Rating: 
Summary: Another feline winner from a series with more than 9 lives
Review: Normally nothing exciting occurs in Crozet, Virginia. However, when something happens, usually Harry Harristeen ends up in the middle of the action due to the activities of her three pets. Crozet is a unique hamlet where the pets, unbeknownst to their human counterparts, are as intelligent, if not more so, than their Homo Sapiens "owners". Harry's trio include the ingenious Mrs. Murphy, who must have been Machiavelli in a previous life, Pewter, and Tucker. The trio shares a curiosity beyond that of a typical and happy pet.. Thus, when someone is actually shot during a Civil War reenactment, the trio of feline detectives begins to investigate. Meanwhile, another person is murdered and a business is burned to the ground. Harry's roommates feel the three incidents are related. They place their owner in protective custody as they go try to ferret out the identity of the culprit. CAT ON THE SCENT is a whimsical cozy filled with an amusing Dr. Doolittle aura within a well-designed who-done-it. Readers will believe that animals can talk, relate, and do cognitive thinking and inductive reasoning as well an any amateur sleuth. Like their previous "Cat" tales, Rita Mae Brown and her feline consultant Sneaky Pie Brown craft an entertaining novel that meets the high standard of excellence expected from this dynamic duo. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: The best book yet in the series!
Review: A great book, but I only highly recommend it to those of you who have read and loved all of the previous Mrs. Murphy novels. You should appreciate the long way Harry's come. The plot, the animals, and Crozet were all pleasing. This is quite possibly the best book in the series. My only question: Will Blair ever admit his hidden love for Harry??
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: After reading one book in this series I was hooked. I read to escape the daily stress and pressure our modern world throws at us. If I want reality I'll watch the evening news. It is easy to visualize the three friends working together as a team. It was one of the best parts of this book. My advice, relax and enjoy these tails again and again!
Rating: 
Summary: Mildly enjoyable, but not greatly memorable
Review: Although I'll still give it three stars for the simple reason that Rita Mae Brown writes with enjoyable style, I can't recommend CAT ON THE SCENT as highly some others in the "Mrs. Murphy" series. Brown's mystery novels have always been more about funny characters than plot, but this particular novel pretty much throws plot completely out the window. CAT ON THE SCENT finds Mary "Harry" Harristeen (the young postmistress of tiny Crozet, Virginia) and her friends (both human and animal) drawn into a series of mysterious deaths that may or may not have something to do with a proposed reservoir. As usual, the writing is bright and the characters (including the felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and canine Tee Tucker) are entertaining... but on this occasion Brown seems to be straining her concept of animal characters, the overall novel seems unfocused, and many readers will find the conclusion frustrating. Mildly enjoyable, but not greatly memorable.
Rating:
Summary: Mildly enjoyable, but not greatly memorable
Review: Although I'll still give it three stars for the simple reason that Rita Mae Brown writes with enjoyable style, I can't recommend CAT ON THE SCENT as highly some others in the "Mrs. Murphy" series. Brown's mystery novels have always been more about funny characters than plot, but this particular novel pretty much throws plot completely out the window. CAT ON THE SCENT finds Mary "Harry" Harristeen (the young postmistress of tiny Crozet, Virginia) and her friends (both human and animal) drawn into a series of mysterious deaths that may or may not have something to do with a proposed reservoir. As usual, the writing is bright and the characters (including the felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and canine Tee Tucker) are entertaining... but on this occasion Brown seems to be straining her concept of animal characters, the overall novel seems unfocused, and many readers will find the conclusion frustrating. Mildly enjoyable, but not greatly memorable.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, as usual
Review: As with the previous Sneaky Pie Brown novels, this is another wonderful book. I would dare to say this is the best one in the series. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes animals, a good mystery, or any combination there of.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This Book !
Review: Cat on the Scent was the first of Ms. Brown's novels I've read, and it certainly made a great impression. Ms. Brown uses a mix of a thrilling plot, lifelike characters, and an historical background to make this book a winner. By including animals as main characters, she added just the right touch of fantasy to a realistic story. This would make a great present for the upcoming holiday season.
Rating: 
Summary: Crozet's Billionaire Boys Club
Review: Civil War reenactments, small planes, shady land investments, and boys with expensive toys, plus the usual requisite dead bodies, are the focus of Cat On The Scent, the 7th Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown [and her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown]. Harry Haristeen, postmistress of Crozet, Virginia, and her amazing companion animals Mrs. Murphy, Pewter [the cats], and Tucker [the dog] are on the case as always. The novel starts off well enough, but loses its way towards the end. Reading the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries has always meant an extra measure of suspended disbelief [the animals talk to each other and always solve the mysteries before the humans do], but in this story the animals push the need to suspend disbelief over the edge with behavior that is way beyond what had been established for the animal characters in the previous six novels. The end is muddied in a way that makes me believe that the author never firmly decided whodunit and finally just ended the book. One of the novel's B-stories, involving a relative of Harry's and a dead baby buried in the "bone yard" of a farm, is very interesting and I would have liked to see that story expanded. I did enjoy the novel, but not as much as the earlier ones. This one rates about a 3.6 stars compared to the others. If you're into the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, you should read this one for the continuity, but if you're looking to try one of the novels in the series, I'd recommend that you pick another one to start with.
Rating:
Summary: Another enjoyable read
Review: Enjoyed this latest entry in the series, but after the climatic rescue at the end, I have one question......does this make Mrs Murphy and Pewter eligible for MENSA membership?? :-) Despite all the silliness, I still enjoy the stories very much. One major complaint though.... THE NEW ILLUSTRATOR!!!!!! The drawings of the animals are very crude compared to the previous exquisite work of Wendy Wray. I have always looked forward to the wonderful illustrations and was horribly disappointed. Mrs Murphy is striped like a barber pole....and is that supposed to be Simon on p.205?? Try looking a possum some time, that is NOT one. Looks like an armadillo head to me. Bring back Wendy!!!!!! Laura Clemons
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, but not the best Mrs. Murphy mystery!
Review: I bought this the day it came out and read it immediately, as I do with all of Rita Mae Brown's books -- and of course I loved it because of Mrs. Murphy, Pewter (who reminds me of my kitty Jasper), Tucker, Harry and the whole gang, and of course the comfort and homey feeling of Crozet that always comes through in these books. I withheld 1 star because one of the things I have always loved about RMB's writing, and which is missing in this book, is the assumption that her audience is intelligent enough to figure out the subtleties and nuances without her having to spell them out. I was bothered by the few instances in this one where the reader is TOLD something rather than being allowed to have our imaginations figure it out. Is RMB aiming for a different audience in this book ... ? This new style doesn't appeal to me as much. I also thought Blair lost a lot of his appeal as just another womanizer with testosterone poisoning ... I hope Harry doesn't fall for him, he's too materialistic and he'd break her heart just like Fair! :-)
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