Last Wool and Testament

 Knit & Nibble Mysteries Book 12

Author:    Peggy Ehrhart

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496749598

Kensington Cozies

288 Pages

$8.99; $7.99 Amazon

April 29, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spring has sprung in Arborville, New Jersey, and Pamela Paterson and Bettina Fraser are keeping busy with their knitting group, Knit and Nibble.  But it looks like April showers have brought May murders...

Fiber artist Ingrid Barrick has just been found dead in her ransacked house, but the fact that she'd seemed a bit troubled lately -- and had been obsessively doodling pictures of bees -- has the Knit and Nibblers wondering if this was really a burglary gone bad like the police think.  There had been tension with a neighbor who was fuming (and sneezing) over the ragweed in Ingrid's garden -- but allergies don't seem like grounds for murder.

As they chat with a local beekeeper, learn more about Ingrid's knitwear designer ex, and look into a suddenly cancelled tapestry exhibit, Pamela and Bettina are intrigued to find more nature-themed sketches by Ingrid.  The question is which of these many threads will lead to the truth about her unnatural death...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Pamela Paterson lives in a small town in New Jersey.  She's a widow with a grown daughter, and lives with her three cats; and her best friend Bettina Fraser lives down the street.  Pamela learns that a local artist has been killed, and she and Bettina visit the neighbor, who insists that it was a murder, not a burglary, as the police think.  She shows them doodles that Ingrid Barrick has been doing, all of bees.  But Pamela doesn't know what this has to do with the woman's death.

When she and Bettina attend a celebration of life for Ingrid, she hears two men arguing about her.  It seems heated, but the conversation never really gets to the crux of the matter -- only that one wants to write a book, and the other wants him to leave part of it out.  Later they discover that the men are an ex-boyfriend of Ingrid's, named Nestor, and the other is a professor, Eilert.  But are they suspects in Ingrid's death?  

Pamela soon discovers that not everyone was a fan of the woman -- including another neighbor, who hated Ingrid's garden because it caused her allergies to surge.  Is that enough to kill?  The neighbor on the other side, Coco, seemed to like Ingrid.  However, Pamela isn't ruling anyone out, and when something else occurs, Pamela wonders if the two incidents have anything to do with each other.  With the stakes raised, it's only a matter of time, but Pamela needs to put the pieces together sooner rather than later to find the truth...

This is the twelfth book in the series and I have read them all.  I do think the stories have progressed, and I liked the storyline of this book, which basically centered around the murder (as it should) leaving the subplots as interesting, but not interrupting the solving of the crime.

Finding the killer was the main, and there are clues throughout the story, although they aren't easy to find, nor to put together.  We discover that Ingrid -- although already deceased by the time the story begins -- was a multi-faceted woman, who loved her art yet had secrets of her own that she didn't wish to be revealed.  But in death, they usually are, right?

It is in this that we look into why the murder occurred, and the reasons aren't easy to discover.  I must say that I didn't know who the murderer was until the time that Pamela had it all figured out, so it came as a surprise, and I enjoyed that immensely.  I do love mysteries, but sometimes it is easy to find out who did the deed; in this case, it was not.

The reasons, as they were, are rather sad, yet murder itself is also sad.  In the end, the story was woven nicely and all threads came together at the end, leaving us an intriguing picture that left me feeling satisfied with the story.  I eagerly await the next in the series.  (There are also a couple of yummy recipes that I intend to try).  Recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Wool-Testament-Nibble-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DCK79XWP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7403004892

More on Peggy Ehrhart's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/peggy-ehrhart/

Chillers, Thrillers and Killers:

 Radio and Film Noir

Author:  Frank Krutnik

Genre:    History/Entertainment

Hardcover; Paperback: Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781978836396

Rutgers University Press

286 Pages

$120.00; $120.00; $39.95 Amazon

May 13, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Film Noir is one of the most exciting and most debated products of studio-era Hollywood, but did you know that American radio broadcast many programs in the noir vein through the 1940s and 1950s?  These included adaptations of such well-known films as The Maltese Falcon, Murder, My Sweet, and Double Indemnity,  detective series devoted to the adventures of private eyes Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, and the spine-tingling anthology programs Lights Out and Suspense.  Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers  is the first book to explore in detail noir storytelling on the two media, arguing that radio's noir dramas played an important role as a counterpart to, influence on, or a spin-off from the noir films.  Besides shedding new light on long-neglected radio dramas, and a medium that was cinema's major rival, this scrupulously researched yet accessible study also uses these programs to challenge conventional understandings of the much-debated topic of noir.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽ 

I wanted to read this book because I love mysteries, any way that I can get them.  I have never heard a mystery on the radio, but I've seen them in movies, and I've always wondered about what life was like before television, when radio was the only medium in one's home.  I've seen old photos with the huge radios, and I remember that my uncle had a floor-length one, and as a toddler I was completely fascinated with all the buttons and channels that it could receive.

