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    The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery
    The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery
    The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery

    Written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

    Narrated by Kate Forbes

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The continuing success of the beloved Mrs. Murphy mystery series is given its proper due with the publication of this 20th-anniversary tale. When a local mechanic gets his odometer turned back-for good-Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen steps in to investigate. There's more to the crime than meets the eye, though, and sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with faithful corgi Tee Tucker, do their level best to keep Harry out of harm's way.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 3, 2012
    ISBN9781464038310
    The Big Cat Nap: The 20th Anniversary Mrs. Murphy Mystery

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    Reviews for The Big Cat Nap

    4/5

    17 ratings12 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This one was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was an OK read but not nearly as good as the earlier titles. As others have mentioned, I could do without the preachiness. I won't give up on the series, though.
    • 5/5
      Reading a mystery with Harry and her friends (4-legged and 2-legged) is like settling down with old friends for a nice visit. A good mystery, wrapped around cars and cheap replacement parts made a nice twist. This is a cozy mystery that leaves you with a warm feeling.
    • 4/5
      I had a little trouble relating the title pun (I am sure on the Big Sleep) to the content, but as usual with all the cat themed books, this was a quick and fast read. The trouble starts when several vehicles among Harry's friends have serious problems, and the insurance company recommends a particular fix-it shop. People rave about the shop, so there doesn't seem to be any issue, until Harry and her friends go to check on a vehicle and discover a very dead mechanic in the almost deserted shop. Seems the front man didn't know anything and all the other mechanics were at lunch. A little suspicious but nothing outwardly alarming. A second murder and the theft of a large number of specialty, expensive tires from a local dealer start the wheels turning, literally, embroiling Harry and Boom-Boom in an adventure with stock car racing. Still, nothing seems to link the murders, and Harry moves along, working her farm and trying to deal with hydraulic issues on her old John Deere tractor. It's not easy to come with the money required to do so, but Harry has an epiphany and sells her sunflower and ginger crop on speculation to the local "green" grocer. Little does she realize that a lesson learned from the old mechanic who fixes the tractor will be the vital clue which put Harry's life in danger, but also proves to solve the case. You have to enjoy talking animals (and birds) to really enjoy this series, and understand that the animals observations are necessary to the story, as are many of their actions. I still don't get the connections between the titles and story lines, but it was an enjoyable aftrenoon's read on a cloudy, showery day.
    • 4/5
      It has been a while since I have read a Mrs. Murphy. I enjoyed them in the past but there is only so much time so I went on and read other things.I havent missed a lot in Crozet. It is still a beautiful place in the Blue Ridge Mountains with friendly people who all care about one another. When I began the book, it was just as I remembered which is nice--kind of like going home again--at least in books you can do that.Mrs. Murray and Tee Tucker are just as I remember them--wonderful animals--I keep looking at my dog and asking if she wants to talk like them. I hadnt realized Pewter had moved in with the family or that Fair and Harry had gotten back togeter but otherwise I remember all the characters.The story is a well done look at insurance companies and auto repair businesses and how those industries can abuse the public in a way. Ms. Browndid her homework and really seems to have a feel for automobiles as they are part of the story in a way.Ms Brown is also very opinionated and that comes across but not in a bad way.Overal this is a cozy that can be read quicky and is like going home again.
    • 4/5
      The intrepid animal threesome is at it again. This time they are following motorheads Mom and BoomBoom as they track down an all too real insurance-car repair scam. Of course, there are murders and mayhem along the way, but Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie still keep us up to date with the happenings in Crozet, Virginia. The ongoing saga of the small town is integral to the longevity of the series but does not overpower the book like some series. The plot is well driven with just enough detours into village life to keep the journey interesting. A good read.
    • 3/5
      Harry gets some good news and some bad news. The good news is about her and the bad is about, of course, more murder in Crozet. This time the murdering revolves around one of her favorite things - cars. Just how much trouble will Harry put herself into this time and was it up with Pewter and Mrs. M?
    • 3/5
