While I am aware that this is a beloved series, I could not bring myself to finish this book. The plot and characters were not compelling to me.

It is never easy to keep a long running series fresh and interesting.  It is all too easy to fall into the trap of repetition. Rita Mae Brown’s success as an author is a testament to her ability to move forward and allow her characters- both human and animal, to develop with time.  As in her previous novel, Probable Claws has two related storylines separated by over two centuries. The narrative alternates between present day Crozet and post Revolutionary Virginia. It is a fascinating and unusual storytelling method.


In the present, Harry and a friend are present when their friend Gary, a local architect, is gunned down.  Anger and devastation make her nosing in on the investigation a certainty. Before Gary went into private practice, he worked for a major developer, and its possible that something from his past made his elimination a necessity.  


In the past, the former colonies are struggling to decide on a government design and monetary policy, and the landowners like Rachel and Katherine’s father, who provided money and arms for the revolution are working hard to keep things together. Slavery is present, but Rita Mae Brown treats all of her characters as individuals, and does not glorify the past.


The murder mystery aspect is secondary to the human drama, and as always the situation is enlivened by the assistance of Mrs Murphy, Tucker and Pewter. The inclusion of illustrations is another nice touch.  Though they may not be to everyone’s taste, the Mrs Murphy mysteries are in a category all their own.


Probable Claws is an enjoyable novel, blending mystery with human drama.  Fans will definitely enjoy Rita Mae Brown’s newest novel. Though the novel can be read by newcomers, I recommend reading at least a few of the previous novels first.


4 / 5


I received a copy of Probable Claws from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

I love this fun and exciting series!!

[book:Probable Claws|36213902] by [author:Rita Mae Brown|23511] and [author:Sneaky Pie Brown|96134] is the twenty-seventh book of the <i>Mrs. Murphy </I> cozy mystery series.
I read the first novel in this series, [book:Wish You Were Here|165358], many years ago and was immediately drawn by all the characters. By the third book I came to love these clever mysteries and lovable characters with each new instalment.
As always, the storyline drew me in from the very beginning, making it difficult to put down until the mystery was solved.

Harry's good friend, Gary, is shot to death by a masked man on a motorcycle in broad daylight, right in front of her and Crozet's local deputy, Cynthia Cooper. Harry, angered by the death of her friend, is not about to brush off his death as a tragic event and vows to find the reason behind his murder. As Harry digs deeper into Gary's past she begins to uncover some alarming facts. Harry and her human companions soon find themselves in grave danger from someone who will do anything to keep the secrets from being exposed. As always, her loyal animal children, Mrs. Murphy, Harry's 'smarter than her human' tiger cat and Tee Tucker, Harry's resourceful corgi, do their best to keep Harry out of harms way but the consequences could be deadly.

This cozy mystery series is a favorite of mine as they're just the ticket for those times when I need to take a break from my usual diet of intense psychological suspense novels and brutal, gruesome crime thrillers I read in great number.
I adore Mary Minor Harristeen (Harry) and her closest human friends as they're animal lovers through and through. The animals are her children which wins huge points from me as I have a number of children with paws myself.
It's been a number of years since I've visited the characters and the goings on in this series and now that I've become reacquainted with them I will be going back to the very first book and read them one by one all over again! 5 bright ★'s!
I recommend reading this series in order as the characters stories build with each novel.


With thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me this advanced reading copy to enjoy in return for my honest review.

3.5+ Stars
It’s been a while since I have read a Rita Mae Brown Mrs. Murphy novel. In certain ways, I was happy to return to Crozet and visit with Harry and her human and animal friends. What disappointed me, a little, was the inclusion of a second story, from right after the Revolutionary War, that interwove with the current day story. What I didn’t like about having the two stories is that I didn’t see a relationship between the two stories – other than the location being in and around Crozet. Don’t get me wrong, the individual stories were interesting and entertaining, but not having a thread that bound the two together didn’t help either story.
The modern day story starts out with Harry visiting her local architect, Gary, who is busy designing a new work shed for her. As they are leaving his work together, Gary is shot dead on the sidewalk by a person zooming by on a motorcycle. Harry’s friend, Deputy Cooper, is on hand at the time of the shooting and quickly takes up the investigation. Unfortunately, tracing the motorcycle and the person riding it turns out to be difficult – both are in the wind. Of course, Harry takes up asking questions, trying to determine why and who would want Gary dead.
The late 1700’s story was just as interesting providing insights into the state of the union at that time and the situation of the landowners in that area. I found this thread to be very interesting by itself. There isn’t a mystery in this thread, but more historical details of that time. I grew up in Virginia, so I enjoyed these details but could see where some might find this a little too much.
Overall, I enjoyed. Just didn’t see the reason for the 2 separate stories combined. After reading the afterward, I understand this is a continuation of what was started in the prior book and will continue in the next. It’s very possible this thread will resolve with a clear, distinct linkage past to present.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First book I’ve read in this charming series and I can’t believe I waited so long to discover it. I’m normally not a fan of animals as characters but for this series it works perfectly and it adds an extra special charm to it. I can’t wait to go back and read more in this series and fall even more in love with the delightful cast of characters.

