This was first Rita Mae Brown book and it definitely was not my cup of tea. I'm all for learning about history but when I'm going back and forth in time in a book it's hard to stay interested. I didn't find the mystery(ies) all that captivating either, but I did love hearing what the animals were thinking. If this is what will be coming in the future I probably won't read any more, but I will go back and try from the beginning.

I loved this book from the first to the last page, a truly intriguing and compelling story set between 1787 and the present day.
After a vandalism a 1787 corpse was discovered, a woman with no identity buried with a very precious necklace. It is absolutely necessary to find out who she is even though now only the bones are left. Also while there are preparations for the annual hunting basset and beagle competition hosted by Hounds For Heroes two bodies are found. Harry investigates with the help of her talking animals, two dogs and two cats. To help them there is also a ghost dog.
This is the first book in this series that I read, I had no difficulty understanding the story, the author is very good at providing the necessary information. I am very curious to read all 27 of them.
It was a pleasant and interesting read, there is a lot of historical information on plantations, slavery, civil war, really instructive. The charity event held at a fundraiser called Hounds For Heroes is also very well described.
If you love cozy mysteries with animals this book is perfect for you.

This is book 28 in the Mrs. Murphy series and I love the concept of the animals taking such an important part of the books. Unfortunately this may be my last book in the series I read because of the politics and strong opinions of Ms. Brown. This book again features the duel time lines with a murder from the past becoming intertwined with a murder in present day. I wish the books would go back to the original premise of a good murder mystery without all the preaching about politics and current issues. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“Whiskers In The Dark” by prolific author Rita Mae Brown is a “cozy mystery “ that was a bit too cozy and not much of a mystery for my reading tastes. On the plus side there was a large amount of American history, both contemporary as well as historical. In the minus column I was startled to be introduced to the talking animals. I do not mind fantasy and also have spent a lifetime embracing the “willing suspension of disbelief “; however, Ms. Brown takes that suspension out beyond two standard deviations from the norm.
Secondly I don’t need to be educated on the subject of hound hunting. Perhaps being introduced into the world constructed by the author would have been more enjoyable if this wasn’t my initial introduction to this long-running series. I am grateful to NetGalley for the chance to try out this story at no charge. I regret to say I cannot give a better review of “Whiskers In The Dark.”

I have read most of the books in the series, and this one. Like a few others I have recently read, it just is not up to the level of most of the series’ books. Unfortunately, the author is still stuck in the history of Harry’s area, fighting the civil war. I wish she would stop this, because I do not find it interesting, and it generally does little for the book (except to show off that the author can research history). In this book, with the date of the its spring Hounds for Heroes veteran’ benefit approaches, Harry and other volunteers are busy cleaning up the National Beagle Club at Adie, which has been damaged by a storm that came through the area. Many of the volunteers are residents, retired from jobs with the government in various alphabet organizations or the military. They all, like it or not, bring their pasts with them, which impacts on the present. During the clean-up, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is found dead, throat slit from ear to ear. Soon another murder occurs, and Harry is convinced that the murderer is in their midst and sets out to find out who he/she is.

As I said, bringing in the historical perspective does nothing for the story. In fact, it has become a real turn-off for me. In this book, the author, as usual, alternates between the past and present. Unfortunately, story lines opened up in the history presented are never really well finished. In fact, the plot of the story is fine and could have been better, except the author focused far more on the hunt, which she never really even explained or described well, so the reader is left figuring out what exactly is going on. The book also has very poor resolution of the murder mystery. It is almost as if the author suddenly realized she had to end the book and came up with a quickie ending to get it over with. In addition, the focus of the book is on the event, (which as I said, is never really explained), with history inserted here and there and not on the murder mystery. Only a small percentage of the story line even focuses on the murder mysteries, much to my dismay. I do not understand why this happened, except to say that it seems like the author “lost the forest through the trees”. In the story, to the author’s benefit, the animals do kibitz on and off, though not as much as in other books. One thing that also surprised me was the insertion of a ghost dog, whose story or ending never even occurred. Why insert a ghost dog if you are not going to tell history or end it, whether good or bad? This book is never going to be one of my favorites. The story is loosely put together, with little real plot, not much development and a poorly done ending. Yes, it does end, but not very well, and the reader is left with questions about what exactly happened and why. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.

