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shighley's review against another edition
4.0
I found the part about the Revolutionary War more interesting than the mystery. I had never really thought or read that much about any British who might have been "trapped" in the US.
jenniferbbookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Weaving a story of Revolutionary America with present day mystery, Brown has created a deeply engaging book for anyone who is interested in how history lives in our country today. Of course, the humor and perspectives of Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker makes for a perfect tale for animal lovers who enjoy small town mysteries.
lberestecki's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 Stars.
I had two major issues with this book. First, I find that Brown adds in a lot of really unnecessary details. She gets bogged down in what characters are eating or wearing or how something works or who every single person is at an event, and it really draws me out of the story. My other big issue, which I also was bothered by in the other book I have read from the series, is that Brown puts a lot of her own opinions into the story, and I don't think she integrates them particularly well. In this book, some of the topics she clearly expressed opinions on were addiction, transgendered people at all-women's colleges, and homelessness. I'm not reading a mystery novel to get an author's opinion on society, so I get a bit annoyed by all of it.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the flashbacks in this book because I didn't think they added much to the story, although to some degree I think the flashbacks were more interesting than the actual mystery.
I just don't think Brown's books are for me. I find her books to be rather boring and somewhat predictable.
Received from NetGalley.
I had two major issues with this book. First, I find that Brown adds in a lot of really unnecessary details. She gets bogged down in what characters are eating or wearing or how something works or who every single person is at an event, and it really draws me out of the story. My other big issue, which I also was bothered by in the other book I have read from the series, is that Brown puts a lot of her own opinions into the story, and I don't think she integrates them particularly well. In this book, some of the topics she clearly expressed opinions on were addiction, transgendered people at all-women's colleges, and homelessness. I'm not reading a mystery novel to get an author's opinion on society, so I get a bit annoyed by all of it.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the flashbacks in this book because I didn't think they added much to the story, although to some degree I think the flashbacks were more interesting than the actual mystery.
I just don't think Brown's books are for me. I find her books to be rather boring and somewhat predictable.
Received from NetGalley.
nonna7's review against another edition
3.0
I had given up on this series after the books became overly political and one from a few years ago featured a storyline that was one of the thinnest plots I can remember from an author. However, after reading her last book (based on a review), I decided to resume reading the series. I'm glad that I did. This one is really interesting because it goes back and forth in time - from a period at the end of the Revolutionary War to the present. When a well respected & semi-retired U of VA History Professor is shot and killed on a local golf course, "Harry" and her friends are shocked. Several of them including Harry and her husband had just had dinner with him and his wife the night before. On the surface there doesn't seem any reason for anyone to kill him. A local homeless man who had been a star football player at UVA and had been in love with the professor's daughter years before is a suspect. However, it soon becomes obvious that something else is going on. This was an interesting and quick read. There's some interesting history here as well.
alyssa_tauber's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
This book is definitely a "cozy" (a light-hearted mystery such as "Miss Marple" and "Murder She Wrote"), so one cannot go into it expecting Jo Nesbo. This is my first Brown book, and for the most part it is enjoyable and cute with the cats and corgi being given a voice; however, if I took a drink everytime a character mentioned another character being a football player or an All American football player I'd have been pretty gone, and frankly, I don't care if someone was on the football team or not! The mystery is also *very* easy to figure out, and I wasn't terribly engaged with the time switches. I could have done just fine without the revolutionary war segments. In the end, I would pick up another Brown book, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
This book is definitely a "cozy" (a light-hearted mystery such as "Miss Marple" and "Murder She Wrote"), so one cannot go into it expecting Jo Nesbo. This is my first Brown book, and for the most part it is enjoyable and cute with the cats and corgi being given a voice; however, if I took a drink everytime a character mentioned another character being a football player or an All American football player I'd have been pretty gone, and frankly, I don't care if someone was on the football team or not! The mystery is also *very* easy to figure out, and I wasn't terribly engaged with the time switches. I could have done just fine without the revolutionary war segments. In the end, I would pick up another Brown book, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
meereefox's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
bookcrazylady45's review against another edition
4.0
I am sorry to see this series end and cannot wait for the next Mrs. Murphy and Tucker book. The next book by RMB is an odd one..Sneaky Pie for President.
triscuit807's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, I'll admit it: I do like these silly anthropomorphic mysteries (the animals have conversations with one another). This one is a bit less silly than some so it's getting 4 stars. Tee Tucker (a corgi), Mrs. Murphy (tabby cat), and Pewter (silver gray cat) keep their mom "Harry" Haristeen company as she snoops around Crozet, VA trying to solve the murder of an old acquaintance. This is definitely a cozy with a lot of interest in the lives of the characters, no major gory violence. Like most series mysteries, there comes a point when you know that if the character is new then they're either going to be murdered or be the murderer. This one's no different. I did enjoy the historical information Brown included on POWs during the Revolutionary War. I'm a little behind with this series, but it's one that I do normally read, but I chose to read it now for my 2016 Reading Challenge where it fulfills "read a book by someone identifying as LGBTQIA" a description which does apply to Rita Mae Brown (Read Harder 2015).
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