I consider myself a crime buff -- I love Film Noir, true crime, and books about crime/mysteries, etc.  So naturally I am drawn to anything that has anything to do with it, and this book explains it all, and more.  The author parses the films and explains them, as he does the radio versions, and, as a side note, the endings are revealed.  I have seen everything in this book, so no surprises there, but I just thought others should know as they read it.  As far as classic films go, I own thousands of them.  So, I think that I'm a pretty good judge of books of this genre, I add humbly.

But I was not young enough -- we had a television (albeit black and white) and were relegated to watch what was on the mere channels that we received at that time.  (Here I am again aging myself!)  When I learned that many popular actors lent their voices to the mysteries they starred in, in the films, to the voice on the radio, I found it intriguing; for why would a highly paid actor do this?  It wasn't until later that I understood, and yet I am still fascinated by the issue and would love to be able to hear a real radio broadcast as it was.  So far, I have only listened to the well-known War of the Worlds with Orson Welles.  It is not enough.

But here we have a full-length book to explain to us how important radio was to people; and the films on which the programs were based.  We learn the differences (for most programs were only half an hour or a tad longer; not two hours as the films); and they were done in episodes, so you did not get the entire play in one sitting, as you would a movie.  Or they would condense a film to a thirty-minute time slot, abridging it.  You could not show scenes, so you had to describe them, and for that, you sometimes needed to change the scene so that it would fit the timeline or "show" better on the radio.

I will take my favorite Film Noir picture as an example: Laura.  No matter how many times I watch it (and I do watch it often), I am fascinated by the actors, the scenes, their faces, reactions, and everything about it.  But obviously, we can show none of that on the radio.  So even if all the actors lent their voices to the radio version (which they often do not), there is still the problem of people being able to imagine what is going on in a vast space that they cannot see.

How do you show a detective that has just fallen in love with the painting of a dead woman?  How do you show the snideness of a man who loved that woman and discovers the detective staring at it?  All this and more is explained in the book, and it brings to life what people heard long ago as they sat around the radio in their living rooms.  Watch an old movie, and you might even catch a glimpse of people doing this.

As a bonus, we are shown old movie posters of these films, and actual cuts of the movies themselves.  It gives you something that you can connect to both, and I will say that this book does a good job of connecting film to radio programs and how the public reacted to it; the screenwriters, and the actors themselves who filled the roles.  I also learned trivia such as Jeff Chandler (a wonderful actor) filled the radio role of Michael Shayne, along with the original player, Lloyd Nolan.  There are bits like this throughout the book.

Anyone who is interested in media history, entertainment, Hollywood of long ago, or is just a curious viewer like myself, will find this book of value.  I will say that Film Noir is the best of classic films, and the author does a wonderful job in this book.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could purchase an old antique radio and it came 'loaded' with all these programs?  Ah, well.  Read this book!  Recommended.  

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss but this in no way influenced my review.

Now I think I'm going to sit down and watch Rebecca again...

https://www.amazon.com/Thrillers-Chillers-Killers-Radio-Film-ebook/dp/B0DDY5CH42/ref=

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7375569355

Tea with Jam & Dread

 Tea By The Sea Mysteries Book 6

Author:    Vicki Delany

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496747303

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$27.00; $12.99 Amazon

July 29, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cape Cod tearoom owner Lily Roberts leaves New England for old England to attend a party for an aristocratic centenarian -- but what goes on there is anything but noble...

Long ago, Lily's grandmother Rose worked as a kitchen maid at Thornecroft Castle, and now Elizabeth, dowager countess of Frockmorton, is celebrating her one hundredth birthday.  Rose still has fond feelings for her onetime employer, so a group trip to Yorkshire is planned.  It's also an opportunity for Lily to visit her boyfriend, who's currently working in England -- and to indulge in some British tea.

