Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but a bit farfetched
Review: Okay, I can buy the talking animals -- willing suspension of disbelief and all that. But I do tend to think that Brown has gone a bit too far with some of the things the animals do. I found it fun, and I guess that if you except her premise that animals have human (or, as Brown says, above-human) intelligence, maybe you won't find this book so hard to swallow. It also lacks the closure of the other Mrs. Murphy mysteries, too -- Harry and friends never find out what really happened, although we, the readers, do.
Rating: 
Summary: Drivel Inc. trying to break into prime time and blowing it.
Review: Our favorite quack (Rita) has really gone overboard this time. As one of the previous 30 reviewers has so correctly and eloquently stated, in this novel Rita has gone out of her way to preach down at her readers with her trite and totally unnecessary social commentary. Nor do I appreciate Rita deliberately and maliciously bashing the Civil War reinactments which are put on here in the South on a regular basis. Personally, I could care less if she, as an individual, doesn't like them. But, frankly, it isn't her place to publically denounce them.Like some of the other reviewers, I found the actions of Harry's pets in this novel to be outlandish, off base and out of line. Having these animals drive Blair's expensive car, with Blair unconsious and bleeding in the driver's seat, is carrying the matter too far. If Rita thinks any reasonable reader is going to take this as valid, it is perhaps time for her to retire. If you must insist upon reading this nonsense don't waist your money on it. Go to your local library and read their copy -- then complain about their waisting the public's money on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating
Review: Personally, I like to see the killers in a cozy little mystery "get theirs" in the end. This one doesn't tie up the loose ends to my liking. Also, some of the animal action is just a little hard to take...even for me, a mother of 3 cats. Sorry.. not my fave. I'd like to see a series spin off from Riding Shotgun...
Rating:
Summary: No more wonderful illustrations by Wendy Wray
Review: Readers of the previous entries in the Mrs. Murphy series are in for a shock when they see the illustrations in this book. Wendy Wray's lovely, evocative drawings of the animals, that added so much to the earlier books, are no more. The new renditions by Itoko Maeno are crude and annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Rita Mae in her groove
Review: Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie have definitely gotten the style down. The book flows so smoothly and it is difficult to put down. That said, there aren't many memorable moments, nor is it destined to be great literature. Do you care, though? If you've read her other books in this series and want more, you won't mind the saccharine sweet-tooth high when you finish. The acidity of Rubyfruit Jungle and even Six of One has mellowed into kool-aid. Fun to drink, but in quick doses.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant use of the animal voice as humanistic commentary!
Review: Rita Mae is no doubt a brilliant writer for me as well as a genuinely warm person if you have the opportunity to meet her as I have several times. Her ability to hold your attention in reading her books overflows into her real life presence as well. Its with this preface that I enjoyed attending her book signing and reading of Outfoxed and I looked forward to yet another great read. Ms. Brown's ability to give voice to the animals we often wonder about is genius. Having never Fox Hunted but with a love of horses I enjoyed this well written piece immensely for I felt as If I've been hunting for all of my life as she brilliantly transfers her knowledge to the reader. There seems to be a split personality so to speak with Ms. Brown developing in her writing. Her literary and humorous books such as Rubyfruit Jungle, Venus, and Loose Lips are notably different from her Mrs. Murphy Series. These recent books continue to reveal her passionate interest in animals and she brilliantly uses them to comment on the actions and behaviors of humanity to reveal our rather silly and strange quirks. I'm admittedly not a big fan of the Mrs. Murphy series, but as a fan of her writing style there is not one RMB novel I would not hesitate to praise and recommend highly.
Rating:
Summary: The Marvellous Mrs. Murphy Does It Again
Review: The sixth "Mrs. Murphy Mystery," featuring Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her pets (Mrs. Murphy, the tiger cat; Tee Tucker, the corgi bitch; and Pewter, the fat gray cat who used to live in Market Shifflett's grocery), takes some interesting new tangents. There's a Civil War re-enactment, a haughty Britisher who gets shot (not fatally) in the very midst of the fray, a small plane hidden in an old stone barn, and a missing pilot; a dismaying discovery by the three animals in a pit full of discarded farm machinery, and the revelation it leads to; an appearance by the Reverend Herb Jones's cats, Elocution and Lucy Fur, who've been mentioned but never introduced before in the series; a cabal that may or may not be illegal but is certainly leading to some strange doings; and a murder that goes unsolved, even by the notoriously nosy Mrs. Murphy. The high point of the novel, though, has to be the astonishing scene in which Tucker and the cats, having discovered Harry's neighbor Blair Bainbridge lying in his Porsche freshly shot, contrive to literally drive the car home to their mistress so she can call for help. It sounds incredible, but as Brown has set it up (foreshadowing with a newspaper story about a dog ticketed for driving without a license), it just seems a believable outgrowth of a series in which animals talk to one another, read the mail and the newspaper, and help solve crimes while still acting plausibly like animals. A not-to-be- missed entry.
Rating:
Summary: A joy for cat and mystery lovers.
Review: This is my third Rita Mae Brown book and I look forward to reading the whole series. This is cute and cosy, perfect for animal lovers who also love mystery novels. Those of us who worship our pets will have little trouble believing two cats and a dog can pilot a Porsche. On the serious side, this author manages to create a believable setting for her mysteries, with credible (human) characters, gritty reality and a poignant subplot. Well recommended for light, rainy day reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Animals are smarter!
Review: What a nice and relaxing mystery! I do not know how Rita does it, but she makes provincial America so likeable although she always describes hideous crimes. And in addition the ending might be frustrating for some, but such is life. It happens all the time in reality. And then the animals: I like their subtly described characters; they seem to be alive ansd much smarter than humans. You forget they are animals. They play a decisive dramatic role in her novels. A splendid idea! I recommend the book to all those who like traditional mysteries, but also to those people who like nice relaxing stories with a lot of humour in them. Rita, please, let us have some more Mrs. Murphy mysteries!
|
