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    Tail Gait
    Tail Gait
    Tail Gait
    Audiobook9 hours

    Tail Gait

    Written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

    Narrated by Kate Forbes

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    New York Times bestselling authors Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown continue their fan-favorite Mrs. Murphy cozies with Tail Gait. Here spring comes to Crozet, Virginia, with a bang when a professor is gunned down in broad daylight. Now it's up to kitty sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with crime-solving corgi Tee Tucker, to sniff out the killer.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 26, 2015
    ISBN9781490661933
    Tail Gait

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    Reviews for Tail Gait

    3.5/5

    88 ratings29 reviews

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    • 4/5
      In Tail Gait, Harry and her feline and canine friends are involved in solving the murder of a local historian and friend. Why would anyone want to kill a retired history professor? Is there a connection to the history of the area? I especially enjoyed the historical story that was woven into the mystery. Another great addition to the Mrs. Murphy mysteries.
    • 5/5
      Great fun and a purrfect ending! Thanks for a great ead
    • 3/5
      I do enjoy the Sneaky Pie Brown books, especially the ones, like A Hiss Before Dying, that include a parallel story from early America. For me, it's nostalgic since I spent my elementary years in southern Virginia and, of course, learned a lot of American history there. But foremost, the books tell a good story.
    • 4/5
      A beloved history professor is killed, and the police are investigating everyone in proximity. But to solve this case, they will need to go back some years, actually, a lot of years. In this well-constructed mystery, Rita Mae Brown clearly illustrates that something done decades before can impact the future, in ways unpredicted. Told in past and present times, this mystery is a wondrous tale of war and greed and of true love. Truth, eventually, will come out, one way or another.
    • 4/5
      I did enjoy the historical flashback to the Revolutionary War alternating with present day. I love animal stories and have read others by Ms. Brown that featured the feline detectives. This volume in the series, however, did not give the critters that much story time. I see that other reviewers are actually wondering if Ms. Brown authored this one entirely by herself. It is still a pleasant read. My thanks to the author and LibraryThing for a complimentary copy.
    • 2/5
      Pretty awful, boring as all getout. Seemed like she was just grasping at straws when writing. Maybe it is time to hang up the pen Rita. Really awful book!!!
    • 4/5
      Having read several others in this series, this story was an average one. The writing was okay -- not great, not bad. The plot was comfortingly predictable, which is what a cozy mystery is at times.The truly outstanding part of this book was the illustrations. I loved them!Would I recommend this book to a serious reader? No. But I would recommend it for a little light reading either at bedtime, or as I read it, between doctor appointments.
    • 3/5
      A mystery involving a golf course murder of a former college football player intertwined with a revolutionary era prison camp story. The book has potential, but sadly I have no interest in football, golf, or land ownership. I originally thought tho was a novel by the famous cat mystery writer, so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, there was not nearly enough animal interaction and involvement to keep my attention. As a result, it took me nearly 4 months to finish reading tho piece. I think the story had potential, but my lack of interest in the topic hindered any connection to the story or characters.
    • 1/5
      I expected this book to be a light and airy murder mystery--an easy read. Unfortunately, this book was nearly unreadable. There was no character development, and what I did learn about the characters made me want them all dead--including the animals--and I didn't care who the murderer was. Additionally, the book was deadly dull and painfully slow.
    • 2/5
      Meh. Wanted to listen to a mystery for the 5 hours ride. Bonus that the place I was visiting was the very place discussed in the book, Charlottesville. However, not only did I find the pace ungodly slow, but I figured out "who dunit" earlier than half way. Snore.
    • 4/5
      This was an interesting addition to this series. The usual cast of characters are in evidence, and as usual the mystery part was engrossing. There is a story within the story, which usually I find annoying, but in this case was quite compelling and romantic. I very much enjoyed this story of colonial times. I also found the almost complete lack of political commentary to be quite refreshing after several novels in the series being very heavy handed with the politics. I enjoyed reading this book and think it's one of the better books in a very enjoyable series.
