As a cozy mystery, Whiskers in the Dark may seem cute with cats and dogs that talk to one another and try to help their person, Mary Minor Haristeen (known affectionately as Harry), when trouble comes her way. Having read most of Rita Mae Brown’s 28 books in this series, I have grown quite fond of Harry, her cats Pewter and Mrs. Murphy, and her Corgi, Tee Tucker. Now there is a new pup in the family as well, Pirate. We don’t see much at all of Harry’s veterinarian husband Fair in this one, but we do see her friend, Susan Tucker, who accompanies her as she journeys to the Blue Ridge Mountains to help with the cleanup in preparation for the Hounds for Heroes benefit event. The dogs and cats accompany Harry, naturally.

Did I say mystery? During the cleanup, one of the volunteers is found brutally slain. Harry, of course, is right in the thick of things. Did I say “mystery”? Make that “mysteries.” Harry also assists at her church, where an eighteenth century skeleton is found. The victim was murdered , most likely a black woman. What makes this even more strange is that the skeleton is wearing what appear to be very expensive pearls. What was her story?

In recent “Mrs. Murphy” books, Rita and her co-author have delved into the past. This time, the discovery of the skeleton segues into a tale of two plantations, Big Rawly and Cloverfields. Ms. Brown and Sneaky Pie don’t tell us that slavery was difficult, that it was wrong. They show us. We see the contrast between the treatment of slaves by the two owners, Maureen Selisse Holloway at Big Rawley and Ewing Garth at Cloverfields. I was struck, too, by the portrayal of the slaves. They are not perfect human beings. They are, simply, human. Some are good to the core. Some are untrustworthy thieves. Unlike some other works of literature, Brown’s slaves do not speak in a dialect that distinguishes them from their white owners, even though they lack education. Some care deeply for their white families, and it is mutual. There is even the opportunity for love between slaves from different estates. How will that be dealt with? Both owners have individual slaves upon whom they depend for the operation of their properties. Is someone among them a murderer?

Back to the present day, a rare April snowstorm makes the cleanup challenging. When another death occurs, Harry is convinced that it is no accident. In fact, she is certain that it is related to the first one. Her animals are concerned. They know what their mom is like! Everyone, including the cats and dogs, knows that Harry is a busybody who loves playing amateur sleuth. She just can’t help herself. There is another little mystery tucked in here too – a ghost beagle named Ruffy appears. Is he from the eighteenth century, or did he die more recently? Will he be reunited with the ghost of his person?

As mysteries go, Whiskers in the Dark is just average. There are just a few modern-day political digs, fewer than in some of Brown’s recent books. However, she focuses on more enduring concepts, like equality and justice. Harry, and ultimately, the reader, must decide whether the surprise ending is acceptable. It took me by surprise, and I am still not sure...

I missed some of the banter that is a hallmark of these stories, but I did like the addition of Pirate to the critter family. I also have to mention, once again, that the illustrations are marvelous, as always!

My thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and the author(s) for this ARC in return for my unbiased review.

4 stars

Whiskers in the Dark by Rita Mae Brow and Sneaky Pie Brown is the next book in the Mrs. Murphy mysteries series.
Mary Haristeen, nicknamed Harry and her pets are ready to solve another mystery. This book goes back and forth between the late 1700’s and 2018. 1700’s finds a body placed on top of another grave. No idea who the person may be or if there is any connection to the persons who are already buried there. The body is a woman wearing very expensive jewelry. Will her identity ever be known? In 2018, Harry and her friends are preparing the hunting grounds for the upcoming Hounds F4R Heroes hunt that raises funds for veterans each year. Of course, Harry’s trusted animals come along- Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, Tucker and Pirate. The dogs meet up with a ghost dog as the fields were once a battlefield during the civil war. When a murder occurs the speculation centers around why and who might be next?
I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous ones. The animals played a more minor role along with several of the characters who are prominent in previous stories. I also thought this book became too political with the characters who worked with the CIA and military intelligence. I won’t give it away but I didn’t care for the ending. I give this book 4 of 5 stars. It is well written and the characters are familiar and act as expected.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Whiskers in the Dark is a nicely written book - full of twist and turns. While I really loved the first half of the book, I did not like how Ms. Brown wrapped up the story. I would have loved to have seen more interaction of the pets. I liked the introduction of a ghost dog but would have loved to had more dialogue between him and the other pets. I think the ending was rushed. All in all the book was well written and I look forward Ms. Brown's next book. I was hooked with her first book and have been a fan since then. Keep them coming!

