Rita Mae Brown

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Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

New York

When a popular University of Virginia history professor is found murdered, Harry and her furry entourage disregard the confession of a homeless alum and look for clues in the victim's research about Virginia's Revolutionary past. By the best-selling author of the Mags Rogers series.

EX-LIBRARY, FIRST EDITION Tail Gait, Mrs Murphy Mystery 24 of 33 [written by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown]

62e8f140-01fa-432e-bf51-eb5fe978c97f-1

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

Minnesota

Memoir of a Literary Rabble-Rouser

When Rita Mae Brown writes, people often end up laughing out loud.  So naturally, when the bestselling author of Rubyfruit Jungle, Venus Envy, and the Mrs. Murphy mystery series writes about her own life, it's a hoot, a rollicking ride with an independent, opinionated woman who changed literary history--the first openly lesbian writer to break into the mainstream.  Now, in Rita Will, she tells all...and tells it hilariously.

It is often said that the best comedy springs from hard times.  And Rita Mae Brown has seen plenty of those.  In this irresistibly readable memoir, she recounts the drama of her birth as the illegitimate daughter of a flighty blue blood who left her in an orphanage.  The sickly baby was quickly rescued by relatives eager to adopt her but afraid she would not survive the long journey home.  Her determination to live, and shock everyone by doing it, has become a metaphor for her entire life.

Though raised by these loving adoptive parents and a wacky host of other interfering kin, Rita Mae Brown learned early on to be tough and to speak her mind.  It was her refusal to be anything but herself that often brought her the most trouble.  Here she tells of her tempestuous relationship with her adoptive mother, the mythic Juts of the novels Six of One and Bingo, who called her "the ill," for illegitimate, whenever she lost her temper, and who swore she'd introduce Rita Mae to the social graces, including the dreaded cotillion, even if it killed them both.

Here, too, Rita Mae reveals how her headstrong support of social causes almost cost her a hard-earned education and her outspokenness in the early days of the women's movement got her drummed out of NOW, and how the release of her first novel, the scandalous classic Rubyfruit Jungle, made her an overnight phenomenon--the most famous openly gay person in America--and took her from the heights of the New York Times bestseller list to the surreal playhouse that is Hollywood.

Through it all, Rita Mae has drawn strength from her profound bond with animals, from her abiding affection for the South and its native tongue, and from the great passions of her life.  She writes with close-to-the-bone honesty about woman-woman love...including her love-at-first-sight relationship with a popular actor and her headline-making romance with tennis great Martina Navratilova.  With her trademark humor, she unflinchingly bares her own flaws, flouting public opinion yet displaying the unflappable good sense that shows through everything she writes.

A look into a woman's mind and a writer's irrepressible spirit, Rita Will is quintessential Rita Mae Brown--a book that feels like a kick-your-shoes-off visit with an old friend.

Rita Will

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Old sticker on the back, signs of age/wear. Smoke free home. Some highlights inside

Michigan

Ohio

When the body of a murdered woman is discovered naked and bound to an equine statue, Sister Jane discovers a link between the victim and a respected member of the Jefferson Hunt Club, but her investigation is complicated when another beautiful woman turns up dead after a hunt day and her determination to catch a killer finds her suddenly fighting to save her own life. 50,000 first printing.

The Tell-Tale Horse

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Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Horrified when her beloved husband dies while making love to her sister, Cig Blackwood ventures into the woods and emerges in 1699, a period that she grows to love before she is harshly returned to the present.

Riding Shotgun

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A Mrs. Murphy Mystery

In this fast-paced mystery by Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her animal friends seek to solve a whodunit rooted in eighteenth-century Virginia--uncovering a shocking secret that refuses to stay buried.
 
TALL TAIL
 
At any moment a perfect summer day in Crozet, Virginia--nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains--might turn stormy and tempestuous, as Harry knows too well when a squall suddenly sweeps in. In a blink, Harry's pickup nearly collides with a careening red car that then swerves into a ditch. Harry recognizes the dead driver slumped over the vehicle's steering wheel: Barbara Leader was nurse and confidante to former Virginia governor Sam Holloway.
 
