Santa Clawed [Hardcover]

We are accustomed to talking about "summer reads," those light but compelling novels we have in hand on planes or at the beach, gulping down a few chapters on vacation or sunning at the park. In winter we like to turn to serious books, thick tomes to lose ourselves in, ideally sitting before a warm fire, snuggled in a favorite chair. But the holidays are times of rest and travel as much as the summer is, and snowy and cold days call for fun and well-written books as much as hot and humid days do. Enter Rita Mae (and Sneaky Pie) Brown and SANTA CLAWED, a solid mystery with familiar characters and a brisk pace, just perfect for wintertime reading.

The small, tight-knit town of Crozet, Virginia, is gearing up for Christmas. Mary Haristeen, known to all as Harry, is busy preparing for holiday parties and events, spending time with family and friends. But as colder than typical weather blows in, the town finds itself dealing with a series of murders, and the only clue to solving them is a bit of Greek mythology.

It all starts when Harry and her husband Fair go to the tree lot run by the Brothers of Love, a monastic order living on the outskirts of town, to select a Christmas tree. They find the perfect pine but also come across the slain body of one of the monks at the end of the lot. Brother Christopher had been raised in Crozet, and after getting in trouble for white collar crimes, he dedicated his life to The Brothers of Love. He was well liked, so it was hard to imagine who would hate him enough to slit his throat right before Christmas. Harry promises to stay out of the way of the police investigation, but another murder and her own assault --- after finding a suspicious box hidden in the woods near her home --- make that impossible. Christmas is coming ever closer, and the town is reeling as it becomes obvious that there is a killer at work and at large.

Brown's latest is at once homey and exciting. Popular characters like Harry, Fair and others who people Crozet are back. Returning too are Harry's funny animal familiars, cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and dog Tucker. Though they can't always clearly communicate to the humans they live with, these pets find ways to help Harry and the others solve the mystery nonetheless.

SANTA CLAWED balances well the violence of the murders and the fear of the town's residents with witty dialogue and an overall entertaining feel. There are crimes to solve here, but Brown's focus is on the characters themselves and how they deal with the stress and uncertainty in their town. Though most of them rally together, there are those who, realistically, don't. In the end, the identity of the killer and the motivation for the crimes come as a big surprise.

In this new Mrs. Murphy mystery, Rita Mae Brown again shares authorial credit with her feline companion, Sneaky Pie Brown, and so it is not surprising that the animal characters are just as interesting as the human ones. But the easy and enjoyable nature of the novel (despite the subject matter) makes SANTA CLAWED a recommendable wintertime read.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

This series has had its ups and downs but, happy to say, this latest entry shows Sneaky Pie and Rita Mae are definitely back on track. The authors' opinions and views are less preachy and integrated better into the story which is a darn good mystery. The ending has a couple of nice and (to me) unexpected twists. The animals are hilarious and delightful as usual. The very last page will have you smiling and shaking your head at the very least if not laughing out loud. This is also a great story to get you in the mood for Christmas. ENJOY!

With the Christmas holidays arriving soon, life seems comfy in Crozet, Virginia; a place where all sorts of animals talk to each across species lines. The only ones who don't understand the inter-animal communication system are the dumb humans. Although Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen thinks she can sometimes comprehend what her pets are saying especially her two cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and to a lesser degree her corgi Tee Tucker.

Harry and her husband Fair are looking for a Christmas tree at a farm run by The Brothers of Love, a group dedicated to helping AIDS patients at their hospice. When they reach the monks' tree farm near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Harry and Fair are stunned to find the dead body of Brother Christopher, who joined the monastery soon after he left jail. He was sent there for insider trading bilking clients for millions. When a second monk is found murdered, his throat slashed similar in a way to Christopher's death with a coin also in his mouth, the police know they are dealing with a cold blooded killer. Harry and her animal caretakers investigate only to find her caught in a web by a predator willing to make the Yuletide season blood red.

Obviously similar to previous tales in the long running saga, anyone who appreciates a pick me up filled with humor and murder will want to read SANTA CLAWED. Although Harry and Fair remarried they are still honeymooning while finding corpses decorating trees. The animals do what they do best one claw make that clue at a time while trying to keep their meddling beloved owner safe from her actions that place her in danger. The mystery is fun as the killer is in plain sight but difficult to identify. Team Brown provides another enjoyable Harry and her PUSS `N CAHOOTS anthropomorphic whodunit.

Harriet Klausner