Can you believe this is the twenty-sixth book in this cheerful Virginia series? The chatty tabby cat Mrs Murphy and her friends Pewter the grey cat and Tee Tucker the corgi make a welcome return in A HISS BEFORE DYING. Autumn colours make the countryside even more beautiful as Harry Haristeen the farmer, and former postmistress, gets to grips with yet another unexpected death in the community.

A truck delivering cars is abandoned on the highway and the driver is soon found dead of no obvious cause. A few days later, the pack of beagles comes across the scent of death and leads the hunt to an African American man shot among bushes. Deer shooting season hasn't opened yet, so what happened? This victim carries a historical artefact linked to the former owners of the farmland. To learn more, we revisit 1785 and see how life was lived in Virginia, with manual labour, discrimination and deadly blizzards.

Mignon, a small, abused slave, decides she is fleeing the Garth farm and heading for a city like Richmond. Her weaver friend Bumbee agrees to help her but it won't be long before the girl's absence is noticed. The landowners sell timber and farm goods, supplying a growing demand. They also breed horses for racing. Their animals chatter among themselves too.

In present day, Harry admires Native American heritage products. Virginia had a history of merging Native children with those of African descent at school and the two groups intermarried. While modern life is more enlightened, the residents of Crozet want to restore old schoolhouses and create a museum. They also value the wildlife and church buildings that enhance the community. New housing developments crowd the Garth land. All these factors - and a robbery - interplay in discovering the truth behind the killings.

Those who have been following hardworking Harry's escapades for years will be pleased to read that she's now nearly five years clear after breast cancer surgery. This very real-feeling character and her friends and pets reflect the circumstances of many lives, as prolific author Rita Mae Brown has matured Harry over time. A HISS BEFORE DYING looks at living and past heritage and will be greatly enjoyed by cosy mystery fans.