Much has changed, however, and the ancestral home is now a hotel, which will be closed for a week to accommodate the big bash, much to the chagrin of Elizabeth's grandson, Julien -- leading Lily to overhear an argument among the younger generation about the fate of the family fortune.  Little do they know that Elizabeth plans to sell the famous Frockmorton Sapphires out of the family for the first time in centuries...

The icing on the cake comes when the jewels suddenly vanish -- and things really go nuts when a party guest dies from an allergic reaction to almonds that someone smuggled into Lily's coronation chicken sandwiches.  Now she'll have to scour the property to find out who would commit murder in such a manor...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lily Roberts owns a tearoom on Cape Cod, and her grandmother Rose owns the neighboring B&B, which they have closed down for a week so that Rose can attend a birthday celebration in England for her old employer, Lady Elizabeth Crawford, dowager countess of Frockmorton.  Along with them is Lily's best friend Bernie, who will be visiting her boyfriend Matt Goodwell, a writer who is researching his next novel in England.

At a pub, Bernie and Lily overhear a family argument, and later learn that these are Elizabeth's grandchildren, and all of them (or most) are worried about what Elizabeth is going to do with her fortune.  Even though they have turned the ancestral home into a hotel, they have also closed it for the week for the birthday.

Elizabeth and Rose's reunion is a happy one, as they grew to be friends when Rose was working as a kitchen maid and Elizabeth was the countess.  Despite their opposite statuses, they grew close and are still so to this day.  When Elizabeth arrives at the party wearing the Frockmorton Sapphires, everyone is in awe.  Beautiful, ostentatious, but still overwhelming.  And when Elizabeth wants to show Bernie, Lily, and Rose the sapphires privately, they discover them missing.

But even more disturbing is when one of the party guests collapses at tea, and is later declared dead.  But the worst part is it seems it was the chicken coronation sandwich that they ate -- and was prepared by Lily herself.  Now she's a suspect in the murder, along with a several others.  Calling her boyfriend Simon, who is working nearby but has taken a holiday, he arrives to help her find the person who committed the crime.

Even if the local police ask her to stay away, they seem to know that she won't, having investigated her past and discovering that she's involved herself in other murders.  Yet Lily has an innate curiosity that won't let go, even as she's worried about a killer in hotel, her relationship with Simon, and who stole the sapphires.  Will she discover the truth, or will she be put on ice forever?...

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read them all.  I do try to write reviews without giving away any spoilers, and this one is no different.  Lily is lost in England, mostly by the different driving methods, but still...and she doesn't know how to go about asking questions without it seeming like a true inquiry to the murder.  Yet she wants to clear her name, and it won't be easy as she doesn't know these people, and many of them are related to Elizabeth, whom she herself has grown fond of in the short time she's known her.

But Lily does what she does best, and with the help of others around her, she perseveres until she gets to the truth.  And the truth isn't what anyone would expect, nor want to know in the long run.  Yet sometimes truth is strange, and sometimes killers aren't what you expect them to be.  But in the end, Lily finds out a bit more about herself, and has something to look forward to when she returns to the states.

I urge you not to have a peek at the ending, as you will enjoy this book more if you read it straight through.  The final clue comes and should you find it, you will find the murderer as well.  I loved this book and look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Jam-Dread-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0DLQMLB1T/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7348701427

More on Vicki Delany's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/vicki-delany/

Puzzled 4 Murder

 A Sophie Kimball Mystery Book 14

Author:    J.C. Eaton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781966322016

Beyond The Page Publishing

216 Pages

$14.99; $5.99 Amazon

February 25, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's a blistering hot summer in Sun City West, and members of the retirement community are happy to escape into the air-conditioned bliss of the library to work on a mammoth forty-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.  But things begin heating up inside, too, when members clash with the domineering head of the puzzle committee over which puzzle to solve -- until someone settles the matter by killing her.  Now it's up to Sophie "Phee" Kimball to put all the pieces of the murder plot together and catch the culprit responsible.

