Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Claws and Effect by Rita Mae Brown

I picked up the ninth Mrs. Murphy mystery books by Rita Mae Brown because I needed something light. After Lionel Shriver and P. D. James I wanted something that didn't make me think deep thoughts. This book was effective for that. It was a light, breezy read.
I enjoy reading about the Crozet/Charlottesville area because I can relate to it. I like the dialogue between the animals and their environmental messages that shine through.
However, I'm getting somewhat tired of this series. I feel like Brown has kept them going because they're a cash cow. Each story she has a novel problem to solve, but they have become formulaic. And in this one the denouement was flat. There was no real surprise, no real expectation. The mystery was solved, the story was over.
I'll read the other Mrs. Murphy books because they're sitting on my shelf and because a light mystery is a nice break from time to time, but I'm no longer heavily engaged in the series.

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