I just love this cute and furry series. Brown has did it again by creating a fun, clever and witty mystery with an exciting jump back through time.

This is book 27 in the Mrs. Murphy series and while I really enjoy the animal conversation and antics I am beginning to dislike the politics and historic rhetoric that Ms. Brown injects into the story. When Harry is visiting with on friend on the street and he is shot and killed, she is determined to find his killer. His death is somehow connected to a building project in Richmond and when another friend dies they know they are connected. There are some alternate chapters from 1770's that I didn't enjoy as much as the present day story line. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love a good cozy mystery and this one is no exception/ I loved the writing. The story and the character. I have wanted to read something by this author and I’m glad that I did.

Another delightful addition to the Mrs. Murphy mysteries. This time a local architect is gunned down on the sidewalk outside his office while talking to Harry & several others. It's a baffling crime possibly connected to work in his past.

As has been the case in the last several novels, there is an intertwined story taking place in the lat 18th Century. While interesting, these chapters feel like more of an interruption to the plot than integral to the story.

All in all it's a good addition to the series.

PROBABLE CLAWS by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown is the 27th(!) mystery featuring Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker, animals who belong to Harry Haristeen. Set in Crozet, Virginia, these mysteries are terrific "cozies" and I think I may have read all (and possibly re-read some, too).

The latest involves two stories – one in present day where an architect friend of Harry's is murdered in the first few pages and another which is a historical story set in 1787 Virginia involving a family who have also featured in recent series entries. In all honestly, I would rather have one time period or the other.... even if they do tie together. That said, this series is still fun and definitely recommended! The animals are surprisingly clever with clear personalities. Enjoy these books -- pick them up to relax and escape.

I have read most of the books in this series, and while I still enjoy visiting Harry and all her friends, human and animal, I also feel that the series has gotten a bit stale.
The story starts out with a bang when Harry’s friend Gary gets shot right in front of her, and of course she investigates despite warnings from the police and friends to stay out of harms way. Her animals, cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tucker the Corgi, are helping her as always, but somehow their interaction wasn’t as lively or as fully developed as has been the case in the past.
Also, I was not a huge fan of flipping back and forth from the past to the present as Ms. Brown has done in the last couple of books. It just didn’t seem to add much to the story in this case, and was somewhat distracting.
This book was just ok for me. Not awful, but there are definitely better ones earlier in the series.
This book was provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells two different stories. One a mystery, one not. Neither story has anything to advance the other. I'm not sure why the two were combined. The mystery was a good, not great, one. The ending was a little confusing since I was waiting for something to happen to tie the two together. This did not happen.

"With the New Year just around the corner, winter has transformed the cozy Blue Ridge Mountain community of Crozet, Virginia, into a living snow globe. It’s the perfect setting for Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen to build a new work shed designed by her dear friend, local architect Gary Gardner. But the natural serenity is shattered when out of the blue, right in front of Harry and Deputy Cynthia Cooper, and in broad daylight, Gary is shot to death by a masked motorcyclist.

Outraged by the brazen murder, Harry begins to burrow into her friend’s past—and unearths a pattern of destructive greed reaching far back into Virginia’s post-Revolutionary history. When Harry finds incriminating evidence, the killer strikes again.

Heedless of her own safety, Harry follows a trail of clues to a construction site in Richmond, where the discovery of mysterious remains has recently halted work. Aided as always by her loyal, if opinionated, companions, crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi, Harry hunts for a link between the decades-old dead, the recently violently deceased—and ancient secrets that underlie everything. And while other deaths are narrowly averted in a flurry of fur, the killer remains at large—ever more desperate and dangerous. The deep-rooted legacy of corruption that’s been exposed can never be buried again. But if Harry keeps pursuing the terrible truth, she may be digging her own grave."

I'm a sucker for cat mysteries.