Any number of the jigsaw afficionados could have wanted the victim out of the picture for her personality alone, but Phee suspects there was a more sinister motive behind the murder.  Then the chosen puzzle and the library itself are struck by one instance of sabotage after another, and Phee's convinced that someone is sending a menacing message.  But just as she unearths a telling clue and slots it into place, she finds herself in a race against time to finish the puzzle and solve the case -- before the killer goes to pieces and finishes her off too...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie "Phee" Kimball-Gregory is married to Marshall Gregory, who works for Nate's private investigator agency as one of the investigators.  Phee is their accountant, and unfortunately, her mother Harriet thinks that there are always murderers around the corner.  Also unfortunately, she's usually right, which puts Phee in the position of having to give her 'tasks' to do to keep her out of the murder investigation.

This time out, the Sun City West retirees are taking part in constructing a giant forty-thousand-piece puzzle, and the finished product is going to be in the Senior Living magazine.  But not everyone is happy about this: the puzzle that they're constructing is a last-minute replacement, since the three original choices no one wanted to do (seriously?  A snowstorm?)  This is an innocuous picture of an Arizona street...or is it?

It doesn't help that the body of one of the committee members is discovered in the library and Nate's firm is called in by the police to help investigate.  Or that Nate is contacted by a woman who claims another woman killed her husband twenty years ago and she knows who it is, but not where she is now.  Phee's task is to keep her mother away from both investigations, if possible...and it isn't...

Then when 'accidents' keep occurring at the library around the puzzle, and threatening messages are left, even Phee knows that something is off.  Someone does not want that puzzle completed, but why?  Harriet is determined that she and her friends finish it, because she's not giving up the chance to be in Senior Living.  At least she's not able to bring her Chiweenie Streetman to the library.  That's the best news Phee's heard in a long time.  The 'little prince' causes chaos, and Phee has enough of that right now.

But when a major clue is revealed on air, and something else is discovered, not only does it upend everything, it puts Phee right in the middle of it.  And not only does she not want to be, she wants to be as far away as possible...which isn't going to happen...

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and I have read them all.  I have also loved them all.  The author(s) have done a wonderful job in the character department.  Harriet and her friends are a riot, especially Herb and her loony Aunt Ina.  Poor Phee is the voice of reason -- that none of them listen to anyway.  

Things get going right from the beginning, and it seems there are two murders to solve, both of which get Phee drawn into.  In this book, I figured out most of it before the middle, but I love reading about Harriet and her antics, and Phee's attempts to rein her in, which make the book the most fun ever.

Reading this series makes you want to sit back and watch the action, because you know you don't want to be anywhere near the scary seniors, who think they're actual sleuths (they're not).  There's always something going on, and it is a great enjoyment to read.  The ending comes and it's way too soon; when we find the murderer the motives are given, and as old as time (as they all are everywhere).  It's a funny climax and I couldn't ask for more.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Puzzled-Murder-J-C-Eaton-ebook/dp/B0DW13VXZQ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7333614691

More on J.C. Eaton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/j-c-eaton/

Mervyn LeRoy Comes To Town

 Author:    Murray Pomerance/R. Barton Palmer

Genre:     Biography/Entertainment

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781978838383; 9781978838376

Rutgers University Press

276 Pages

$120.00; $39.95; $39.95 Amazon

May 13, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mervyn LeRoy Comes To Town is the first book devoted to the career of one of the director/producers who in the early years of sound cinema was instrumental in establishing the Hollywood model of production that would endure for more than half a century.  As a director and producer, LeRoy was responsible for turning out more than sixty feature films in a career that spanned five decades; as a studio executive, he contributed substantially to the success of the industry during the challenging period of the Depression and also in the period of realignment and readjustment that followed the end of World War II.  This book offers chapters devoted to individual films such as Little Caesar, Waterloo Bridge, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, Gypsy, and Quo Vadis.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I will tell you that I love classic films.  I own thousands of them, and don't even watch today's movies.  It was the old Hollywood that turned out true actors and actresses, producers and directors.  The studios were the main crux of it all, and they wielded their power.  It was then that movies defined what Hollywood was, and my fascination with it has never waned.

Saying that, I was excited to read this book.  Since I already own Mervyn LeRoy's biography, I wanted to see what the author(s) could contribute to this wonderful director.  They do not parse all of his films; they choose carefully the best of them, and proceed to examine each part, showing us what LeRoy filmed.  Like all people, we watch films for entertainment, and never even think of what is behind each scene or actor's motions.