    • 4/5
      This is an ultra cozy series, the 24th in a long-running series, but only the second one of the series I've read.It involves an interesting story of the present day murder of an academic on a golf course, interwoven with the goings on at an American prisoner of war camp during the Revolutionary War.It's a comfortable read. Very nicely done and a series I'd recommend to cozy mystery fans.
    • 4/5
      An interesting addition to the series. The story goes between modern day and the end of the American Revolution, telling parallel stories of the same area. It means you don't get as much daily detail with Harry and her friends, but it is a very interesting back story.
    • 4/5
      A light mystery novel, not so trashy, but also not as fun. Most of the characters are horse-country Virginia aristocrats, and (full disclosure) I am not a fan of that set; everyone is polite and content to a fault, as they would have you see them. A few of the characters are dogs and cats, and I am also not a big fan of over-anthropomorphizing animals. About a third of the novel consists of historical flashbacks to the late 1770s and early 1780s and the Barracks, a prisoner of war camp in Albemarle County during the American Revolution. I actually found this rather interesting and learned a lot about this aspect of the war, however the actual scenes and dialogue during the historical period didn't do much for me.
    • 3/5
      This was a very sweet book. I was surprised by how much the alternate timeline added to the story. I had not expected to enjoy this read as much as I did. The solution was a bit too obvious for me this time around, but over all an enjoyable read. Well done.
    • 3/5
      I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. The background information Ms. Brown provided on the Revolutionary War was thorough and interesting especially as a part of the war that most people wouldn't even think about and isn't learned in schools, however, while it did eventually tie the story line together nearly at the end of the book, I found the flipping back and forth through the periods somewhat distracting. Maybe the history portion could have been integrated into the story in a less distracting manner.I found the story somewhat slow, it took me almost three weeks to get through it. It did keep you guessing as to who was the culprit but not interested enough that I didn't want to put the book down until I had finished it. Somewhat disappointing was the fact that the animals played almost no part in solving the mystery. It was almost as though they were just there, not really necessary to the story line.Not sure if I would read another of these books.
    • 4/5
      For the most part, Professor Greg “Ginger” McConnell is well-liked and well respected. Therefore, his murder shocks the residents of Crozet, Virginia. Like many others, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen liked Ginger and is upset by his death. Soon she finds herself investigating his murder and once again her prying puts her in very real danger.“Tail Gait” is one of the better recent books in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mystery series. Absent from this book is the preachiness that has infected Brown's later books in the series and this allows readers to sit back and enjoy the mystery without feeling like they are being lectured to. The mystery is well done, although I did figure out towards the end of the killer. Interspersed with the current mystery is a story from the Revolutionary War that eventually ties into the current mystery. Brown does an excellent job with this by not only letting readers know what happened to the people in the older story but adding a nice twist that eventually affects the modern-day mystery. The one thing I didn't like about this book is the absence of many of the characters that have been an important part of the series all along - Boom Boom is only mentioned at the beginning of the book, Harry’s husband Fair is absent for most of the book, and Little Mim and Big Mim aren't even mentioned. And this is the second book in which Harry is referred to as Harriet - what's up with that?A few quirks aside, Tail Gait is another nice mystery by Rita Mae Brown.
    • 3/5
      The trademark of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries--and there's been a bundle of 'em over the years--is the appearance and contribution of various and sundry household pets. whose tacit (italicized) conversations are often more enjoyable than that of the books' humans. They're all back again, chasing down the cause of the demise of a UVA history professor.Pluses in this installment are the leaps back to Revolutionary War stories linked to the mystery (the pets "talked" back then, too!) and the beautifully detailed pencil illustrations--those always make me smile. The author also considerately provides a glossary of characters, which, when it's years between readings, is helpful.Not-so-pluses are just a matter of personal taste: sometimes the large cast of characters detracts from enjoyable check-your-brain-at-the-door reading because you have to hit the brakes and figure out who's who. And it's been years since I've read a Sneaky Pie, but it seems to me that the pets, over the course of the series, are more add-ons than essential to the story. Just me. Your results may be different.With all that said, Tail Gait is a fun summer read, especially for fans of the series who know whom and what to expect.
