Reviewed By Liz

ISBN 0-553-80364-6

Puss ‘N Cahoots is a Mrs. Murphy book. Mrs. Murphy is a cat belonging to Harry Haristeen who, along with cat Pewter and dog Tucker, solves mysteries simultaneously with Harry. In this book, Harry, her husband Fair, and the animals are all off to a multi day horse event. This proves to be an eventful show as a piece of jewelry disappears, a prized horse goes missing, and then there is a murder. Both humans and animals are on the case as they wander around the fairgrounds searching out evildoers.

This is the first Mrs. Murphy book I have read, but I have read and enjoyed several of Brown’s Outfoxed series about fox hunting. Brown employs the same style of incorporating animals and humans into the story and showing the thoughts and actions of each in this series. The animals all talk to each other about events and the mystery and work towards solving it and the humans do likewise. The animals understand the humans, but the humans can’t understand the animals.

This makes for an interesting effect, but it has problems. While I can believe that animals communicate to each other and understand humans to some extent, I don’t believe that a cat can read and understand a map. That is pushing it a little too far for me. Second, having two sets of characters solving the mystery makes the book a little choppy. There are just too many characters running around doing things and having simultaneous conversations.

Adding to the awkwardness of the book are the little soapbox moments that Brown incorporates. Seemingly out of the blue, one of the characters will go off on a tangent about the state of farming in this country, the cost of gas, the environment, homosexuality, or taxes. This is strange enough when the human characters do it, but downright bizarre when it is a cat or a horse.

Favorite character? Pewter, the cat with impulse control issues. Did I guess it? No. Will I read another? This series would not be high on my list.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

Available at Amazon

ISBN 0-345-46547-4

This book by Rita Mae Brown is one from the Outfoxed series about fox hunting. And before you stomp off all angry that I would read a book about something as politically incorrect as fox hunting… let me say that people who love the outdoors and animals will really love these books. Brown, a Master of Foxhounds, obviously loves animals and outdoorsy pursuits and this comes through clearly in these books.

For those of you who are concerned, no foxes were harmed in the making of this book. Apparently, the goal of American fox hunting is for the fox to lead the dogs, horses, and humans a merry chase and to live to do so another day. The hunt club in this book goes out as often as three days each week during the season and they keep their foxes healthy and happy by giving them nice places to live outdoors, supplementing their diets, and even giving them the occasional hard candies for treats. The characters in these books love the land, the foxes, the dogs, the horses – they love it all. And Brown makes the reader love it, too.

Personally, I have never ridden a horse who wasn’t ill-tempered, old, and whose next trip was probably to the glue factory. I have been thrown, stepped on, abused in vigorous horse-human-tree encounters, and now steer clear of horses. But I like to read about them. Other people get great enjoyment from them, obviously, and write very eloquently about them. I have read three of these Outfoxed books and have liked them all.

However, they are not great mysteries. The descriptions of the settings are lovely, the characters are interesting, the details of fox hunting and the devotion and care for the assorted animals are fascinating, but the mysteries are very much secondary to all else. And this series has talking animals. I know, I know. Ordinarily, I despise talking animals as much as anyone else. However, these animals don’t really communicate to the humans and they don’t solve the crimes. Brown shows what an animal might be thinking in italics and these comments are usually about food, survival, mating, and other normal animal stuff, and take place within the animal kingdom. They can be a little wonky, but not offensively so.

This is an interesting, colorful, and enjoyable book. My one caution, having read several of these books, is that the content of one is much like another. I wouldn’t try to read them all at once. Savor one every few months for a lovely break from your usual mysteries.

Favorite character? The elder Bancrofts. Classy people, they are the salt of the earth. Did I guess it? Yes. Will I read another? Yes, with pleasure.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

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