Catch as Cat Can by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Everyone loves a good feline mystery, and Catch as Cat Can, by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown, is perfect. It's tenth in the Mrs. Murphy series (whoops), but jumping in works perfectly.

Roger O'Bannon collapses at a party after drinking a cup of coffee. His brother Sean refuses an autopsy, causing many people to whisper. The whispers get louder when a man is found murdered, and Mary Minor Haristeen ("Harry") can't help but ask questions and look around. But even before she has an inkling of what happened, her cat, Mrs. Murphy, has figured out what happened, as well as who is next in line to be killed.

This book was a very fun read. Though it is easier to understand if you start from the beginning, the characters were as well developed in this book as in her others. Brown successfully navigates the small town dynamics, as well as exploring the psyche of Harry and her life.

Want to start from the beginning of the series? Read Wish You Were Here.