    • 5/5
      I'm not at all a fan of talking animals, but I make an exception for Brown's Mrs. Murphy and "Sister" Jane books. In both, they only communicate with one another and fail to get their ideas across to their humans. In fact, they remind me of a Greek chorus.In this latest adventure some older UVA football players still meet and support one another though at least on has become a homeless alcoholic. They did all hold a certain history professor in high esteem, except for the aforementioned fallen athletic star who was in love with the professor's daughter, but it was a short-lived relationship as the professor broke it up and the ex-footballer blames his ruin on the professor. When the professor, long retired, but still respected in his field is murdered the homeless man is the first suspect. But after he is also murdered another reason Hairy and her animal friends look for another motive. One thing I've never read about is POW camps during the Revolution. There was one in Crozet County that one of the former athletes has made a fortune in restoration and development, always careful to follow the rules of preservation...or so it seems. A great read as usual from Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown.
    • 3/5
      Sneaky Pie and Rita Mae Brown have done it again. They've given us a cozy whodunnit peopled with interesting characters (some old, some new), but with a different twist. In Tail Gait: a Mrs. Murphy Mystery, two story lines unite to make one engaging mystery. Looking for a fun read this summer? I think Tail Gait will fit the bill.
    • 4/5
      Existing fans of Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series will find this latest addition comfortable and yet a bit different. Harry still can't keep her nose out of anything unusual in Crozet, and her animals dig up clues and provide running commentary on the plot and issues of the world. This story intertwines a Revolutionary War drama with the modern mystery. We go back and forth between the tales and the resolution is a bit predictable but final details are not revealed unit the end. The story has the obligatory dealing with social issues and a bit of preaching, but flows well. Fans of the series will want to read this one and it is not a bad starting place if you want to jump in for the first time. I received a copy though the Library Thing Early Reader program in exchange for a review.
    • 3/5
      I love the Sneaky Pie Brown series with Crozet Virginia, but I generally dislike stories that interlink and intersperse different stories of different times and / or places within the same book. This book intersperses the story of Mary Minor Haristeen (Harry) in 2015, with a story of a Revolutionary soldier and the British officer that he captured, ending in 1779. I enjoyed both stories, and they did interconnect in the end, but it will take me another read-through or two before I can interconnect them smoothly enough in my mind that I can thoroughly enjoy the book.The book was engaging enough that I will definitely re-read, but I am not sure how often I will be willing to put forth the effort. Sneaky Pie likes to keep social issues happening now well in mind in the Crozet books, and this book has homelessness and alcoholism as its issues. We meet, and to some degree learn to understand, two homeless men, both of whom are alcoholic. I liked both men. But this continues the stereotype of homelessness as being one of men and unemployable. Although up to 66% of homeless have problems with alcohol, drug abuse, or mental illness, that leaves the other third, or 33% with no such problems. And although 44% of the homeless are men, that is less than half of the homeless population. Families make up 36% of the homeless. In 2014, out of an overall count of 600,000 homeless, 140,000 were children. Almost 6,200 were children, under 18, with no parent or guardian looking out for them. Not well done Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie. Not well done at all.Her legal facts also stretch the point. The developer must have had title insurance, and unless the historian planned on outing him in a direct letter to the government, they would be unlikely to know about it. The statute of limitations was way past on that forgery or fraud. The developer was NOT about to lose billions because of forged bill of sale as far back as 1779. Suspension of disbelief is a wonderful thing. My suspension failed on this one.