I, however, love to watch the actors as their face shows what is going on behind it.  In most cases, you can see the change in emotion as they go through different situations, and no one is more powerful at this than the late actor Paul Muni.  He has a face that shows what he is thinking, and you will find this in LeRoy's film I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.  This film was controversial when it was made (1932); but the authors are able to examine the film from all angles, and dissect it for the layperson who wishes to know more of LeRoy's intentions.  It was definitely interesting to see the film from a different perspective, and I will watch it again with this in mind.

The reason I chose this film is the fact that it is the picture on the cover of this book, with Mr. Muni front and center.  He was a wonderful actor, but made too few films, in my opinion.  However, back to Mr. LeRoy: he was a wonderful director, and began as an actor, but fortunately, his career went in a different direction.  He started out like gangbusters (a trite phrase, I know, but appropriate), and made films that today people may not have seen, but should.  One, Playing Around, is one of my favorites.  I don't know if it was deliberate, but the last scene is actually my favorite.  Chester Morris is superb in his role, and LeRoy made a great film.  Unfortunately, it is not one of the ones that is featured, but when you read the book, I do hope that you make the effort to see LeRoy's films.

If you start with one, make it Little Caesar with the great Edward G. Robinson.  Given the material and LeRoy's directing skills, the two make a magnificent film.  The authors break the film down for you, and in the end, you want to watch the film again.  

Since reading this book, I myself have checked the airwaves to see if any are airing, and have recently pulled up one from my own catalog.  Seeing LeRoy through new eyes was definitely a huge plus for me.  All in all, I think that anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood would be interested in this book.

To add, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I must tell you that there are spoilers in the book.  While they do a very nice job of making us see things through LeRoy's eyes, they also give away the ending of each movie they write about.  I caution you this so that you can see the movie before reading the book; and please, do yourself a favor and do both.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss, but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Mervyn-LeRoy-Comes-Murray-Pomerance/dp/1978838387/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7309267296

More on The Authors:    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33501.Murray_Pomerance

                                        https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/28118.R_Barton_Palmer

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg

A Domestic  Diva Mystery Book 18

Author:    Krista Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN:    9781496743459

Kensington Cozies

320 Pages

$27.00; $12.99 Amazon

May 27, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stylish brunches are all the rage this autumn in Old Town Alexandria, and everyone's posting their parties on social media.  But while Domestic Diva Sophie Winston juggles her event-filled calendar, she's approached by local designer Mitzi Lawson -- who is afraid someone is following her.  The very next day Mitzi loses her best friend and business partner, Denise.  The two were renovating a generations-old house where Denise died unexpectedly, and Mitzi fears that it wasn't a medical condition to blame, but murder.

It could just be the shock talking, but Sophie agrees to help Mitzi involve the police.  Then she receives a panicked phone call from Mitzi, and when she rushes to the old house, Mitzi is nowhere to be found.  Now Sophie's appetite for investigation is piqued even more than her appetite for eggs Benedict and mimosas.

Could Denise's death be connected to her viper's nest of in-laws or the house she was working on which her husband just inherited?  What of the self-proclaimed etiquette expert with some improper secrets, or the scheming mistress?  Or does the old house harbor secrets of its own?  There's a generous buffet of suspects to keep the Diva scrambling for an answer...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Domestic Diva Sophie Winston is awaiting autumn, when two events cloud the atmosphere: first, her "frenemy" Natasha wants to hold a brunch at her home (which Natasha has always coveted) and insists that Sophie must be there, as it is to be filmed, and the person who is putting it on the air won't do it unless Sophie appears.  Feeling strong-armed by Natasha, she nevertheless agrees, but only on her terms.  

Then an interior decorator named Mitzi Lawson wants to meet with Sophie at a house she and her business partner Denise are renovating, Sophie is curious enough about it to agree.  But when Sophie arrives at the house, she finds the body of Denise, and figures out soon enough that Denise was murdered.  Things escalate when no one can find Mitzi, and Denise's wealthy relatives ask Sophie to investigate, since they know of her reputation for solving mysteries.

Reluctantly, she agrees.  Which might be a mistake, since when there is another encounter with the unknown killer, Sophie could very well be the second -- or third person to die...

This is the 18th book in the series and I have to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Sophie grow and stand up to Natasha (which she did not do in book #1).  She's finally come into her own, happy with her life, friends with her ex-husband (and I am sure they are both still extremely fond of each other), and spends her off-time solving the occasional murder.  That's a full life, and more than I want in my own.  (I'm happy to watch and read about murders, but no thank you, very much).