Though Barbara's death is ruled a heart attack, dissenting opinions abound. After all, she was the picture of health, which gives Harry and her four-legged companions pause. A baffling break-in at a local business leads Harry to further suspect that a person with malevolent intent lurks just out of sight: Something evil is afoot.
 
As it happens, Barbara died in the shadow of the local cemetery's statue of the Avenging Angel. Just below that imposing funereal monument lie the remains of one Francisco Selisse, brutally murdered in 1784. Harry's present-day sleuthing draws her back to Virginia's slave-holding past and the hunt for Selisse's killer. Now it's up to Harry and her furry detectives--Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker--to expose the bitter truth, even if it means staring into the unforgiving eyes of history and cornering a callous killer poised to pounce.

Praise for the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
 
"As feline collaborators go, you couldn't ask for better than Sneaky Pie Brown."--The New York Times Book Review
 
"Mrs. Murphy mysteries are fun, sweet, and beautifully adventurous."--Bustle
 
"Brown [is] the queen of the talking animal cozy."--Publishers Weekly

Tall Tail

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Missouri

A mysterious death in a Virginia farm town has the locals scratching their heads--while frisky feline Mrs. Murphy and her friends, fat-cat Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker, uncover clues as they curl their way around a cold-blooded killer.

This balmy summer in Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has a lot to think about. Things have been pretty cozy between her and her ex-husband, Fair and her beloved old post office is in danger of being replaced with a modern building--and modern rules. Harry's thoughtful contemplation is shattered the day she stumbles over a dead body near Potlicker Creek. Barry Monteith, the handsome local horse breeder, has been savagely murdered. A true ladies' man, Barry was known to have left a string of broken hearts behind him. But could a spurned lover be responsible for his untimely demise?

The plot only thickens when an autopsy reveals that Barry was infected with rabies weeks before he was killed. As usual, Harry can't resist doing a little digging--with Mrs. Murphy close by to warn of approaching danger. Harry makes a remarkable discovery in the creek--the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who disappeared thirty years earlier along with her prized Thoroughbred stallion. Like Barry, Mary Pat was a successful horse breeder--and now all of Crozet is wondering if the two cases are linked. As the police struggle with the evidence, the pressure gets hotter than a June afternoon--especially when another person is found dead of less-than-natural causes. As usual, Mrs. Murphy and her crew are the first to sniff out the truth.

But if they don't find a way to help Harry piece together the puzzle, she could become the killer's next target--and even Mrs. Murphy's slinkiest moves won't be able to save her.

Whisker of Evil

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My Life with Creatures Great and Small

This heartfelt memoir from bestselling author Brown celebrates the animals who have loved, endured, and taught her, and showcases her bottomless love for them in return. b&w photos throughout.

Animal Magnetism

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"Mrs Murphy's fourth caper will be lapped up like half-and-half by the faithful."--Kirkus Reviews

"The best yet."--Publishers Weekly

The residents of tiny Crozet, Virginia, thrive on gossip, especially in the post office, where Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen presides with her tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy. So when a belligerent Hell's Angel crashes Crozet demanding to see his girlfriend, the leather-clad interloper quickly becomes the chief topic of conversation. Then the biker is found murdered, and everyone is baffled. Well, almost everyone . . . Mrs. Murphy and her friends, Welsh corgi Tee Tucker and overweight feline Pewter, haven't been slinking through alleys for nothing. But can they dig up the truth in time to save their humans from a ruthless killer?

"If you must work with a collaborator, you want it to be someone with intelligence, wit, and an infinite capacity for subtlety--someone, in fact, very much like a cat. . . . It's always a pleasure to visit this cozy world."--The New York Times Book Review

Pay Dirt

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Books cover has a lot of wear and tear and spine is tilting and pages are yellowing.

It takes a cat to write the purr-fect mystery.

Things have been pretty exciting lately in Crozet, Virginia--a little too exciting if you ask resident feline investigator Mrs. Murphy. Just as the town starts to buzz over its Civil War reenactment, a popular local man disappears. No one's seen Tommy Van Allen's single-engine plane, either--except for Mrs. Murphy, who spotted it during a foggy evening's mousing.