In this 28th book in the 'Mrs. Murphy' series, amateur sleuth Harry Haristeen investigates several unnatural deaths with the help of her cadre of 'talking pets': the cats - Mrs. Murphy and Pewter; the corgi - Tucker; and the half-grown Irish wolfhound - Pirate.

*****

The story, set in northern Virginia, ping pongs between the present (2018) and the time right after the Revolutionary War (1787).

In the present, Harry Haristeen and her best friend Susan Tucker are helping prepare the grounds at the 'Institute Farm' in Aldie, Virginia. The Institute will be the site of a fundraiser called 'Hounds F4R Heroes', being held to benefit veterans. The fundraiser will consist of a beagle hunt and a basset hound hunt, and fallen trees need to be cleared to make the area safe for running dogs and the humans that follow them.

A large number of Virginians are involved in the upcoming hunt, including prominent citizens who were formerly in the armed services or diplomatic corps. These include Arlene Billeaud -'Master of Blastoff Beagles', and Jason Holzknect and his wife Clare Holzknect- 'Joint Masters of Chesapeake Beagles.' Many other people will attend the hunt as well, either entering their dogs or just running along for fun.

In the meantime, a grave in the cemetery of St. Luke's Lutheran Church has been vandalized, and - when the grave is opened - a woman's body is found on top of two long buried caskets. The caskets were interred in the late 1700s, and it's assumed the body (just bones by now) was thrown in at about the same time. What's really shocking, however, is that the body is wearing a pearl necklace and pearl and diamond earrings estimated to be worth at least $600,000. Of course amateur sleuth Harry, who's intensely curious about odd occurrences, wonders about the dead woman - and hopes to figure out what happened to her.

The bejeweled body leads to flashbacks from 1787, when two large farms - called Cloverfields and Big Rawly - occupied the area. The property owners, in addition to running their farms, constantly discuss the Constitutional Convention (occurring at the time) - and we get a big dose of history. Moreover a British prisoner who was captured during the American Revolution married one of the farmer's daughters, and - being an architect - designed St. Luke's Church.

As was usual in the 1700s, both Cloverfields and Big Rawly used slaves. Some of the slaves in the story - like the butler, cook and weaver - seemed relatively content and some of the slaves - like the stable boys - became runaways. I was uncomfortable with the author's somewhat rosy-ish depiction of a slave-owning family - which has nothing but the slaves' best interests at heart. Really?? I suspect the author's loyalty to Virginia influenced the writing.

As we follow the 1787 storyline, we learn how the bejeweled woman came to be in St. Luke's cemetery.

In the chapters that jump back to the present, we find that events take an ominous turn and Harry soon has a lot on her plate. First Harry finds a body with a slit throat and later a body that APPEARS to have died from natural causes.....but Harry suspects foul play.

In between investigating the three deaths (one ancient and two current), Harry spends a lot of time talking about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War with her friends - all of whom are knowledgeable about the battles that occurred in Virginia. There's lots of chit-chat about where the soldiers' bodies are buried and whether ghosts haunt the battlefields. In fact the book is MUCH MORE historical novel than mystery.....with a good dose of basset hound hunting and beagle hunting thrown in.

I was unsatisfied with the VERY skimpy mystery in this cozy, but I did enjoy the historical perspective - and I loved the cute animals and their antics. I'd recommend the novel to readers interested in American history as well as fans of Rita Mae Brown.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Rita Mae Brown), and the publisher (Bantam) for a copy of the book.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author, and I will definitely be going back!

There are a lot of characters so it is a little difficult to keep track of them all. If you don't let that get to you, you'll really like this story!

I LOVE the setting for the present story! A beagle competition? How fun! I loved how all the cats and dogs spoke to each other, and to their humans, although the humans couldn't hear them or understand them. It was cute.

I wasn't a fan of a female character being called Harry. It really threw me off. I also found that there were too many characters, and it's hard to refer to the character list as frequently as I needed to when I was reading an ebook.

