Cozy Mysteries discussion

Rita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle), but is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.

Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.

Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later, she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts. Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.

Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles from 1973 to 1977, when she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives. In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.

Brown became active in the American Civil Rights Movement in 1964, and later participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement, the Gay Liberation movement, and was briefly involved with the National Organization for Women. You can read more of her bio here.


Mrs. Murphy series
Mary Minor Haristeen is a postmistress in Crozet, Virginia where she lives with her cat, Mrs. Murphy.

01. Wish You Were Here
02. Rest in Pieces
03. Murder at Monticello
04. Pay Dirt
05. Murder, She Meowed
06. Murder on the Prowl
07. Cat on the Scent
08. Pawing Through the Past
09. Claws and Effect
10. Catch as Cat Can
11. The Tail of the Tip-Off
12. Whisker of Evil
13. Cat's Eyewitness
14. Sour Puss
15. Puss 'N Cahoots
16. The Purrfect Murder
17. Santa Clawed
18. Cat of the Century
19. Hiss of Death
20. The Big Cat Nap
21. Sneaky Pie for President
22. The Litter of the Law
23. Nine Lives to Die
24. Tail Gait
25. Tall Tail
26. A Hiss Before Dying (May 30, 2017)


Mags Rogers series
Mags (Magdalene) Rogers is a former Wall Street banker moving from New York City with her dachshund Baxter, to her great aunt Jeep Reed’s Wings Ranch near Reno, Nevada:

01. A Nose for Justice
02. Murder Unleashed


Runnymede series

01. Six of One
02. Bingo
03. Loose Lips
04. The Sand Castle
05. Cakewalk


"Sister" Jane series
Sister Jane Arnold is a 70-year-old Master of the Fox Hunt in Virginia.

01. Outfoxed
02. Hotspur
03. Full Cry
04. The Hunt Ball
05. The Hounds and the Fury
06. The Tell-tale Horse
07. Hounded to Death
08. Fox Tracks
09. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie


Single Title Works:

Alma Mater
Dolley
High Hearts
In Her Day
Riding Shotgun
Rubyfruit Jungle
Southern Discomfort
Sudden Death
Venus Envy


Non-fiction:
Animal Magnetism: My Life with Creatures Great and Small
Rita Will: Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser
Sneaky Pie's Cookbook for Mystery Lovers
Starting from Scratch

I have read all of Mrs Murphy series except the last two released. I own many of the ebooks and used my library for other print books. I enjoy the animals antics very much. I lost interest as so much of the books are her personal theories. I don't read to lectured read for relaxation.
I have tried others of her books but didn't like the foxes being chased.

I read the very first Mrs. Murphy novel a few years ago and Rubyfruit Jungle just last year. Am going to have to rustle up something new from the library for this month.

I've seen Rita Mae Brown mentioned often, but this will be my first read(s) of her books…

Just ordered Wish You Were Here (very popular title apparently) and Outfoxed (love the idea of a 70-year-old main character!)

I haven't read any of her books yet, but now that I know she wrote the screen play for The Slumber Party massacre, I now love her!

I have read most of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries. I am a cat person and love mysteries with cats in them *Joe Gray, the Cat who series etc). I like how the animals talk to each other but not to the adults--more realistic, except cats don't really talk to each other. I have a gray rotund female cat named Pewter who can be just like Pewter in the series.

Like Chris, I'm a cat-cozy person, so I find the Mrs Murphy mysteries a lot of fun, as the animals get to "talk". I have read Outfoxed, but I wasn't a taken with it, even though it has the same "talking" animals thing going on. It may just be that I prefer the small-town life in the Mrs Murphy books.

Rita Mae Brown lives very near to me, so I've been lucky enough to meet her in person a few times. She is truly fun to talk/listen to in person, with a wicked sense of humor and rather sharp tongue, though a kind heart. It is extra fun for me to read the Mrs Murphy series as I recognize many of the places and some of the people that she refers to in the books. She is going to be at our local Barnes & Noble this month, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her again.

I've read a few of her books and I do enjoy them especially the banter that goes between the animals.

Maya wrote: "She is going to be at our local Barnes & Noble this month, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her again."

How fun! You'll have to come back and tell us all about it! '-)

Just finished my first book-Outfoxed. I enjoyed the interplay among the animals, but found the book a little slow in getting to the murder.

I haven't read any of the Mrs. Murphy books. I'll have to read one.

Oh, it's a little too expensive. Oh, well...

Read them all except the last one, of course. Can't until it comes out!

MadameZelda wrote: "I haven't read any of the Mrs. Murphy books. I'll have to read one.

Oh, it's a little too expensive. Oh, well..."

You can always go to the library. That's what I do. They even have ebooks you can borrow.

MadameZelda wrote: "I haven't read any of the Mrs. Murphy books. I'll have to read one.

Oh, it's a little too expensive. Oh, well..."

I agree with Paula! Please do look at your public library for your reading! I get my books at my public library. It even has OverDrive E-books that I can borrow from home, with an Internet connection!

I'm reading WISH YOU WERE HERE, and enjoying it! That's one of the things I love about this group. I keep finding out about books that I never thought about reading. When I read them, I find I like them, and have more great reads for my TBR List! Thanks, Heather, for this month's author.

About half-way through reading WISH YOU WERE HERE, and still enjoying it! Not sure if I will read the next in the series next, or try OUTFOXED. I love having so many new titles and authors to look forward to reading!

Finished reading, and enjoyed, WISH YOU WERE HERE! I would have finished it sooner, but was multi-reading several books, some for the May and Spring challenges! I plan to read more in this series, so my TBR List keeps happily growing... So many books, so little time! :)

After having read the other Mrs. Murphy books, it was strange going back to the very first one and I enjoyed it. I love the animals' loyalty and love of Harry. If anyone knows offhand which book I should read to find where Pewter comes to live with Harry let me know as I don't remember that in particular.

This was the first Mrs. Murphy book I have read and I loved it! I'll definitely be reading more in the series :)

Emma wrote: "This was the first Mrs. Murphy book I have read and I loved it! I'll definitely be reading more in the series :)"

Same for me! :)

I read her books years ago and really didn't care much for them. Recently I picked 1 up and read it and quite enjoyed it. Guess your tastes change as you get older.

I read the first one (Sneaky Pie), but disagreed so vehemently with some political statement she made, that I didn't bother pursuing the series.

I haven't read any of this author's books. I plan to.