Even Mrs. Murphy's favorite human, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, can sense that something is amiss. But things really take an ugly turn when the town reenacts the battle of Oak Ridge--and a participant ends up with three very real bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and her friends sift through clues that just don't fit together, more than a few locals fear that the scandal will force well-hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when Mrs. Murphy's relentless tracking places loved ones in danger, it takes more than a canny kitty and her team of animal sleuths to set things right again....

Cat on the Scent

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A Novel

“Sister” Jane Arnold, esteemed master of the Jefferson Hunt Club, has traveled to Kentucky for one of the biggest events of the season: the Mid-America Hound Show, where foxhounds, bassets, and beagles gather to strut their champion bloodline stuff. But the fun is squelched when immediately after the competition a contestant turns up dead–stripped to the waist and peppered with birdshot. Two weeks later, back in Virginia, a popular veterinarian dies from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sister refuses to believe that her friend killed herself and vows to sniff out the truth. But before she can make real headway, a wealthy pet food manufacturer vanishes during the granddaddy of all canine exhibitions, the Virginia Hound Show. Ever reliant on her “horse sense,” Sister can’t help but connect the three incidents, and what she uncovers will make her blood run colder than the bodies that keep turning up in unexpected places.

Hounded to Death

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The peaceful small town of Crozet, Virginia, is turned upside down by a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that begins to cry tears of real blood, igniting prophecies of terrible things to come, as Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her sleuthing pets become embroiled in uncovering the truth about a local unsolved mystery. Reprint.

Cat's Eyewitness

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Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen is on the hunt for a killer with a deadly green thumb when a day in the garden turns fatal in this exciting new mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown.  

Spring arrives in northern Virginia, and as the ground thaws and the peonies begin to bloom a bright magenta, the women of St. Luke's Lutheran Church prepare for a Homecoming celebration like no other. Harry, Susan Tucker, and their friends are busy planting flowers and trimming hedges to get the church grounds in shape for the big day. 

But a note of a menace mars the beautiful spring: The brewery owned by Janice Childs and Mags Nielsen, two members of the gardening committee, gets robbed, with hundreds of dollars in merchandise taken off their delivery trucks in the dead of night. Is this the work of a random thief? Or is something more sinister afoot?
 
When Jeannie Cordle drops dead at a charity auction, poisoned by a fatal weed, Harry's worst suspicions are confirmed: a killer lurks in their midst, one with a keen understanding of poisonous plants. Although she can't yet prove it, Harry knows the murder is related to the thefts at Bottom's Up Brewery.

With help from her feline sidekicks, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, as well as Tee Tucker the corgi and sweet puppy Pirate, Harry sets out to find the weed in St. Luke's garden--and stop a killer before they can strike again.

Furmidable Foes

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Clean pages
Light wear on dust jacket
Discolored due to age

The acclaimed author of Rubyfruit Jungle and Six Of One retums to Runnymede, Maryland, for an outrageous, poignant, and surprising story of passion, rivalry, and small-town fun. Straddling the Mason-Dixon Line since before the Civil War is Runnymede. And it seems that ever since then, most people in the town have been inherently split: between good and bad, or love and sex, or male and female, or politics and sobriety. Nicole ("Nickel") Smith is in such a dilemma herself--here she is, an avowed lesbian, having an affair that would shock Runnymede as much as it shocks Nickel herself. And her work seems to be going to the dogs, too, when the beloved newspaper where she is an editor is put up for sale. Thank goodness the weekly bingo games still go on, though Nickel is a little weary of playing referee there for the flamboyant Hunsenmeir sisters, Louise and Julia. Nickel's momma, who is now pushing ninety but clawing like cats over handsome newcomer Ed Tutweiler Walters. A parade of townsfolk and kin weave their colorful way through the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs of our heroines, in this spirited novel of the South that appeals as much to the funny bone as to the heart.

