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Mrs. Murphy is the main character in a cozy mystery novel series called “Mrs Murphy.” It is written by an American author Rita Mae Brown. This series is set in the town of Crozet in Virginia. It was begun in 1990 with the first novel in the series titled Wish You Were Here. Since then there have been over 20 books added to the series. The books are co-authored by Rita Mae’s cat Sneaky Pie Brown.
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Order of Mrs. Murphy Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wish You Were Here | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Rest in Pieces | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Murder at Monticello | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Pay Dirt | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Murder, She Meowed | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Murder on the Prowl | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Cat on the Scent | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Pawing Through the Past | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Claws and Effect | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Catch as Cat Can | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Tail of the Tip-Off | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Whisker of Evil | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Cat's Eyewitness | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | Sour Puss | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Puss 'n Cahoots | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | The Purrfect Murder | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | Santa Clawed | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | Cat of the Century | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | Hiss of Death | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 20 | The Big Cat Nap | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 21 | Sneaky Pie for President | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 22 | The Litter of the Law | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 23 | Nine Lives to Die | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 24 | Tail Gait | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 25 | Tall Tail | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 26 | A Hiss Before Dying | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 27 | Probable Claws | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 28 | Whiskers in the Dark | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 29 | Furmidable Foes | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 30 | Claws for Alarm | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 31 | Hiss & Tell | 2023 | Description / Buy | |
| 32 | Feline Fatale | 2024 | Description / Buy |
Mrs Murphy is a cat owned by Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen who is a divorcee aged thirty-something years. Together, the pet and the owner solve mysteries in the town. The little town is filled with mysteries ad murders start becoming common. The curiosity of Mrs Murphy and that of her owner leads them to try and solve the murder cases. Mary Minor is particularly into reading other people’s postcards and she believes that one particular one she saw a while ago had something to do with the murder case. She, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker her Welsh corgi have to get to the bottom of it.
Mrs Murphy Awards
Though the series is yet to win any awards, the author Rita Mae Brown was nominated for the Outstanding Writing Emmy Award in 1982 for I Love Liberty. She is also the winner of the Pioneer Award in the 2015 Lambda Literary Awards. She has also been awarded the Lee Lynch Classic Book Award.
Best Mrs Murphy Books
Here is a look at three books in the Mrs Murphy book series that are among the highest sellers.
Wish You Were Here is the very first book in the series and introduces the main characters in a great way that is relatable and described to the latter. Mary Minor is an animal lover with a cat and dog that love her dearly. She is a post mistress aged over thirty years and lives in a small town in Virginia. Soon, murders begin and Mary knows the clue that could lead to the culprit. She has seen the murdered people receive postcards with tombs on them and the message ‘Wish you were here.’ she just wishes she had known better and prevented the death. She decides to investigate on her own but her pets are a step ahead of her in the investigations. Before she can even get to the bottom of it she is n the killer’s mailing list. Tucker and Mrs. Murphy now take it upon themselves to save their human companion.
In tail Gait, it is spring time in Crozet and Harry and her husband host a cosy dinner for several people. Among them is Professor McConnel who is a history professor in the University of Virginia. The mystery begins when on the next day the good professor is murdered on the golf course in broad daylight. No one sees the killer but when a homeless UVA alum confesses to the crime no one believes that he did it. Harry and her animal friends begin to look into the matter. But just as Harry is about to unearth the century-old mystery she gets herself in trouble and Mrs Murphy has to work with Turker to save their owner.
Claws and Effect is set during winter and the little town of Crozet is frozen. The town’s hospital however is vibrant but soon the source of gossip from the hospital turns up dead. Harry is just too curious to let this rest. She starts snooping around and discovers the hospital is filled with secrets that she swears to unravel. Mrs. Murphy however is the one who discovers the truth that the murder dates back to the Underground Railroad. Things then take a turn for the worst, Harry is attacked and a doctor murdered. The cat is the only hope with the help of her friends Tucker and Pewter.
Other book series you may like
If you like Mrs Murphy series you will like “China Bayles” by Susan Wittig Albert. This has been praised for great writing, plot and characters. It is about a lawyer come herbalist based in Pecan Springs in Texas.
Another series you may enjoy is “The Cat Who”. Written by Lillian Jackson Braun, this is a story about a reporter Jim “Qwill” Qwilleran who relies on his two Siamese cats to help him solve mysteries. One of the two cats Koko has a sixth sense which is particularly very useful in solving the mysteries.
What Is The Next Book in The Mrs. Murphy Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Mrs. Murphy Series. The newest book is Feline Fatale and was released on April, 16th 2024.