    • 5/5
      I haven't read a Mrs. Murphy story for awhile but this story is still as good as it used to be. The dog and cats are still funny and Harry is still getting into trouble by being curious as to what happens to a college professor after he is murdered. It also goes back and forth between current and Revolutionary War times, which has to do with the story. Great story.I was given a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Rita Mae Brown is one of the finest American mystery writers. Along with her feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown, she has written yet another wonderful book featuring “Harry” Harristeen, her cats, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and her ever-loyal corgi, Tee Tucker. Tail Gait, is a stunning, intricately plotted mystery. The author’s love of Virginia and the state’s rich history add vibrant color to the story.For Professor “Ginger” McConnell, an expert in American Revolutionary history, nothing was more important than the search for historical truth. Ginger imbued his love of history in his students, many who became successful businessmen. Respected and well-loved, his murder brings shock and disbelief. After a homeless former student is killed after confessing to Ginger’s murder, Harry and her friends seek the connection between the deaths and the nature of the killer’s motive.Narration alternates between the present and the last few years of The American Revolution. As always, an understanding of the past leads to an understanding of the present. But does the motive for murder lie within McConnell’s studies, or is there another reason for his death?As in all of Rita Mae Brown’s novels, a descriptive list of characters and their backgrounds is placed at the front of the story. This helps the reader to keep track of the large cast of characters from the very beginning. Rita Mae Brown’s focus on detail immerses the reader in the story. The changing landscape of Virginia at the beginning of spring is beautifully described. The experiences of the prisoners of war living at the Barracks during the American Revolution are vividly portrayed. As always, Mrs. Murphy and her furry compatriots add humor and perspective to the plot.It is always a pleasure to read Rita Mae Brown’s books. I have long been an avid reader of the Mrs. Murphy mystery novels. Tail Gait is a winner that will be enjoyed by mystery lovers young and old alike. Tail Gait is available for preorder from Amazon.com, and will be released May 26, 2015.I received a copy of Tail Gait from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.–Crittermom
    • 5/5
      Harry Harrison and her husband Fair, a veterinarian, are attending a dinner with old friends. The next day she caddies on the golf course for her friend Susan, never having found enthusiasm for the game herself. When during the middle of the game it is discovered that there has been a murder - and that the dead man is no less Professor Ginger McConnell, Harry and the others are stunned. After all, didn't she just see him the night before? And doesn't everyone truly like him? You would think so, but obviously someone had a grudge with him, and Harry, her ever-curious nature getting in the way, decides she must help bring the murderer to justice.You see, Harry really can't help it. She just has the type of nature that makes her want to find out the truth, and the reason why. So, against the warnings of her friend and neighbor, Coop, Harry quietly probes the mystery.Then it's discovered that along with the successful alumni of UVA, there was also at least one not-so-successful at all: Frank Cresey, who was once in love with one of Ginger's daughters, Olivia. It seems he hated the professor for breaking up the romance, and Frank blamed him for his fall from grace; he's now a bum living on skid row. It's not too long after the funeral Frank announces he killed Ginger - even if no one takes him seriously, because everyone knows he would not be allowed on a private golf course.Yet the more Harry digs, and the more she finds out, her beloved pets, the cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and her Corgi Tucker, know that they must do whatever it takes to protect their human.Ms. Brown has another winner in this book, a wonderful entry to her series. I can't say how delightful it was to read this. She blends the past with the present so seamlessly that one can't help but be caught up in the story. I truly enjoyed reading as much about the present-day mystery as I did with that entailing the Revolutionary War, and how the two tied together to create a dual mystery. She has a such a knack for tying the two stories together that you would think there not only is historical value in reading this, that indeed the fictional story would have basis in fact.I was especially delighted - and surprised - to find that part of the story involved areas in Pennsylvania, which I know well, and a mention of Hanover (The Shoe Farms, I am sure, since they are well-known for their horses); the town of my husband's birth. A side note, but as delightful as anything anyone reads when mention is made of their (or their spouse's) home. It is always a pleasure when fiction in stories blends along with fact; you seem to get a more intense experience when reading the book.When we finally find out the motive, it was well-hidden until the very end. No clues were given, and I didn't expect there to be. Not even many red herrings along the way. But it all comes together in one solid piece, and gruesome as the ending was, our sharp-witted Harry couldn't have done anything else. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      I had vowed when finished my last Mrs. Murphy book, to never read another - I obviously broke my vow. While this book still doesn't live up to Ms. Browns earlier works, it is much better than the last book of hers I read. This book still tries to 'teach' us good things, but not as forcefully as the last few. There is less politicking and more about history, less about organic farming and the hazards of eating/using non-organics products and more mystery. And thank you Gods and Goddesses for this! This book actually has two stories going on at the same time, and until the ending you may not see the necessity of it. This was quite different reading for me, I really loved the secondary story almost more than the main story involving Harry and her mouthy (not too mouthy this time) animals.There are enough twists to keep me rather engaged in the story and less inclined to put it down to do something else. Again, I still think it isn't on par with her earlier works, but it seems that maybe Ms Brown is taking her readers concerns to heart and doing what she does best.*ARC supplied by publisher.
    • 4/5
      This is a well done story about how actions over two hundred years ago impact on today. Harry’s friend and beloved history professor, Ginger McConnell, has always been interested in the ins and outs of history. The professor had been researching old historical records, land acquisitions, etc. One day, Professor McConnell is murdered while playing a round of golf on the local course. Naturally, Harry and her loyal animal friends become involved in the search for clues about the crime. The story wanders comfortable from today back to Revolutionary War days, where events lead up to this crime. I enjoyed the way the author switched between the two eras seamlessly. Events and character involvement began with a new chapter, but the transition was so well done that I, who really reads historical books, found the history that was interwoven with the crime fascinating and so well done that I barely realized I was reading history. Of course, as usual, Harry’s animal friends all play a significant part in the work on and resolution of this mystery. The only problem with the book for me was the weak crime and motive, which dragged on and on until its solution appeared. I think the two eras and the details the author presented about each and the character I each became a bit much as the book progressed. I enjoyed reading the book, but really saw little build up to the crime solution. Nevertheless, the transition from one era to the next was, as I said, we done. I am also not sure the character development of characters from the Revolutionary War era were as well done as they could have been. Still, the book is quite interesting and will appeal to the author’s readers as well as to history buffs who also enjoy a good mystery. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.
    • 3/5
      Read as an ARC from NetGalley.It has been awhile since I last read a book by Sneaky Pie Brown and her human (Rita Mae Brown) . This is a very enjoyable addition to the series. Beloved history Professor Ginger MacConnell is murdered on the golf course. His former students, who live in the UVA area, are mostly all successful business men. They are making money in various parts of land development, building high end homes. Harry and her pets are still sleuthing their way through these books and they will solve the crime. The animal dialogue has always been a charming aspect of the stories and the beautiful central Virginia countryside is detailed so very well as spring blooms. The most fascinating parts of this book are the flashbacks to the last years of the American Revolution and the prisoner of war camp for the British that was on the land currently under development in the present day story. Of course the solution to the murder is tied to the history of that camp.
    • 4/5
      Tail Gait is a wonderful story! Once again the trio of tailed sleuths - Pewter, Mrs Murphy and Tucker - help Harry Fairsteen discover who has murdered two people in her community. There are flashbacks to the 1770's and the revolution that tie into the novel while also telling a second story that provides a bit of history. Ms Brown's writes well in a style that provides insight into the characters and describes the countryside in a way that make you feel you are there. Having read a few of the books in this series before I missed hearing more about Harry's husband and some of the other characters in previous books but was happy to read about the ones that did make an appearance. If you like an easy to read series with a mystery to be solved and a few animals that help along the way then I believe you will enjoy this well written book.