Sour Puss

January 9, 2006
The 13th Mrs. Murphy mystery from bestseller Brown and her feline collaborator (after 2005's Cat's Eyewitness
) opens with the comic-opera remarriage of series heroine Harry Haristeen and Fair, Harry's veterinarian ex-husband, reintroducing at length some familiar characters before turning to the novel's main focus—the vagaries of the burgeoning wine industry in the Virginia Piedmont. The prospect of having your own label or selling at a profit to another winery is too good to pass up, and even Harry and Fair have put in a quarter acre of Petit Manseng grapes. But someone is trying to scare off the competition, and the disappearance of a respected expert in the mutation of toxins sets Harry's talking pets—cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker—on the sleuthing trail. When a longstanding feud between rival vintners leads to murder, Harry has to read the clues before attrition gives us the answers. Brown provides a captivating look at grape growing and the passionate dedication it requires.

January 1, 2006
This venerable mystery series has been on a good run of late. Brown does everything right here, from creating a suspenseful plot to introducing readers to Virginia vineyards and the art of winemaking. Former postmistress Harry Haristeen has forgiven and remarried her errant spouse, the aptly named veterinarian Fair, and is making a go of it as a farmer. In addition to more traditional crops, Harry is dabbling in grapes, joining an increasing number of central Virginia vintners. The tiny town of Crozet is abuzz with the talk of grapes and how to protect the finicky crop when an outspoken wine grower is murdered. A competitor is blamed for his death, and suddenly the expensive hobby takes on a much more serious tone. As Harry tries to figure out why a non-native species of insect pest has appeared in her peach orchard, her animal companions--tiger cat Mrs. Murphy, corgi Tucker, and "big boned" feline Pewter--discover another body buried in the orchard. Brown seems more relaxed and comfortable with her characters in each new adventure, reenergizing a series that could easily have grown stale over time. Wine fanciers or not, readers will happily toast the animal-loving author for creating this robust and flavorful tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)