Whiskers in the Dark

Written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

Narrated by Kate Forbes

The discovery of a body in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains dredges up mysteries that have lingered from Revolutionary Virginia through the Civil War and beyond, in a supernaturally thrilling new tale from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown. A trial is underway in Albemarle County, where Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen and her trusty crew of two- and four-legged friends hope to catch a killer--who may not be the person accused of the crime. Since an old friend's body was discovered by the hunting club's faithful beagles, it has been up to Harry--with her crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the corgi--to sniff out a trail of clues. Meanwhile, bloodshed dating back generations continues to haunt the current grounds of the National Beagle Club of America. Are past claims of ghost sightings still to be ignored? And what do these paranormal apparitions have to do with the very modern drama unfolding in court and the all-too-real threats confronting Harry and her companions at every turn?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980029946

Reviews for Whiskers in the Dark

[mm_jones · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A mystery series that has seen better days. The author used to develop characters and story to a more satisfying level. Now the book is filled with encyclopedia-like facts instead. So many words and then off to the publisher. Sad.And the valuable pearls buried in the dirt for 130 years would probably be ruined. So why pearls? Distracting!

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was a disappointment. I very much enjoyed the earlier mysteries in this series for the banter between the animals and their somewhat limited interaction with their humans, to get the humans on the right track to solve the murders. Now, the books have two storylines going, one present day and one taking place in the 1700s, and the animals are almost forgotten. The author also raises the problems of social injustices and politics, both then and now. Not what I am looking for in a cozy mystery. That being said, both past and present mysteries in this installment had unsatisfying conclusions. I’m sure the author will continue the past storyline in the next book, but the present mystery was just not that intriguing. Perhaps Ms. Brown should have started a new historical mystery series and kept her Sneaky Pie Brown one as it had always been, an animal cozy.

[joannefm2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harry and her friend Susan are helping out clearing the grounds for the Hounds for Heroes run for Bassets and Beagles. Along with other volunteers, they find a problem on the road that needs the help of a tractor, and one of their friends, Jason Holzknect, sets off to find one. But when he doesn't return, they set off to find him...and they do, with his throat slit. While Harry is convinced someone at the club killed Jason, everyone wants her to let the police handle the case. And when another body is found Harry begins to connect the dots, never realizing that the truth is indeed stranger than fiction...Meanwhile, the discovery of a centuries-old skeleton in a grave marked for another leads to other questions: who killed the woman and why put her on top of the casket of someone else? Why a couple of parishioners are more interested in the expensive jewelry she wore, Harry, of course, is interested in her origins and who hated her enough to leave her there...This is the 28th book in the series, and I am happy to say that it's just as intriguing as all the previous ones. As a matter of fact, I find each book better than the last one I read. Perhaps it's just that I truly enjoy Ms. Brown's writing, but I also love a good mystery, and these books not only give you that, they give you tales that span the centuries.Harry's joined, of course, by her faithful friends: cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, dogs Tucker and new friend Pirate, who's recently adopted and still growing. The animals make their own friend in this book, that of a ghost Beagle named Ruffy who has a tale of his own, and hopes his new found friends can help him. It's a mesmerizing story of love, betrayal, death, revenge, and money, and the author tells it well.As Harry refuses to let go of Jason's murder, she's warned off gently but it doesn't stop her, and she's determined to solve the case. She begins to put the pieces together and convinces herself of the reason why the man was murdered; and through her determination and self-will, she keeps going, knowing there's more to the story.Once again we revisit the eighteenth century where the Ewings and Holloways are neighbors, and we see how difficult life was in that century, where the author puts a different spin on the thoughts of certain beliefs of that era. I do believe that people forget that all souls are products of their time, and to expect anything different is sheer foolishness. I, for one, understand this and never expect the past to be the same as the present, nor would I wish it to be. It was a different world, when America was new and people were learning to survive in this country - any way they could. Together both stories make for quite an absorbing narrative, which kept me reading all the way through to the end in nearly one sitting (sleep does reluctantly come). Just when I would find myself engaged in the past, I was pulled into the present, back again to Harry and her tenacity. But be aware that I never felt it was an intrusion or disruption of the story, and both seemed to meld together seamlessly.When the truth of the murder is found, I had already figured out the killer as I read a lot of mysteries and for the most part it's rarely difficult, but I have always stated that it's the journey that's the most fun in mysteries - watching how the protagonist puts the pieces together, and Harry's almost an expert in this. It brings home a few questions of our own to answer, and our answers will tell us how we feel about this book. I, for one, absolutely loved it, and felt that justice was done. I was satisfied with the ending, and although I do feel that Megs and Janice are just too avaricious for their own good, (although this is a personal feeling and nothing was alluded to it in the book) I look forward to the next in the series, where I can continue visiting with Harry and her friends, and of course the Ewings and Holloways. Highly recommended.

