I was glad to see that the eighteenth-century story line was dropped from this novel, but so much of the story revolved around politics and so little around the animals or a mystery that it wasn’t an improvement. And to call this story a mystery is really a stretch. Susan’s husband, Ned, is trying to get a bill passed in the House of Delegates for snow removal. Amanda Fields is against it. An unfortunate death occurs, a hit and run car accident hurts someone else, another person is rum-running, and a secret affair is going on. And that’s about it. The animals put in a couple of brief appearances. I have read this series from the beginning, and really enjoyed the earlier books, the ones with an actual mystery where the animals got a jump on the humans in solving it. I may read another book in this series because hope springs eternal that possibly the author will return to her former writing style, but it will be at the bottom of my TBR stack. ( )

cozy-mystery, series, animal-narratives, anthropomorphic, virginia, rural, small-business, small-town, pet-cat, pet-dog, politics, politicians, attempted-murder, attitude-of-entitlement, drugs-issues, greed, political-corruption, political-intrigue

Some really serious stuff here that reflects the life happenings of 2023 in politics and the infiltration of the drug trade into too much of daily life. The historical learning (for those of us who geek history) relates to the use of Ham Radios and Morse Code from WW2 to the present as it pertains to the regular characters. There are several mysteries to solve and the furry ones continue to be essential. Always a good read from this author!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam via NetGalley. Thank you!
Pub Date 16 Apr 2024
#MrsMurphyMysteriesNo32 #Anthropomorphism ( )

We are back in Crozet, Virginia with farmer "Harry" Harristeen and her husband and friends, not to mention her furry pets Mrs. Murphy and Pewter (the cats), Tucker and Pirate (the dogs). Harry is braving the last of winter when the threat of another snowstorm prevails, making everyone wonder how long winter is going to last. But it is also the time when the state house representatives meet in Richmond, and both Harry and her best friend, Susan Tucker, travel there to support Susan's husband Ned while he presents a bill to the house.

Unfortunately, it isn't received well by the other side, and a heated argument ensues where delegate Amanda Fields reacts violently to a slur by Aiden Harkness of the other side, which causes more problems along the way. Amanda seems obsessed with Aiden and his antics, and Ned is just trying to keep the peace. But when a young page is killed while in the car of the videographer, questions arise. What was he doing, and was he murdered?

Harry wants answers, and if it lies in the state house, then she's going to find it. But along the way she's learning Morse code, as an elderly town resident still uses a ham radio and Harry wants to be able to speak with her on days she can't get over to see her. But what is going on in the house, and does anyone know the truth?...

This is the latest book in the Mrs. Murphy series, and I have read as many as I can. I simply love the writing style of Ms. Brown. Although in the beginning I was disappointed to learn that this was not a mystery where we travel back in time to Revolutionary days, I also read the back where she stated that not everyone enjoyed that. (Really? It's part of the charm of the books, but just my humble opinion on that! I also love history, so it's again, part of the charm of reading these novels.) Anyway, since I was already invested, I continued to read on.

In this installment, as you've probably already gathered, Harry and pals are concerned with what is happening in Richmond. Ned Tucker is too concerned with what is going on in his own office to even take time to wonder -- and here is where he avails himself of both Harry and Susan's help -- because they are trying to finish the session and that means endless paperwork (don't we all have that?).

When the young page is killed, his girlfriend and family both insist that it must have been murder, and Harry tends to believe them. So does Amanda's assistant, Lucas. But what can be done? No one is going to admit it, and someone's sudden disappearance points to them as the prime suspect.

There is a lot going on in this book; a lot about politics (and honestly, I don't read political books as there is so much in the world right now that is wrong and I read to relax, not have everything shoved at me), but I will tell you that this book doesn't do any of that, and I appreciate it. While we may not agree on our politics, the book is subtle about it and you don't feel that you are getting a lecture on what to believe or not believe. And that, my friends, is all the difference.

Once again, Ms. Brown has written another mystery that will keep you reading merely to get to the final outcome, if nothing else. It is a wonderful read, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. ( )