Bingo

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At thirty-five, Mary Frazier Armstrong, called "Frazier" by friends and enemies alike, is a sophisticated woman with a thriving art gallery, a healthy bank balance, and an enviable social position. In fact, she has everything to live for, but she's lying in a hospital bed with a morphine drip in her arm and a life expectancy measured in hours. "Don't die a stranger," her assistant says on her last hospital visit. "Tell the people you love who you are." And so, as her last act on earth, Frazier writes letters to her closest family and friends, telling them exactly what she thinks of them and, since she will be dead by the time they receive the letters, the truth about herself: she's gay. The letters are sent. Then the manure hits the fan in Charlottesville, Virginia, because the funny thing is, Frazier Armstrong isn't going to die after all.

Venus Envy

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Mississippi

Mrs. Murphy digs into Virginia history--and gets her paws on a killer.

The most popular citizen of Virginia has been dead for nearly 170 years. That hasn't stopped the good people of tiny Crozet, Virginia, from taking pride in every aspect of Thomas Jefferson's life. But when an archaeological dig of the slave quarters at Jefferson's home, Monticello, uncovers a shocking secret, emotions in Crozet run high--dangerously high.

The stunning discovery at Monticello hints a hidden passions and age-old scandals. As postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and some of Crozet's Very Best People try to learn the identity of a centuries-old skeleton--and the reason behind the murder--Harry's tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her canine and feline friends attempt to sniff out a modern-day killer. Mrs. Murphy and corgi Tee Tucker will stick their paws into the darker mysteries of human nature to solve murders old and new--before curiosity can kill the cat--and Harry Haristeen.

Murder at Monticello

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Florida

"Returning to Virginia's post-revolutionary history and to characters introduced in Tail Gait, the story follows the Garth sisters and their husbands, neighbors to a brutal slaveholder whose murder at the hands of one of his slaves is neither unexpected nor unwarranted, especially when the impetus was an attack on that slave's wife. The sisters manage to smuggle the fugitive to safety in York, Pennsylvania, while ensuring that the circumstances underlying the entire ordeal stay long buried. Until now. Harry and her animal companions come closer to drawing a link between the past and the present. And in this centuries-spanning caper, they will discover that hiding who you really are may have mortal consequences.... As the questions surrounding"--

South Dakota

From New York Times-bestselling author Brown comes a delightfully suspenseful and engaging new mystery featuring Sister Jane Arnold, Master of Foxhounds.

Illinois

In this thrilling new foxhunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown, an investigation into a missing and valuable object flushes out murder, ghosts, and old family rivalries. Now "Sister" Jane Arnold and a pack of four-legged friends must catch the scent of a killer and unearth a long-buried truth.

As the calendar turns, the crisp October winds bode well for this year's hunting season. But before the bugle sounds, Sister Jane takes a scenic drive up the Blue Ridge Mountains for a board meeting at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. Brimming with colorful stories and mementos from hunts of yore, the mansion is plunged into mystery when a venerable hunting horn is stolen right out of its case. The only clue, on a left-behind cell phone, is what seems to be a "selfie" video of the horn's original owner, Wesley Carruthers--deceased since 1954.

Odder still, Wesley's body was never found. When Sister makes a discovery that may explain his unsolved disappearance, it leads her back to the Jefferson Hunt at midcentury, with her faithful hounds at her side. But as the clues quickly mount, Sister is no longer sure if she's pursuing a priceless artifact, a thief, Wesley's killer . . . or a ghost. The only certainty is that someone wants to put Sister off the chase--perhaps permanently.

Teeming with familiar and beloved characters, intrigue, and the rich local history of Virginia's horse country, Crazy Like a Fox races toward its stunning conclusion in full cry and packed with plenty of surprises. Once again, Rita Mae Brown dazzles and delights in her irresistible style, with a novel readers are certain to be crazy about.