[katebaxter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four murders, two time periods, a lovely Virginia estate, a hunting hound competition and a bunch of retired former members of the diplomatic corps, military and CIA. Sound interesting? Sure enough, it truly was.A fully clothed African American woman's body bedecked with a stunning pearl necklace and pearl earrings surrounded by diamonds, had been hastily buried atop two freshly buried caskets...back in 1787 in the local graveyard. In 2018, with so little information on which to draw, her identity remained a mystery. The reader is treated to the 18th century background story in alternating chapters to the main story taking place in 2018 Loudoun Co., Virginia. Meanwhile, members of the local chapter of the National Beagle Club of America are out on their grounds at the Institute in Aldie, clearing paths and trails of fallen trees and brush in preparation for the annual hunting basset and beagle competition hosted by Hounds F4R Heroes. At days end, as a storm is forming, another dead body is found and on the next day, another. They're members of the Club and now it's all looking rather personal. Protagonist "Harry", (Mary Minor Haristeen), and her cadre of felines and canines are on it. Curiosity is her weakness and unsolved murders on the competition grounds is just bad for business. Although this is my first foray into the Mrs. Murphy mystery series, I found the story solid as a stand-alone. With its excess of 34 characters, thankfully, there's a roster for both the current and the 18th century time periods. Ms. Brown is a whiz at educating her readership with her engaging tales and this story was no exception. One learns about colonial plantation life of Virginia, the beagling hobby, bits about regional Civil War history and the Battle of Aldie. There's also an interesting discussion regarding diplomatic corps service which sometimes appears to be at cross-purposes with the intelligence gathering community. This was definitely an informative and most enjoyable read. I look forward to catching up on other installments in this series.I am grateful to Bantam Books and NetGalley for having provided an advance uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.Synopsis (from author's website):Death stalks the Blue Ridge Mountains as a centuries-old mystery resurfaces and murder mars the lead-up to an annual beagle competition, in a thrilling new tale from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown.A massive nor’easter has hit northern Virginia, where Mary Minor “Harry” Harristeen joins groundskeeping efforts at the National Beagle Club at Aldie as the date for its springtime Hounds for Heroes veterans’ benefit approaches. Harry’s fellow volunteers, including her oldest friend, Susan Tucker, comprise a spirited group of hunting enthusiasts, some former service members themselves. But things take a sinister turn when, after a routine tree cleanup along the Club’s hunting trails, retired foreign services officer Jason Holzknect is found dead, throat slit from ear to ear. Soon enough, another murder in their midst jolts the preparations, convincing Harry that the killer is familiar with the Club—and must be close by, masked in plain sight.The intrigue extends to the grounds of Harry’s beloved local church, where the identity of an eighteenth-century skeleton wearing precious pearls remains a mystery. The anonymous woman’s neck had been snapped, and marks on the grave where her body was secreted indicate that someone recently tried to remove it, leading Harry to question how well she really knows those around her.As always, Harry’s crime-solving cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and Tee Tucker the Corgi share her determination to sniff out the foes among friends, even those long buried. Harry will need her four-legged companions’ help more than ever: a ghostly beagle only they can see may hold the key to the culprit.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

pets, urban-fantasy, friendship, basset-hounds, beagles, murder, 18th-century, contemporary, Virginia ***** A fully dressed skeleton complete with obviously expensive jewelry and a neatly snapped neck is found atop a coffin buried in 1787. While preparing the field and kennels after a violent storm prior to the annual competition hosted by Hounds F4R Heroes, a local huntsman well known to the usual participants is discovered almost immediately after having had his throat cut.The investigation into these two murders is followed in alternating narratives to bring each to resolution. Of course Mrs Murphy and her fellow pets of Harry Haristeen are the main detectives, but are helped out in this case by a dog from 1787. Very interesting and engaging! Good sleuthing by all, and a totally unexpected resolution. I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine via NetGalley. Thank you!