I have always loved visiting Harry, Sneaky Pie and the rest of the gang. I think that over the last few books the tone has changed significantly. The stories are more superficial with less time being spent on character development. The characters have not had much personal growth during the last few books. This is due to two things. The first is due to the fact that there is a lot more political commentary. In my opinion it is becoming heavy handed and does not add anything to the story itself. The second is due to how much time is being spent focusing on the story that is set in the past. It is a whole separate story line that needs it's own book. It takes up alot of pages that should be used to focus on Harry and company. The only thing these two stories have in common is the fact that they both take place in Virginia! I hope this will be taken as constructive criticism as it is intended to be. I have read all her books to date and I am crossing my fingers that she will take out the fluff and go back to writing the rich, detailed stories that I so enjoyed.

Probable Claws continues the 18th century tale from the previous book along with a modern day mystery.

Harry, her Corgi Tucker, fat cat Pewter and even tempered cat Mrs. Murphy are hunting a killer again in the 27th entry in the long-running series. When a motorcycler shoots Harry’s architect, Gary, dead right next to her, she decides to investigate. In alternating chapters, the story of slave holders in early Virginia is also told.

The animals always have the best lines in this series. This one is no exception. Pewter has an ongoing feud with a “dinosaur spider”. New Irish Wolfhound puppy, Pirate, is perplexed by Pewter’s dislike of anything that doesn’t bow down at her feet.

I liked the modern story best. In the 1780s story, there were a multitude of characters and French history to wade through. If I lived in Virginia, it would have been more interesting. The modern plot had a few surprising twists and the killer wasn’t easy to determine even though the clues were fairly presented. Probable Claws is recommended to both cozy mystery and historical mystery fans. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Bantam Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I have read several of Rita Mae Brown’s books, so this one is not the first. I have generally enjoyed them. However, in the past several books, she has been doing a split book based on today, the here and now, and the post-Revolutionary War 1700’s. This is a good way to introduce area history and life style, but it is getting old for me. In fact, in this book, I found that the flashbacks to the 1700’s did little to enhance the story. I do not know why the author keeps doing this, but, as I said, it is becoming a real turn-off for me. Finally, continually skipping back and forth between today and the 1700’s does create some confusion, as I had to remember who who was and in which timeframe they belonged.

Before the book even begins, the author spends pages introducing the characters, explaining who they are and how they fit in, adding some personal tidbits about each. While this is great, because the reader goes into the story with some idea of who is who and how everyone is related, for the most part, having several pages strictly devoted to introducing the characters seems a bit much. In addition, reading the book on my kindle makes going back to the introductory pages about the characters a bit more difficult than if I was reading an old-fashioned, hardback or paperback book, where I could just flip back to the information more easily. If the author wishes to continue this, it might help, to consider, though I am not sure, whether to place a link placed somewhere in the electronic book to get to the character intros and discussion, so the reader could refer back to who is who and how they are related. In addition, if it takes as many pages to list the characters, I am not sure anyone can ever really even remember who is who, after reading all the information provided there. The mind and memory can only store so much and remember so much, and overloading it does not make things any easier. Besides, this can be a turn-off—it could be to me, when I saw there were so many different characters, not to mention, I wonder just how much character development can there really be with so many. Of course, many of the characters are well known from earlier books, but still, the many pages devoted to this can become a bit much and intimidating (and, as I said, who can remember them all and their relationships and peculiarities anyway). Sometimes having too many characters only means others, some of whom are well liked and remembered, are not even or barely mentioned and have little or no part in the story. Still, I guess this is the author’s way of eliminating some descriptions within the book itself.

The story was interesting. The first murder was definitely brazen and an eye opener. The second not so much, though ingenious. Harry is present for the first murder, so naturally has to totally immerse herself and her gang into figuring out who did it. I was not sure I understood what had happened between the events of 1983-1984, when everything began, and the present day, when the murder occurred. In addition, the ending was kind of flat and not as well resolved as I thought it should have been. The story line from the 1700’s really had little or no bearing on the events of the present day, as I said, so I am at a loss about why the author even included this timeframe. She definitely seems to be taken with the characters she has put into that era, but does that mean she needs to include them in every book—even if they really have no bearing on the story? Finally, I was disappointed with the animal interactions with the humans. The animals’ dialogue seemed flat and not up to the usual.

I have enjoyed reading Rita Mae Brown’s books, but am not sure what has happened, as I no longer find them as well done or as interesting. The 18th century episodes, inserted into the story lines, were fine for a while, but I seriously think this history lesson stuff’s time has passed. The author needs to focus more on the present-day scenarios and mysteries as well as on how the animals and humans interact to solve the mystery rather than try to bounce between two eras. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Another recently released cozy mystery in the delightful Mrs. Murphy series. I love that her series features Mary Minor "Harry" Haristean and her menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses. The dogs and cats have the fantastic ability to talk to one another and always seem one step ahead of Harry when she is trying to solve a mystery.