Whiskers in the Dark is a cozy mystery set in rural Virginia. There are two mysteries in this book: one involves a body from the 1700's that was recently discovered in Virginia, and then in present day, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is murdered. The present day storyline takes place at a Hounds for Heroes benefit held by the National Beagle Club.

I wanted to read this book as soon as heard about it. I read, and enjoyed, the Mrs. Murphy mysteries for years. I have not read the past few books and wanted to get back into this series. I love beagles, and that made this mystery particularly interesting to me.

Whiskers in the Dark has a dual storyline. Most of the book takes place in the present day before, during, and after the Hounds for Heroes benefit. Harry Harristeen and her best friend Susan are attending the benefit, and they become involved in solving the mystery when one of the fellow attendees is murdered. The other storyline takes place in 1787 and involves a woman's murder from years ago.

I enjoyed reading about Harry and her mystery solving again, especially with the help of her cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and her corgi dog Tee Tucker. She has added another dog to the family, a young Irish Wolfhound named Pirate. The pets meet Ruffy, a ghost beagle living at the Institute in Aldie, Virginia. He is missing his person and wants a resolution for that mystery. The pets talk in this book and they are both charming and wise! There are also some lovely black and white illustrations in the novel of both pets and people.

This is a dense read, with a large cast from two different time periods. Thankfully there is a Cast of Characters detailing both people and animal characters. I bookmarked it and referred to it a number of times, especially keeping up with all the people from the 1780's who were part of the flashback story.

The historical details from 1787 were very interesting, and the element of historical fiction added something extra to this novel. Although I love historical fiction, I still felt the heart of the book was in the present day with Harry, her friends, and her beloved pets. I found myself reading through the historical flashbacks a bit quickly in order to move forward to the present day mystery.

I guessed the murderer early on but still enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery. Harry is one of my favorite amateur detectives and it is enjoyable to see her at work.

I recommend this book, and the Mrs. Murphy series, to fans of cozy mysteries, dog and cat mysteries, and small town mysteries. I am delighted to have picked up this series again and look forward to continuing.

Set at a National Beagle Association event, Whiskers in the Dark is another satisfying entry in the Mrs. Murphy cat cozy mystery series.

Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, crime solving cats, plus Tee Tucker, a Corgi dog, and Pirate, an Irish Wolfhound puppy, get clues to two mysteries from a ghostly beagle only they can see. In current day, a man is found murdered before the annual Hounds for Heroes benefit hunt. Then, a woman’s skeleton from the 1780s is found with a broken neck and wearing an expensive necklace. What is her story?

I enjoyed the past mystery the most. It tells a story of slavery and freedom. The current day mystery seemed to be a little rushed to make room for the historic one. However, it is always a pleasure to spend a few hours with Harry and Mrs. Murphy. Whiskers in the Dark is no exception. 4 stars!

Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another entry in the long and wonderful series of Mrs.Murphy mysteries. I like the regular characters, particularly the animals, but this one lost me a bit wit the back and forth in time. The present-day mystery worked better for me, but I think regular readers of the series will still enjoy it.

In the 28th outing of this mystery series set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, 'Harry' Haristeen and her friend Susan have joined a crew of workers who are cleaning up the weather-damaged site belonging to the National Beagle Club of America in Aldie, Virginia which is about to host an annual competition put on by Hounds F4R Heroes. Just days before the event occurs, one of the volunteer workers is found brutally murdered, but his wife insists the annual event must go on. When another death occurs, Harry starts putting her considerable mental skills into solving the case.

The area itself has seen many deaths, as it was a site involved in the Civil War, and many think it is haunted, including Harry's pets who actually meet the ghost of a beagle. Yes, the animals are a fun addition to the cast of characters of these books.

Ms Brown has begun weaving a bit of historical fiction into her mysteries in alternating chapters, giving us a sense of what life was like for both plantation owners and slaves in the years following the Revolutionary War.