Also, I'm not a big history fan, so I didn't find myself interested by the historical perspective of the story, although the ghost dog was cool.

I give this book 4 stars because I appreciate the author's inventiveness, even if this wasn't my type of story.

As a fan of the author I looked forward to this offering only to be slightly disappointed. The story line jumped between centuries with murders in both and a Civil War battle thrown in between for good measure. As a retired criminal investigator I did not feel that any of the incidents were fully explained or delt with satisfactorily. I liked the main story line but felt cheated by the conclusion.

I have rated this book 3 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased

pets, urban-fantasy, friendship, basset-hounds, beagles, murder, 18th-century, contemporary, Virginia

***** A fully dressed skeleton complete with obviously expensive jewelry and a neatly snapped neck is found atop a coffin buried in 1787. While preparing the field and kennels after a violent storm prior to the annual competition hosted by Hounds F4R Heroes, a local huntsman well known to the usual participants is discovered almost immediately after having had his throat cut.
The investigation into these two murders is followed in alternating narratives to bring each to resolution. Of course Mrs Murphy and her fellow pets of Harry Haristeen are the main detectives, but are helped out in this case by a dog from 1787. Very interesting and engaging! Good sleuthing by all, and a totally unexpected resolution.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine via NetGalley. Thank you!

It is always a welcome visit too see my favorite furry sleuths, Mrs. Murphy cat extraordinaire, Pewter the kitty prone to exaggerating and over eating, Tee Tucker a corgi who is fearless and devoted and the newest addition Pirate a young Irish Wolfhound. I have ready many Mrs. Murphy mysteries throughout the years that feature Harry the aforementioned pets owner and farmer. She is prone to find bodies and is an amateur sleuth. Tagging along for the ride are her furry detectives. This story blends murder, mystery and quite a bit of history. The author is an excellent historian and there are frequent flashbacks to the 18th century that tie in with the present day story. For me though personally I would prefer more mystery with the pets and less historical overview. I confess I found a bit of this tale to be boring. I will not give up on this series as I truly love it but I did skip a bit of the historical flashbacks. I am hoping others will give this book a chance and they may very well love her style in this novel. I truly prefer the animals taking over and helping solve the crime. The illustrations in this story were stunning and I will absolutely look for more from Ms. Brown.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. I'm always glad to read a new book by Sneaky Pie Brown and her human, Rita Mae Brown. This book is told in two story arcs - one in the modern day as two people die during the set up for beagle and basset competitive running (similar to fox-hunting but on foot, for rabbits and doesn't appear to result in the death of the rabbits). The second story arc is in the late 1700s, as the American 'experiment' is developing politically on the international stage, as well as it's local impacts of slavery and those on both sides of the plantation life divide.
I found the modern story arc worthwhile and interesting. As always, the characters are well-developed. I was surprised that the main character's spouse didn't appear at all in the story, even when she was at home. It didn't detract from the story; it just was interesting that he wasn't involved at all in her day-to-day life.
The older story arc was very well written and interesting. My challenge is - I didn't understand its relationship to the modern story and it didn't appear to resolve in this book (or, if it did, I missed it).

I love Mrs Murphy and Tucker - all the talking animals. This is my favorite cozy series and this one does not disappoint. While this one was very different with the the two stories set over a century apart, The stories had the usual twists and surprises but a totally shocking ending. Can't wait for the next one.

An Netgalley ARC - In 1918 Mary Haristeen known as "Harry" is helping to clear the trail for the Beagles and Bassets Hunt in Virginia when an old grave is discovered with a woman buried on top of another grave 200 years ago. Also while clearing the trail a man helping to clear the trail was murdered. The story goes back and forth from 1918 to 1718 where it takes place after the Revolutionary War and interacts with the owner of Cloverfield who has slaves that some give him problems. All of the animals in the story talk to each other through out the story telling of happenings that the humans are trying to figure out. This all ends with a surprising ending!

I found an easy to read the text and a nice flow between the two time periods. Very little about animals for which I read the series. There are a number of excellent pictures showing some of the events. The graveyard near St Luke's church is vandalized an in the grave an unburied skeleton is found with a rope of pearls around her neck.

Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen joins the volunteers at Aldie, the National Beagle Club for spring clean up before the trials. There was a damaging spring storm that badly damages the area. She is accompanied by the cats and Tucker. Susan is also volunteering and they share a cabin. A ghost dog joins the animals. Harry and Susan find one of the workers with his throat cut. There is evidence that the former service is responsible for the current deaths.

Back in the 1870's, we learn more of the story of the plantations. There are a couple of incidents that focus that affects the present day. These factors are nicely brought together. I recommend this book.

Disclosure: Thanks to Random House Publishing Group Ballentine for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed ar

Rita Mae Brown is so much more than just a writer of mysteries. Social commentator, rabble rousing feminist, and long time resident of Virginia. She brings a great depth to her long running Mrs Murphy series. All lovers of this series know it is co-authored by Sneaky Pie Brown (her cat.)

The 28th volume of the Mrs Murphy Mysteries is set primarily at the headquarters of the National Beagle Club in Aldie VA. The Beagle club will soon be hosting a fundraiser called Hounds F4r Heroes. This is an actual event, and Brown's descriptions of the preparations and the hunt are so well researched, the reader feels they could be watching a documentary. Except for the ghost beagle, and the corpse. One person is missing, two people are dead, and Harry's curiosity won't let her alone. Susan and Harry carry the body of the present day plot; their husbands are off-stage.

Brown frequently speaks of the vast history of Virginia. In this book, the Civil War is mentioned in passing. Aldie was the site of a Civil War battle that was almost a massacre for the Union Forces.
The discovery of a skeleton that was buried within an 18th century grave allows long passages
telling of Virginia in 1788 and 1789 to become part of the story. In flashback form we learn of the lives of slaves, both runaways and house servants. We see plantation owners portrayed in a realistic manner living in a manner true to their time.

Brown frequently considers the idea of justice in her novels. Is it ever okay for someone to commit a crime and not be punished? Why was it acceptable to buy a human being? Is it acceptable to purchase a husband? What happens when justice and duty are in conflict? The characters share their ideas, Brown allows the reader to find their own conclusions.

Well done Big Brown, as Sneaky Pie lovingly calls Ms. Brown.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from netgalley.com and Random House in exchange

While I have heard of Rita Mae Brown and her Harry and Mrs. Murphy mysteries, I have never read one. When the opportunity arrived to read a pre-release, I jumped at it. This is a dual story that jumps between present day and the 1700's both set in Virginia. While this book is well written, the story line never grabbed me. I do not know if this is indicative of the author's other works. I can see where this series would have a solid audience appeal, it is just not my style.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Harry and Mrs Murphy always give us a story within a story; but, in Whiskers in the Dark we time travel to get a bonus of past and present stories running along side. The main story is murder at a venue for be able trials. The back story surrounds Harry's church. Lots of plots to follow as they thread in and out. This is really vintage Harry and her process as she figures it out.

Rita Mae Brown's Whiskers in the Dark takes place in the late 1700s and 2018. There is the mystery of a person wearing her good jewelry buried in someone else's grave. Has she been there for over 200 years? Harry finds the dead bodies of two of her friends and Mrs. Murphy and her friends try to help Harry solve the murders before she is one of the dead, too.

This series never disappoints and this book is a solid entry! I love the back story and everything about Cloverfield, so I’m excited that it seems to be expanding a bit. Also, the ending felt very Harry. But, I did miss some of the others; I know there’s a lot of characters, but I still miss them all the same.

I love this series!
Not only is there a mystery to solve, but I always feel I’m learning so much history too.
I know a lot of people don’t like talking animals, but these animals only talk to each other. If you haven’t tried this series, why not?!

Rita Mae Brown's' Whiskers in the Dark is her latest of a very long series. My first of her books.. Sleuthing cats and other animals help the humans they own to solve various mysteries. This time it takes place in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.. A death occurs in present day which gets the story rolling. we are taken back to post-Civil War times to fill in what leads up to present day..

As expected, the animals a cute and clever and help their humans solve the mysteries. It's a nice combination of historical perspective, cuteness and solving mysteries.

I was given a copy of this book through #NetGallery. I am voluntarily posting an honest review.