      When several of Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen’s friends have minor car accidents that end up with their cars needing major repairs, Harry becomes more than a little suspicious about the repair shop. Harry, being Harry, starts asking questions but before she can learn much, one of the mechanics is murdered. Soon the bodies start piling up and Harry is determined to find out what is going on. However, she needs to be careful or her curiosity may get her killed.I used to read Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mystery books and enjoyed them, but I drifted away from the series several years ago, tired of the preachiness in the books. I won this copy of “The Big Cat Nap” and decided to see if the series had improved. Unfortunately, it really hasn’t. In this case it wasn’t the political issues that bothered me – although they do exist – Brown’s major target in this book is the auto repair industry (as well as her usual thoughts about farming). For me the problem with the book is that is just seemed lightweight. It was obvious early on who the bad guys were, even before the bodies started piling up. The writing is sloppy – too many times Brown explains things instead of showing them – for example, how many times do we have to be told that Harry is a motorhead? (Brown eventually did attempt to show that a little but by that point it just didn’t work for me). A car accident that is an important part of the plot is thrown in there thoughtlessly – almost as if it doesn’t matter to the plot – a scene with the terrified driver would have worked much better. At times Harry is far too trusting. Too often Brown seems to underestimate the intelligence of her readers by explaining something that readers can easily figure out on their own. Finally, while the animals, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter are usually the strong points of this series, they, outside of an incident in the cemetery, don’t really play an important part in this book. Instead, it seems like all they did was fight.“The Big Cat Nap” is an okay book in what was once a good series.
    • 4/5
      More enjoyable than some but less enjoyable than other Sneaky Pie Mysteries. Series fans will not want to miss it, and newcomers to the series will enjoy it although author Brown seems to have fallen into the habit of ranting about her views in her books lately. There is some useful information included about the dangers of using replacement automotive parts not from the original manufacturer. Other opinions offered seemed out-of-place, such as ranting about the poor customer service offered by Dell Computers. Huh? A mystery novel doesn't seem like quite the place for that to me. The talking animals are still cute, however, and it's always good to see Harry again.
    • 4/5
      Although this is #20 in this long-running series, readers who are unfamiliar with early episodes can meander into the Blue Ridge mountain town of Crozet and not feel they're missing anything. I hadn't read one of these in several years, and I could notice big changes in character's lives but only because I'd read the earlier stories. Rita Mae Brown still gives us Mrs. Murphy, the striped tabby cat, Tucker the Corgi, and luscious chunky Pewter, the "fat cat" who are devoted to the protagonist Happy Hairsteen, former postmistress now full-time farmer, now remarried to Fair, the local veterinarian. We catch up with Harry's friend Susan, her pastor Rev Herb, her friend Coop the deputy sheriff, and we are treated to lively animal discussions among the critters who try to keep their human's overly active sense of curiosity from getting her into too much trouble as she discovers bodies, ponders anomalies in car accidents, and fixes tractors and trucks belonging to various members of the community.There are indeed murders, there are indeed bodies and violence, but the southern ambiance of the small town, the glorious celebration of Flag Day, the description of small family owned farms and their attendant problems, the friendly cooperation of amateur sleuth and police professionals makes this a cozy with lots of meat. It's an easy, comfy read, there are plenty of suspects, and solving the mystery of who killed all these young men who work at the auto repair shop is always just a few pages further than this reader could quite pin down, but it continues the series in its usual sharp, fun-loving tradition. For fans of animals, farms, fast cars, and gentle southern manners.
    • 4/5
      Fans of Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown will be highly entertained by this latest mystery in the series. While animal lovers will enjoy the repartee between Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, the two cats who steal the show, along with Tucker, the faithful corgi who diligently endeavors to keep them in line, there is plenty of plot to keep the non-animal lover reading. Ms. Brown does make her own opinions known through the opinions of her characters, animal ones included, but this does nothing to detract from the storyline. In this tale, dishonesty fueled by corruption rears its ugly head. The author has done her research and is factual in relating some of the problems that occur in insuring vehicles and as well as in the repair business. Harry, the mom of the aforementioned animal, finds herself in the thick of things as she stumbles across dead bodies. Will she be the next target? If only her animals, with their superior abilities, could tell Harry what they sense! Engrossing to the end, this is one cozy you should read with a cat on your lap and a dog at your feet.
    • 3/5
      This latest mystery by Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie, centers around the vehicle insurance and the repair business. Two prominent business men have joined forces and, by undercutting the competition, have managed to corner the market. Human nature being what it is, people are more than willing to save money on repairs, and they don’t ask questions. But just how can a private business charge so much less than the dealership and still stay in business? When the mechanics at the repair shop start showing up dead, the female protagonist of the story, Harry, just has to get involved. As she gets closer to the crux of the situation, she becomes a target herself. Ms. Brown makes some interesting points and raises our awareness of imported goods and parts. You may be putting your life on the line when you settle, or demand, cheaper goods. The author gives us all something to think about with these issues neatly wrapped around an enticing mystery.
    • 4/5
      It's hard to believe this series has been going on for 20 years. And this book is as good as the first. Harry is her same, curious self; getting involved in murders and solving them by thinking outside the box. Her animal friends didn't seem to be as big a factor in solving the crime this time, but they were their same funny selves. A fun addition to the series, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries with animals.