I loved this mystery as usual, but since I hadn't read the last 2 or 3 had difficulty following a new spin these mysteries have taken. There is a dual time line with the cozy mystery taking place in the present and the other time line following the development of the US post Revolution. I enjoyed the historic timeline but didn't see the correlation to the present day mystery. Then reading the post note from the author, it appears the historical timeline started in the previous book and will conclude in the next book. I would recommend that the author or publisher somehow note this so that other readers don't attempt to read this as a standalone.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

I've been a long-time fan of this series set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia which features both human and animal characters. Rita Mae Brown even gives writing credit to her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, haha. But it looks like I stopped at book #20, so it was a pleasure to revisit these familiar characters.

This is a very intriguing mystery--a bold murder committed in front of witnesses, including Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen, local farmer and the hero of these stories, who can't help sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong.

Ms Brown has begun weaving a bit of historical fiction into her mysteries in occasional chapters, which I really enjoyed--the scene being the same locale in the years following the Revolutionary War.

I recommend this as a quick summer read. If you love an intriguing mystery and books about Virginia, animals and love of the natural environment, I predict you will enjoy these books. The animals are quite amusing too. Don't worry about jumping in in the middle of a series--Ms Brown thoughtfully includes a 'Cast of Characters.' And as always, there are some delightful pen and ink drawings that enhance the enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an arc of this new mystery for an honest review. It was a delight to spend some time with old 'friends.'

I have been enjoying this series from the start so this is the 27th Sneaky Pie I have read. The draw for me is the present day, in every book. Like a letter from home, I look forward to finding out how life is going for Harry and the animals and various friends and family, of course. My problem with the last book, this one and probably will be for the next one is the two stories in one book. I really have a hard time focusing on two time periods and two story lines. Just my opinion but I would rather have the colonial period as one stand alone book and continue Sneaky Pie as a series. I want to give each my undivided attention as a reader, without confusion. I would say to any reader to read this three book series as a unit, not out of order. Yes, I want a full book of each.
My three stars reflects my difficulty with keeping my focus, not a reflection of the writing or the two stories. I felt the tension in the present day story, shocked by the first murder and eager to figure out who would go to such extreme lengths to silence another person. Humor is added, as usual, by the animals. Pewter cracks me up and this time it"s her reaction to a rather large spider. We also meet a new dog, such a sweet puppy, I wanted to hug him. All of the animals continue to protect Harry from various dangers as we have come to expect in every book. In the mystery and the animals, I was more than satisfied. I have no doubt I will be reading #28 because of Harry and her animals.

"Harry" Harristeen lives in Crozet, Virginia with her veternarian husband Fair and her assortment of animals, including her felines Pewter and Mrs. Murphy and her Corgi Tucker. She has decided to build a new work shed and she's hired architect Gary Gardner, a good friend, to build it. But when she's standing outside his shop along with Gary and Deputy Cynthia Cooper, a motorcyclist stops and shoots Gary once then drives away. The bullet is perfectly aimed and he quickly dies from the wound.

But who would want Gary dead? And why? When Harry - cautioned by Coop not to interfere - starts a little investigation on her own anyway, she's having trouble putting the pieces together. It isn't until another murder that she's finally able to figure it out, and even with the help of her faithful companions Pewter, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, it may very well cost her her own life if she's not careful...

This is the latest book in the Mrs. Murphy series, and as such, does not disappoint. Ms. Brown has a real talent for weaving the past and the present together without losing her readers in the process. The stories - one taking place in the present and the other in the 1700's - are seamlessly merged; and both tales are interesting enough that while reading of one century, you long to go back to the other.

The tale in the 1700's tells of the original landowners in the area and how their families fared during that time; and often it connects with the present-day tale; but this time out we are going farther back - back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and how it still affects us in the present day.

It is always interesting to see how far greed will take people, and the lengths they are willing to go to in order to acquire wealth. That can be said for both eras in the stories told; yet while the tales do not mirror each other, each is fascinating in its own way.

The mystery was extremely well done, and the murderer was unexpected as well. There were several suspects, but if you watch the clues, it leads in but one direction. The characters are well-drawn, the scenery is highly descriptive, and I absolutely adore Harry, who is not your run-of-the-mill protagonist, but a woman who is not only smart, but strong, brave, and self-sufficient. It is easy to see why her husband Fair is enamored of her; this is a woman who can think on her feet (much like Catherine Garth) and stays calm in the face of danger.

While we know Harry could not have solved anything without the help of the delightful (and egotistical) Pewter (as I feel I must give credit where credit is due), I have to say that I truly enjoyed reading this book as much as I have the others, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.