Praise for Crazy Like a Fox

"If you can pick up Crazy Like a Fox and recognize the voices of Comet, a wise old gray fox; Dasher, a hound at the top of his game; and Golliwog, a snippy calico cat, you qualify as a member of the pack that surrounds Sister Jane Arnold, Master of Jefferson Hunt and the sleuth in Rita Mae Brown's enchanting novels set in the Virginia horse country. . . . Just the kind of story that adds to the charm of Brown's whimsical mysteries, with their thrilling hunts and intelligent animals."--The New York Times Book Review
 
"Brown's animal characters, including horses, hounds, and foxes, have as much to say as the people, and Brown never misses an opportunity to interject her own social commentary. This will appeal . . . to fans of Brown's Sneaky Pie novels."--Publishers Weekly

Crazy Like a Fox

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Utah

It’s no secret that cats are a mystery writer’s best friend. Just ask the bestselling team of Rita Mae Brown and her furry partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, back on the prowl with another unforgettable whodunit. This time a controversial miracle in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains sparks religious fervor–and a suspicious death. Now the indefatigable felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with the dogged corgi Tee Tucker, must trust their animal instincts to sniff out the worst of human nature.... With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood. Legend has it that Mary’s crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn’t foresee is murder.… When Susan’s great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There’s just one problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved. Then there’s the shocking revelation of a mystery that has perplexed the citizens of Crozet for ages. With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry’s meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive....

A mysterious death in a Virginia farm town has the locals scratching their heads—while frisky feline Mrs. Murphy and her friends, fat-cat Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker, uncover clues as they curl their way around a cold-blooded killer. This balmy summer in Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen has a lot to think about. Things have been pretty cozy between her and her ex-husband, Fair and her beloved old post office is in danger of being replaced with a modern building—and modern rules. Harry’s thoughtful contemplation is shattered the day she stumbles over a dead body near Potlicker Creek. Barry Monteith, the handsome local horse breeder, has been savagely murdered. A true ladies’ man, Barry was known to have left a string of broken hearts behind him. But could a spurned lover be responsible for his untimely demise? The plot only thickens when an autopsy reveals that Barry was infected with rabies weeks before he was killed. As usual, Harry can’t resist doing a little digging—with Mrs. Murphy close by to warn of approaching danger. Harry makes a remarkable discovery in the creek—the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who disappeared thirty years earlier along with her prized Thoroughbred stallion. Like Barry, Mary Pat was a successful horse breeder—and now all of Crozet is wondering if the two cases are linked. As the police struggle with the evidence, the pressure gets hotter than a June afternoon—especially when another person is found dead of less-than-natural causes. As usual, Mrs. Murphy and her crew are the first to sniff out the truth. But if they don’t find a way to help Harry piece together the puzzle, she could become the killer’s next target—and even Mrs. Murphy’s slinkiest moves won’t be able to save her.

Alaska

Mary Minor Haristeen, postmistress of Crozet, Virginia, joins forces with her willful cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her Welsh corgi, Tucker, to investigate a series of bizarre postcards sent to the town's inhabitants that forecast impending death

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Rita Mae Brown

EX-LIBRARY, FIRST EDITION Tail Gait, Mrs Murphy Mystery 24 of 33 [written by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown]

Rita Mae Brown

Rita Will

Rita Mae Brown

Rita Will

Rita Mae Brown

The Tell-Tale Horse

Rita Mae Brown

Riding Shotgun

Rita Mae Brown

Tall Tail

Rita Mae Brown

Whisker of Evil

Rita Mae Brown

Animal Magnetism

Rita Mae Brown

Pay Dirt

Rita Mae Brown

Cat on the Scent

Rita Mae Brown

Hounded to Death

Rita Mae Brown

Cat's Eyewitness

Rita Mae Brown

Furmidable Foes

Rita Mae Brown

Bingo

Rita Mae Brown

Venus Envy

Rita Mae Brown

Murder at Monticello

Rita Mae Brown

Tall Tail

Rita Mae Brown

Furmidable Foes

Rita Mae Brown

Riding Shotgun

Rita Mae Brown

Hounded to Death

Rita Mae Brown

Crazy Like a Fox

Rita Mae Brown

Cat's Eyewitness

Rita Mae Brown

Whisker of Evil

Rita Mae Brown

Wish You Were Here