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Read Cat On The Scent (2000)

Cat on the Scent (2000)

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Genre
Series
Rating
3.89 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0553575414 (ISBN13: 9780553575415)
Language
English
Publisher
bantam books

Cat On The Scent (2000) - Plot & Excerpts

I had this particular series confused with the "The Cat Who..." books, and hadn't really heard of these books. Apparently, they center around a small cadre of animals who live in a little Virginia town in Albemarle County with the post mistress. Crimes happen in Crozet, and the animals are a step ahead of the humans in solving them. The leader of the animals seems to be a large cat named Mrs. Murphy, and she has a couple of other animals, a cat called Pewter, and a corgi called Tucker, with whom she fights crime and criminals in town.Although the humans tell the animals to be quiet, they are often shocked to discover that the animals know the locations of important clues to solving mysteries.In this particular book, the mystery is what happened to a downed plane and pilot, and who shot Sir H. Vane-Tempest during a Civil War re-enactment. Of course the animals know what happened, but the humans are a little slow on the uptake. One of the best scenes is when the 3 animals shanghai a Porsche and hot rod around Virginia's hills.I am glad to have received and read this book, though I would very much like to read the first in the series to see if I understand the books and people a bit better. I understand from reading reviews of the books that many people want to know if the post mistress and her ex-husband will ever remarry, but I wasn't invested in that particular plot line. I suspect if I do read these from the start, I'll be quite invested in them. Brown makes the books pretty easy to read--the animals' conversations are in italics and the humans are in regular print. A good read, but a bit confusing. I'll have to read more!! (Thanks, Mom!)

Things have been pretty exciting in Crozet Virginia. Just as the town starts to buzz over its civil war reenactment . a popular local man disappears. and no ones seen Tommy Van Allens single engine plane either- except for Mrs Murphy , who spotted it during a foggy evenings mousing hunt. But things really take an ugly turn when the town reenactacts the battle of Oak Ridge -and a participant ends up with three bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and her pals sift through clues that just don,t fit , more than a few locals fear that the scandal will force well hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when Mrs Murphys relentless tracking puts her loved ones in danger, it takes more than a canny kitty and her team of animal sleuths to set things right again.

What do You think about Cat On The Scent (2000)?

I know, I know. Not exactly what you'd call great literature. But I love her cat series! They are all crime stories, usually a murder or two, or so many that I wonder how Crozet, Virginia, has still inhabitants left after five or six years of murders and mystery. The writing is, uhm, plain is the right word I think. Not plain as in simple language, but there isn't much that can be said about the language. It just serves as a tool to tell the stories, and the stories are always good. I love all her characters, she manages to make the whole town come alive. Her characters change throughout the years, but they always remain likeable and recognizable. Plus, there are talking animals (no, the humans don't understand them, thank god), and they are terribly cute, without being, hmm, too cute. They are still animals, if you know what I mean. They are also perfect subway reading.
—Oceana2602

With most cozy series, my enjoyment increases with each one. However, in this series, that has not been the case. I found this novel ridiculous and even annoying. Ms. Brown put far too much of her own far right wing political views in for one thing. I might as well have been reading Ayn Rand! Then, too, the antics of the animals went too far into the stuff of fantasy for my tastes. Perhaps the greatest sin of all, however, is that there was no resolution or perhaps it was that the resolution was no resolution. Spoiler alert: The bad guys got away with it. Again, I believe this was a case of Ms. Brown's allowing her political views, and disdain for authority, including local police forces, to bleed into her writing. If I wanted to read a political diatribe, I would choose non-fiction rather than a cozy mystery. My advice: Don't waste your time on this one!
—Marti

What a nice and relaxing mystery! I do not know how Rita does it, but she makes provincial America so likeable although she always describes hideous crimes. And in addition the ending might be frustrating for some, but such is life. It happens all the time in reality. And then the animals: I like their subtly described characters; they seem to be alive and much smarter than humans. You forget they are animals. They play a decisive dramatic role in her novels. A splendid idea!I recommend the book to all those who like traditional mysteries, but also to those people who like nice relaxing stories with a lot of humour in them.
—Pearl Drolet

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