I recommend this as a quick summer read. If you enjoy an intriguing mystery mixed with a bit of historical fiction, this series is perfect for you. The animals are quite amusing too. Don't worry too much 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 read several of the now 28 books in this series over the years. Its hard to believe its already 28 books. Of course, I say that about Stephanie Plum too as her series is pretty high up there too.



This mystery is set in two time periods, which is very cool for a cozy. If you are familiar with this series, the pets are all very much part of the series. They are talking pets. Really! I find it so adorable.



Harry is working to solve a new and an old mystery with the help of her friends.



This was definitely a different spin on the series I've read before, but it was a solid and fun read with a bit of history thrown in the mix as well.



A few things though...



The book opens with a spring snowstorm that's a glaring error. She calls the storm a Nor'Easter but then says the snow has started in New England when Harry and her friends are in VA. That's not how those storms work.



The set up of the story is a bit confusing as well. I understand how you need to get to know the people from the past, but the way the story jumps without any flow between the time periods, made reading a bit confusing at the start.



I felt like there wasn't enough time spent in the present and there was no real sleuthing done. Also..I didn't like a few political things tossed in, because it seems the author missed out on some of her facts there too.



What I did like was the historical aspect, and reading this book made me wonder if Ms Brown doesn't want to venture into that arena at some point with benefit of her cast of cozy characters.



This was an enjoyable read though nonetheless

Harry and her animals return with a new pup Pirate. This story is told in two timeframes, the late 1700’s and today. The same farms with two different story lines. Both involve murder.

I enjoyed the descriptions and the animals. The endings were a little unfinished in my mind.

Mrs. Murphy Mystery, and this is book 28 in this series!! This book is a cozy mystery told over two timelines, with talking pets, I wasn't expecting that and it added a nice spin to this book (by talking I mean they chatter amongst themselves) Harry and the gang are helping with the grounds keeping efforts at the National Beagle Club, and prepare for the Hounds for Heroes veterans’ benefit when one of the helpers is discovered dead. At the same time the mystery is unfolding regarding an eighteenth-century skeleton wearing precious pearls, who at the time still remains unknown, but someone these two murder past and present are connected in some way.

This was a fun cozy mystery, a but heavy handed on the historical side of things but it was enjoyable none the less. I found the animals to be a breath of fresh air and unique and interesting. I jumped in to this series at book 28 an did feel a little overwhelmed by all the characters, so I feel I need to try and go back an start from the beginning and get a better feel for them all.

Rita Mae Brown has a very loyal following. Her mysteries have been enjoyed and loved for years.
Her characters have been adopted by readers. Especially endearing to them are the chattering animals.

This book fits the Amateur Sleuth genre, but has elements of a harder, classic mystery. With elements of historical fiction, political intrigue, it tells the tale of two time periods. The reader does have to focus and may need to read between the lines. In the end, each reader must draw their own ethical conclusions.

I enjoyed the varied aspects of this book. Not everything is neatly wrapped up at the end. It leaves much to consider and contemplate. I am curious how this book will affect Harry and the continuation of the series. The storyline is not an event a character can experience and come through unchanged.

Rita Mae Brown writes of history during the colonies’ struggles and about the people, free, slave, honest, cruel, intelligent and cunning in both good and bad. She writes of today’s world and brings out in the characters of Harry, Susan, Arlene and others the same traits. Her story is rich in fact as well as enjoyable in fiction. The animals ponder humans and although they despair of them at times, they love and defend.
In this setting, Harry and Susan are helping with the basset and beagle trials funding Hounds F4R Heroes an actual organization. The animals find a ghost beagle who wants her owner to finally be at rest. When two hunters are murdered, Harry thinks things through and only needs to find out who, and why. Things aren’t just black and white and Harry may be in danger.
Meanwhile, the past setting is around the lands inherited by Susan, Harry’s dear friend. The year is 1787, a year of unrest in France and the time of the Constitution written and discussed by our colonies. The people at this time must learn to maneuver with their neighbors in business and personal affairs.
It’s obvious that the author will lead us into another book to look forward to. The history is rich and the times and characters are true to their times.