Sophie has a lot going on here, with trying out recipes for brunch, dodging the figurative bullet, and trying to figure out who wanted Denise dead.  But things aren't as easy as sifting through suspects to find out who the murderer is.  There is a lot more detail, and when some of it comes to light, you think you have the right answer.  But it doesn't end there, and it takes a strange turn that is completely unexpected to decipher why the murder happened, and who the killer ultimately is.

In the end, this was another lively mystery by Ms. Davis that tells a story and shows us how everything comes together tightly in the end.  I thoroughly enjoyed the tale; the characters, and all the little quirks between them to come to a delightful end.  There are also some yummy recipes at the back (which I want to try).  Recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Diva-Poaches-Domestic-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0DFRXP333/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7262905384

More on Krista Davis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/krista-davis/

Sealed With a Hiss

 A Mrs. Murphy Mystery Book 33

Author:    Rita Mae Brown

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780593874080

Bantam

240 Pages

$30.00; $13.99 Amazon

April 22. 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When a decades-forgotten car bobs to the surface of a local creek, with a body still in the driver's seat, it's up to Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her beloved cats and dogs to save the say, in this latest mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown.

Spring is in full bloom, and everything is blossoming just right for Harry in Crozet, Virginia.  Restorations to the long-shutted segregated school are nearly complete, and the school will be renamed to commemorate an important community member.  To honor the former students, Harry and her friends are hard at work planning a reunion.  It's a big affair, and the crew spends their days hanging plaques at the gym, arranging food, and writing speeches.

But the fifteen acres behind the school are enticing for more than just a school reunion.  One realtor soon reveals plans to buy the land and build over it -- unless the crew can find a way to stop the sale. 

In their search to prevent the purchase, they come across something unexpected: a dead body, which might not be the first to show up this season.  With a little aid from Tee Tucker the corgi and Irish Wolfhound Pirate, as well as feline sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, Harry just might have a chance at solving this mystery and preventing the land purchase once and for all.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

'Harry' Harristeen and her friends have just finished renovating the old segregated school, which has stood vacant for decades, and their hard work is finally rewarded.  Now they're going to open the school to visitors (and hopefully, donors) to help keep it in shape and as a historic and cultural reminder.  But then a real estate agent approaches them with a tasty offer of cash if they will agree to sell the land behind the school for a residential development.  He even promises to keep the school and grounds as it, and that the development will be good for both residents and the town of Crozet.

But something doesn't sit right with the offer, and Harry's instincts are telling her to turn it down.  Even when done, the agent still pushes, but no one understands why.  It doesn't help that Harry and her friend Lucas have found an old car at the bottom of a lake, and its owner is still inside, albeit a skeleton at this time.

But there are no clues to why the person was there -- until it's found he was murdered.  Now Harry wants to find out why...if she can keep from becoming another victim...

This is the thirty-third book in the series, and I have been captivated by it for years.  I'm not going to lie; I do miss the historical elements from the Colonial times which once were in every book; but I also realize not everyone is like myself and enjoys the past mingled with the present.  Ah, well....

However, it doesn't change the fact that Ms. Brown (and Sneaky Pie) are very talented writers.  She brings you into the story, and while she is telling it, you feel like you are part of the conversation.  Perhaps eavesdropping on those she has with Susan or Cooper...but I enjoy it just the same.  While Harry is voicing her thoughts, we progress along with the action, and even her husband Fair has a good part in this one as well.

Not to mention our favorite animals: Tucker, Pirate, Mrs. Murphy, and, of course, Pewter.  They have their own say in the story, and their own actions which prove to be just as valuable.  We understand that while they like their treats, they are extremely loyal to their people, and would do anything for Harry.

When we begin to understand that this murder is more than just about a land development, it comes almost too late for Harry; but we know that as intelligent as she is, she is also just as resourceful, and has help that we find comes from an unexpected new ally.  

The reason for the murder is rather sad, and a bit paranoiac, but nonetheless it is a murder.  Harry does what she needs to survive; and all ends just as it should.  The mystery is firm, well-written, and kept me reading throughout the story.  I highly recommend this and look forward to the next in the series.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Sealed-Hiss-Mrs-Murphy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D9XWF7YZ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7211464009

More on Rita Mae Brown's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/rita-mae-brown/