Most helpful customer reviews
|
|
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mild But Always Amusing, May 25 2004
Rita Mae Brown's earlier, more-literary work--most particularly the widely celebrated RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE--assures her place in the collections of serious readers, who tend to sneer at her "Mrs. Murphy" murder mystery series. But no doubt Brown is laughing all the way to the bank: although no one would take the books seriously as literature, the "Mrs. Murphy" books are long on charm, a good choice to curl up with on a quiet evening. And while it may not be the best of bunch, THE TAIL OF THE TIP-OFF is hardly a bad choice if you're in the mood for something ultralight and amusing.Crozet, Virginia must surely have the highest per capita murder rate on the face of the earth: Brown is seldom content to have her characters confront a single murder. In this particular episode postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen finds herself confronting two unexpected deaths--both of which seem to center around a university sports stadium. But Harry isn't the only one with curiosity: her cats, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and dog, Tucker, are just as determined to bring the killer to light as Harry herself. The novel revisits all the reoccurring characters Brown has established in previous episodes and introduces a few more, in this case several feuding building contractors, irate building inspectors, and basketball fans, all of whom are caught up in the carnage to one degree or another. As usual in the "Mrs. Murphy" books, you could float a battleship through the holes in Brown's plot--and in this particular instance savvy readers will likely roll their eyes at the very farfetched method of one of the murders, a device lifted straight out of 1920s Edgar Wallace. Even so, it's all in good fun, and if you're looking for something that is non-taxing, enjoyable, and amusing then the population of Crozet, Virginia are just the folks to visit. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
|
|
|
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whimsical but knowing, Nov 12 2003
If you are fussy about a challenging, intricately plotted mystery that, in the end, is resolved believably, you might not be extremely happy with this novel. That said, there is much to recommend it to anyone who does not mind that it is a touch fey. (Okay, a lot fey.) It does a fine job of inhabiting but also commenting on the "cozy" tradition of mystery writing. Although she strays over the town line to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, Rita Mae Brown keeps a lid on the world of Crozet, VA. This is a world made for the amateur sleuth. Police procedure and confidentiality are out the window; town gossip is in. Brown never apologizes for overlooking procedural correctness and in this volume she parodies the "cozy" convention of the amateur sleuth with a scene in which the cops just invite the whole town to the scene of the crime and gets everyone's two cents. She also parodies the human sleuthing by giving voice to the pets who come up with the solutions first, but are stymied at how to communicate them to those with opposable thumbs. This book is distinguished by the best non-mystery elements of the series--Crozet and its regulars are a pleasant and often hilarious crowd to hang-out with, and it offers sharp comments on small town Southern social code. Her obligatory social brawl scene comes early in this story. There is slapstick. As usual, Brown introduces new characters who are central to the mystery du jour. One of them is very interesting and you hold out hope that she is neither victim nor perpetrator. That's another thing Brown is slyly commenting on: the unfortunate, but most realistic vision of the "cozy" tradition is, the victims and murderers are usually insiders, not mob hitmen or mythically evil serial killers who lucked onto the place.
|
|
|
1.0 out of 5 stars
My first and last, Jul 10 2003
I am always looking for something different and when I realized I had never checked out any of Brown's works I figured how bad could it be. Many people seem to enjoy them and while it's not a style of mystery I'm normally drawn to, let's try it with an open mind.
The good: The mystery itself is fairly clever. There are a number of red herrings and it will keep you intrigued to see how it falls together. The characters range from likeable to ridiculous stereotypes, but a new comer did not have much trouble figuring out who's who.
The awful: I am sure the reason these books have found a home is the presence of the talking animals. I understand and accept that. However, this "hook" is one of the most annoying affectations that I have ever come across in literature. The animals are portrayed as incredibly intelligent yet can't convey their discoveries. The reason given is that the humans won't pay any attention to them. The real reason is this is being portrayed as a mystery novel not a fantasy. The animal commentary is so cloying and cutesy that I actually yelled at the book for the blatant silliness of it all. It is rare that a book can cause such aggravation.I also realize that there are thousands of fans of this series that love it enough to keep it going for so long. So I will wish Mrs. Murphy and the others well on all their other adventures. I won't be going along with them. I am sure I am now going to get hammered by all the "Sneaky Pie" fans. Sorry, that's just the way I see it.
|
|
|
Most recent customer reviews
|
by Rita Mae Brown
by Rita Mae Brown
by Rita Mae Brown
by Rita Mae Brown
by Rita Mae Brown
