Whisker of Evil

March 8, 2004
Bestseller Brown (The Tale of the Tip-off
, etc.) and her feline collaborator offer another winsome tale of endearing talking animals and fallible, occasionally homicidal humans, many of whom breed and raise horses in the small Piedmont town of Crozet, Va. Near Potlicker Creek, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her pets—corgi Tee Tucker, tiger cat Mrs. Murphy and fat, gray kitty Pewter—discover 34-year-old breeder Barry Monteith, "fit, handsome... and fun-loving," on the ground, his slashed throat gushing blood. "Death, often so shocking to city dwellers, was part of life here in the country." Later, Harry resigns in a pique when the overzealous, obnoxious animal-control officer prohibits her pets from the post office. A reawakening of affection for Fair, her former husband, and the building of an addition to her barn complicate things further. Her animals figure she's too distracted when Harry misses vital clues to Barry's murder—and to the peculiar death of a second young breeder. The mystery thickens with a strange case of rabies that brings on the state health inspectors as well as the media. Brown perhaps overdoes the details of horse breeding, record-keeping and rabies, but fans are sure to cheer as Tee Tucker, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter rush to their mistress's rescue at the harrowing climax. Illustrations by Michael Gerraty not seen by PW
.

December 1, 2003
Sleuthing postmistress "Harry" Haristeen can cope with visiting movie stars, a rabies epidemic, and even murder-but not the newly updated post office, which might cost her her job.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2004
Adult/High School-In a unique town in Virginia, the animals speak English to one another and help to solve murders. In this installment in the entertaining series, postmistress Harry finds the body of her friend Barry, a horse breeder, who seems to have been attacked by a bear. But no, it turns out that he died of rabies. When a second mysterious death occurs, the town is concerned that there will be an epidemic, and the officials refuse to let Harry's pets come to work with her. Readers learn details about rabies and horse breeding before the exciting climax in which Harry's animals fly into action to save her life. Delightful line drawings illustrate the creatures, usually in some adorable pose. Witty dialogue will bring a smile to readers' faces as the animals outsmart the humans.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2004
Just when you think Brown might be running out of plotlines for her popular Mrs. Murphy series, she comes back with an intriguing new adventure featuring the titular talking cat and her animal and human friends. The story begins with a bang as protagonist Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen, postmistress of tiny Crozet, Virginia, happens upon a dying man whose throat has been slashed. As if that weren't bad enough, he also had rabies. Snooping around the crime scene, Harry finds a ring belonging to a long-missing woman. Are the two connected? This is just one of the many puzzles that unfold in this suspenseful tale that also involves the disappearance of a famous studhorse. Along the way, Brown imparts significant knowledge about horse breeding and dispels many common myths about rabies. Fans who think of Harry as a friend will appreciate how Brown catapults the young farmer out of her comfort zone, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in her life. Admirers of Mrs. Murphy will enjoy the expanding repertoire of animals she converses with: snakes, owls, mice, swallows, and foxes. In a somewhat uneven series, Brown comes into her own here; never has she seemed more comfortable with her characters. The pick of the litter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)