, how does somebody
steal a well known three gaited horse in front of hundreds
of witnesses? Before a proper investigation can begin, the
event has a deathly turn. Renata finds Jorge's lifeless
corpse in the hospitality room. Murdered.
In the backdrop of the horse show and the surrounding
neighborhood, Mrs. Murphy and her team guide her bungling
owners through the clues to find the answers to more than
one mystery, more than one crime, and more than one criminal.
PUSS N'CAHOOTS by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown was a
fun read. It fed my belief that our pets are more
intelligent than we give them credit for. They, like Mrs.
Murphy, may be able to communicate between species. The
writers described details that quickly brought me into the
scene. If you haven't read this series before, please, do
not follow my example. Use the index of characters at the
beginning. This is my first Mrs. Murphy mystery, and I
cheated. I was so excited by the premise that I dived into
reading the book. Imagine my surprise when Fair ended up
being a human, not an animal, and a male. If however you're
no better than me, you might get lost, you might get a
little chuckle over your confusion, but you definitely won't
regret reading the book.
Instead of a proper second honeymoon, the newly remarried
Harry and Fair Haristeen leave cozy Crozet, Virginia, for
Shelbyville, Kentucky, site of the famous saddlebred horse
show. There they’ll visit dear friends Joan Hamilton and
Larry Hodge and enjoy a week among some of the finest
horses, trainers, and riders in the country.
But soon
after they arrive, events veer mysteriously–and
murderously–off course. First, Joan’s ruby and sapphire
horsehead heirloom pin is stolen from her private box at the
fairgrounds. Next, a young film star’s prize three-gaited
mare disappears into thin air. There is no lack of suspects,
from hotheaded trainers and jealous rivals to vicious
ex-spouses. Then a body is found flagrantly murdered and
it’s obvious to Harry that someone at Shelbyville is sending
a strong message: winning is only secondary–first prize is
survival.
As Harry searches for clues, rediscovers
life as a married woman, and deals with her upcoming
fortieth birthday, her four-legged detective friends are
already on the case. But is animal instinct any match for
human depravity? Especially with two humans to protect and a
killer on the prowl?
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