It is pure delight to visit Harry, best friend Susan, and Harry’s pets and horses! The setting is interesting, with the backdrop of hunting to raise funds for a worthy cause, Hounds F4R Heroes, present day Crozet, historical events, and the intriguing mysteries occurring before and after the hunts.

We visit Aldie, VA, as Susan, Harry, and a group of huntsmen prepare the National Beagle Club of America for the upcoming event that will raise money for military veterans to have sports events. Anything that could cause harm to the hunting dogs and people had to be trimmed or cleared, including trees downed by wind and storms and repairs to buildings as needed. I enjoy our regular characters, the history, and the camaraderie of Harry, Susan, and Coop.

Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, Harry’s cats, and Tee Tucker and Pirate, her pups meet a ghost beagle. Ruffy is quiet at first but seems to be on a mission. The second weekend they are there, a tragedy occurred. Jason, a hunter who owns a Toyota and Lexus dealership, is found dead, clearly murdered, when bringing a tractor to where others are clearing a tree. It looks like he knew the person who got up close and personal enough to harm him. Jason had once worked overseas in the Diplomatic Corp, primarily in Turkey. His wife, Clare, was a retired Navy captain who had spent time in a ship outside Finland.

A couple years earlier, after some damage was done around headstones of the first two folks buried, in the 1780’s, at St. Luke’s Cemetery, a unique murder was discovered. Laid on top of the two caskets with a snapped neck, no casket of her own, is the skeleton of an African American woman. She wore $600,000 worth of pearls and diamonds. There was no record of a death among the church membership, no missing person’s records found. The question is raised – what should they do with the jewelry now locked safely away?

We return to 1787, to the family we met in other novels. Ewing Garth, his daughters and their families on Cloverfields, and the slaves who live at Cloverfields and the neighboring Big Rawley, which has been owned by Susan’s family for many generations are like old friends. I enjoy the characters and concerns of both Ewing’s family and the slaves, as well as learning about the history of the early days of our country.

It’s hard to imagine that this is 28th in the Mrs. Murphy series, it has fresh, new elements. I enjoy Harry’s pets and their communications. Herself a Master of Hounds and a Huntsman, the author writes about the hunt, sharing a tale rich in action. While not a hunter, I was fascinated to have a front-page seat to the competition and a setting integral to the murder. It was a learning experience as Harry considers the political climate in which Jason and his wife had met and the drug culture of past employees, then tries to understand what could be behind murder. There was no way I could have discovered the motive for murder in this complex mystery even though I did guess whodunit. There was only one thing I was disappointed by; I felt as if I was on another 1787 cliffhanger with regards to events occurring in their lives. Otherwise, I highly recommend this to those who are fans of this series and author, dogs, cats, and horses, and well-written, intriguing clean mysteries.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Harry, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker are back in a new mystery! I was pleased and honored to read an ARC- I love Rita Mae Brown and the Mrs. Murphy mysteries. In this newest mystery, Harry Harristeen joins clean-up efforts in northern Virginia. A fierce storm ran through the National Beagle Club and Harry, best friend Susan, and their loquacious critters are helping to clear the area before the annual Hounds for Heroes benefit begins. While clearing trees from the trails the group uncovers a body with its throat cut. The corpse turned out to be retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect. Another body turns up soon after, pointing the crew in the direction of members of the Club. Yet another body turns up, but this one is an eighteenth century skeleton with a snapped neck. Moreover it was found in Harry's local church. Marks were found around the skeleton, showing that someone had recently tried to remove it. Could the murderer be someone she knows?

The murders are somehow connected and Harry must rely on the help of her four-legged friends to uncover more clues than the human eye can detect. They have the help of a beagle ghost for some inside information.

