This post contains affiliate links*
I’ve been a fan of Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy Mystery Series, co-authored with her cat Sneaky Pie Brown, from the very start. Clawed and Dangerous is the 34th book in the series. The original Sneaky Pie was rescued by Ms. Brown at her local SPCA.
Set in Crozet, Virginia, the story unfolds at the series’ usual, unhurried pace. Brown takes her time setting the scene and revisiting the rhythms of small-town life before the actual mystery enters the plot. This may feel a bit meandering to some readers, but if you’ve read this series before, you know what to expect, and it’s actually my favorite part of the books.
As always, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and the dogs are the highlight. Their conversations are endearing, and often more perceptive than those of the humans. I love how Brown uses the animals to comment on human behavior without descending into exxaggerated cuteness.
I found the actual mystery a bit tedious. There are a lot of characters and moving parts, and while everything comes together in the end, it can take some effort to keep track of who’s who and how they connect. This is definitely not a page turner that you can’t put down, but Brown’s love of the natural world and the Virginia countryside more than makes up for the sometimes slow moving plot.
If you’re a long time reader and enjoy spending time in Brown’s world, you will love this book.
Clawed and Dangerous is available from Amazon.
*Purrs of Wisdom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves. I received this book from the publisher. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. All reviews on Purrs of Wisdom will always reflect my honest opinion, or, as the case may be, Allegra’s honest opinion.
What a cute cover. The book sounds really good too.