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. @goodreads
MY REVIEW:
3 STARS
I used to read these book years ago and I loved them to death because of all the animals in them and that the cats and dog talked. Well they talk to each other, the humans have no idea what they are saying.
For awhile back then it was just Mrs. Murphy the cat and Tucker the Corgi, I think it was Pewter, the cat, that came in later. My brain doesn't remember that far back. I love Harry's land and her horses, the critters in the barn. But in this book and the one before they didn't really concentrate on the animals and fun mysteries. This book and the one before had more political and I don't know what in it. Unfortunately for ME they are not as wonderful as they were before.
This one starts out with the death of a woman Harry and her husband Fair, well mostly everyone knew. Her name was Barbara Leader and she supposedly died of a heart attack and wrecked her car.. or did she?
The story also goes back and forth from the present to the past. Back to 1784 and the plantation days. I don't know what it is but it just didn't do much for me. The three stars for the book goes all to the animals even though not much is going on with them in the book. They did get to help in an attack at one point :-)
I do love when they take time out to be with old friends like Susan or talking to their cop friend Cooper. Just some of the old gang the way it should be in a small town. I also love Harry talking about owning her truck since 1978 and working on it herself to keep it up. I want to do all of that stuff and it does work, I know a mechanic that can take them apart and put them back together to run forever. Until all of the parts become obsolete.
Anyway, don't let this drive you from reading these books. If you loved them in the past you might still love them whether they are the same or not.
I want to leave with a little letter from Pewter (the cat) from the book. The animals rock!
--->EXCERPT<---
Dear Reader,
I am not fat. I have big bones. When I eat, I have good manners. You should see Tucker eat. Furthermore, she'll eat anything. I, at least, display discretion.
Mrs. Murphy and Tucker are either criticizing me or telling me what to do. When I need a second opinion, I'll look in the mirror.
Yours,
Pewter
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
GOODREADS REVIEW:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1641904961
AMAZON LINK TO THE BOOK:
http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Tail-Mystery-Mysteries-Hardcover/dp/0553392468?ie=UTF8&keywords=tall%20tail%20in%20books&qid=1463599390&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1
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