anzunagi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This one was actually ** gasp ** different?
Still has weird defenses of the South from Civil War times and a C plot that was very...random with Tally. I'm curious if the events of this novel will reappear in the future or not.
This one was actually ** gasp ** different?
Still has weird defenses of the South from Civil War times and a C plot that was very...random with Tally. I'm curious if the events of this novel will reappear in the future or not.
tucked_snuggly's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
b0okcupidity's review against another edition
3.0
See, always trust Grandma. I should know this by now.
I am very close to my paternal Grandmother, she's always been my rock and my sunshine -she's laughed and cried with me through my whole life. We exchange books regularly. I will admit that she sends more my way than I send her - often times when I find something I want to share, she's already read it. That happens when you're 84 and a lifelong reader. When I visit there's always a tote bag by the door with books that she's selected for me to try. One such bag had two Sneaky Pie Brown paperbacks - perfectly worn in with the spine creased just right for supple handling. Honestly, I don't think there are many things that illustrate my relationship with my Grandma more perfectly than an old, comfortable paperback. Anyway, once I inspected the blurb on these I immediately thought that a cozy mystery from the point of view of a cat sounded a bit too cheesy. I have since left them to the stacks.
When Halloween bingo was announced and the art for the Cozy Mystery square was a graceful feline, I felt it was my sign to rescue Sneaky Pie from the crushing weight of the mountain.
My experience was pretty uncomplicated - it's no feat of great literature but it was a deliciously easy read for a relaxing Labor Day.
Cat on the Scent is the seventh book in the series and I don't think a whole lot was lost by not reading them in order. The story is told in third person so you never really had to wade through long bits of cat inner-monologueing, thank goodness (we know cats could probably out-monologue Shakespeare). It's decidedly not cheesy and has an edge for a Southern set cozy. It's not all sweet tea and honey darlings this and that, it's small town Virginia politics and old Southern bloodlines. I think that's why it works. We're not lost in the cuteness of talking animals, and in many ways, the animals are in a better position to solve the mystery. They are wiser and less emotional and inquisitive. I think my Grandma threw these in the tote because she knew I'd appreciate the questions about human nature and what silly creatures we are sometimes especially from the point of view of a cat. (Maybe I should note here that the animals only talk to each other- there's not supernatural element that allow the humans to talk to the animals, or anything of the like)
I feel like the motivations are a little less typical of a cozy with some honest to goodness darkness to its villains. It worked with the more serious nature of the animals and their pragmatic owner, Harry. I thought I had the who-dun-it solved, only to be half right in the end.
All in all, I'll be reading the additional paperback from the series that I have lying around and perhaps will start from the beginning at some point too.
I am very close to my paternal Grandmother, she's always been my rock and my sunshine -she's laughed and cried with me through my whole life. We exchange books regularly. I will admit that she sends more my way than I send her - often times when I find something I want to share, she's already read it. That happens when you're 84 and a lifelong reader. When I visit there's always a tote bag by the door with books that she's selected for me to try. One such bag had two Sneaky Pie Brown paperbacks - perfectly worn in with the spine creased just right for supple handling. Honestly, I don't think there are many things that illustrate my relationship with my Grandma more perfectly than an old, comfortable paperback. Anyway, once I inspected the blurb on these I immediately thought that a cozy mystery from the point of view of a cat sounded a bit too cheesy. I have since left them to the stacks.
When Halloween bingo was announced and the art for the Cozy Mystery square was a graceful feline, I felt it was my sign to rescue Sneaky Pie from the crushing weight of the mountain.
My experience was pretty uncomplicated - it's no feat of great literature but it was a deliciously easy read for a relaxing Labor Day.
Cat on the Scent is the seventh book in the series and I don't think a whole lot was lost by not reading them in order. The story is told in third person so you never really had to wade through long bits of cat inner-monologueing, thank goodness (we know cats could probably out-monologue Shakespeare). It's decidedly not cheesy and has an edge for a Southern set cozy. It's not all sweet tea and honey darlings this and that, it's small town Virginia politics and old Southern bloodlines. I think that's why it works. We're not lost in the cuteness of talking animals, and in many ways, the animals are in a better position to solve the mystery. They are wiser and less emotional and inquisitive. I think my Grandma threw these in the tote because she knew I'd appreciate the questions about human nature and what silly creatures we are sometimes especially from the point of view of a cat. (Maybe I should note here that the animals only talk to each other- there's not supernatural element that allow the humans to talk to the animals, or anything of the like)
I feel like the motivations are a little less typical of a cozy with some honest to goodness darkness to its villains. It worked with the more serious nature of the animals and their pragmatic owner, Harry. I thought I had the who-dun-it solved, only to be half right in the end.
Spoiler
And if you like your ending tied up with grand justice served, you'll be disappointed.All in all, I'll be reading the additional paperback from the series that I have lying around and perhaps will start from the beginning at some point too.
bookcrazylady45's review against another edition
4.0
Still a great series, not dated, holds concentration right to the end.
wildfire's review against another edition
2.0
Crozet, Virginia is a small town that is about to get a lot more exciting. The whole town seems to be a buzz about the Civil War reenactment. But, a local man, Tommy Van Allen, has disappeared and no one has seen his plane in a few days. Things get worse when during the reenactment, a man gets shot. Mrs. Murphy along with her friends seem to be the only ones to solve the case.
The best part of this story was the interaction between Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker. The two cats and a dog worked well together and were entertaining together. They were smart, probably far too smart for their own good. They even figured out how to drink a cat and took it for a little ride. Ridiculous? Yes, definitely. But, a little entertaining? Yeah for sure.
Story wise, I didn't find it as compelling. It seemed a little mixed up. The disappearance of Tommy Van Allen was introduced early in the story, but then was completely forgotten about until around 50% through the book when everything when wrong at the Civil War reenactment. It took far too long for me to feel involved in the plot and even then I still wasn't involved in the plot. I continued to be bored and didn't care who did it.
The ending was frustrating without a satisfying conclusion. It left me even more frustrated that I had slogged through this book. On top of that, there were a lot of Bible verses quoted within here, which isn't always a bad thing, but I didn't sign up for that. Anytime the Bible was quoted I shut down a little bit.
Overall, this wasn't a cozy mystery that has me eager to read more in this series. Despite the interactions between the animals, the chaotic feel of the plot left a lot to be desired.
The best part of this story was the interaction between Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker. The two cats and a dog worked well together and were entertaining together. They were smart, probably far too smart for their own good. They even figured out how to drink a cat and took it for a little ride. Ridiculous? Yes, definitely. But, a little entertaining? Yeah for sure.
Story wise, I didn't find it as compelling. It seemed a little mixed up. The disappearance of Tommy Van Allen was introduced early in the story, but then was completely forgotten about until around 50% through the book when everything when wrong at the Civil War reenactment. It took far too long for me to feel involved in the plot and even then I still wasn't involved in the plot. I continued to be bored and didn't care who did it.
The ending was frustrating without a satisfying conclusion. It left me even more frustrated that I had slogged through this book. On top of that, there were a lot of Bible verses quoted within here, which isn't always a bad thing, but I didn't sign up for that. Anytime the Bible was quoted I shut down a little bit.
Overall, this wasn't a cozy mystery that has me eager to read more in this series. Despite the interactions between the animals, the chaotic feel of the plot left a lot to be desired.
umflintlibrary's review
4.0
Vera says, "Because it's about a detective cat. That's why! Nice guilty pleasure series."
More...