Readers new to Mrs. Murphy will love this book as will long-time fans. The conversations between the pets are hilarious and add a unique voice to a great story. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, have traveled to northern Virginia to help with a clean-up effort at a local Beagle club in preparation for the annual Hounds for Heroes benefit event. The weather is definitely not cooperating and the hunt trails are in a real mess. While preparing to move a large tree root, Jason Holzknect, one of the volunteers and a club member, goes to get a tractor to haul the tree roots away from the trail area. When Jason fails to return, the group goes looking for him. He is found dead, with his throat cut.

At the same time, a skeleton with an expensive set of pearls has been found lying on top of another grave in the St. Luke's Cemetery. The skeleton is that of an African-American woman from the era of the American Revolution. The unknown woman's neck had been broken. Mixing in snippets of history from the fall of 1787 really adds to the overall mystery.

Who killed Jason Holzknect? Why was he killed? Were the pearls found on the skelton stolen? Who was the person before she died? Who killed her? Can Harry and her animals solve the mysteries without endangering their own lives?

Rita Mae Brown does a fantastic job of creating memorable characters and situations. In addition, knowing what the animals are thinking and saying to each other really adds to the story.

This books tells two different, but intertwined stories, told in both modern and historical times. As expected of this author, this book is skillfully written with a tight plot and great 2 and 4 legged characters. I was kept guessing until the very end! I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

Whiskers in the Dark
(Mrs. Murphy #28)
by Rita Mae Brown

Kindle Edition, 300 pages
Published June 4th 2019 by Thomas & Mercer



Goodreads synopsis:
Death stalks the Blue Ridge Mountains as a centuries-old mystery resurfaces and murder mars the lead-up to an annual beagle competition, in a thrilling new tale from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown. 

"As feline collaborators go, you couldn't ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown."--The New York Times Book Review

A massive nor'easter has hit northern Virginia, where Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen joins groundskeeping efforts at the National Beagle Club at Aldie as the date for its springtime Hounds for Heroes veterans' benefit approaches. Harry's fellow volunteers, including her oldest friend, Susan Tucker, comprise a spirited group of hunting enthusiasts, some former service members themselves. But things take a sinister turn when, after a routine tree cleanup along the Club's hunting trails, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is found dead, throat slit from ear to ear. Soon enough, another murder in their midst jolts the preparations, convincing Harry that the killer is familiar with the Club--and must be close by, masked in plain sight.

The intrigue extends to the grounds of Harry's beloved local church, where the identity of an eighteenth-century skeleton wearing precious pearls remains a mystery. The anonymous woman's neck had been snapped, and marks on the grave where her body was secreted indicate that someone recently tried to remove it, leading Harry to question how well she really knows those around her.

As always, Harry's crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi share her determination to sniff out the foes among friends, even those long buried. Harry will need her four-legged companions' help more than ever: a ghostly beagle only they can see may hold the key to the culprit.


***

2 Stars

This is the 28th book in the Mrs. Murphy mystery series.

I should have gone with my first instinct and passed this ARC right on by. I knew I might not like talking animals in my stories and I was right. But there was so much more wrong with this than the talking animals. The author used this as a study in American History and did a pretty good job of shoving a whole lot of it down our throats every chance that came around.

History has its place in a story, I think. But I don’t think I need to relive a lot of it to understand the entire dynamic of what went down back then. Trying to wade through it all only served in giving me a headache. I hate being so down on a book. It is so not like me.

I might have been able to overlook it but the mystery was nearly non-existent. I am reading for the mystery., Not the history. Not the animals. The last few chapters is where the crux of the cozy mystery happened. And considering this book is nearly 300 pages, that is sad.

Don’t get me wrong. This book has its place in the market. If you are a hardcore Disney fan and love your talking animals, you may be into this. If you are a fan of history, this is your baby. I will let the author serve it up to you. But if you are here for the mystery, don’t waste your time.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Cozy Virginia Mysteries
This story runs 2 murder mysteries side by side. One happens in modern-day Virginia, the other happens in the same area in 1787. It is fun running the two together. What is not fun is the constant soapbox speechifying. From wars to diabetes to the economy it drones on and on in the discussions of the modern day people. While the history lessons caught my interest, most of it did not. This was just not my cup of tea. I received this ARC from Net Galley for free and this is my honest opinion.