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cozy mystery
Series · cozy mystery
Mrs. Murphy
The Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown has 34 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Wish You Were Here (1990).
- Books
- 34 books
- First published
- 1990
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Wish You Were Here (1990) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Wish You Were Here
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Rest in Pieces
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Murder at Monticello
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder at Monticello - Book 4:
Pay Dirt
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Murder, She Meowed
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder, She Meowed - Book 6:
Murder on the Prowl
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder on the Prowl - Book 7:
Cat on the Scent
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cat on the Scent - Book 8:
Pawing Through the Past
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Claws and Effect
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Catch as Cat Can
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The Tail of the Tip-Off
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Whisker of Evil
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Cat's Eyewitness
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Sour Puss
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sour Puss - Book 15:
Puss 'n Cahoots
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Puss 'n Cahoots - Book 16:
The Purrfect Murder
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Purrfect Murder - Book 17:
Santa Clawed
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Santa Clawed - Book 18:
Cat of the Century
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cat of the Century - Book 19:
Hiss of Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hiss of Death - Book 20:
The Big Cat Nap
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Big Cat Nap - Book 21:
Sneaky Pie for President
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sneaky Pie for President - Book 22:
The Litter of the Law
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Litter of the Law - Book 23:
Nine Lives to Die
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Tail Gait
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Tall Tail
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tall Tail - Book 26:
A Hiss Before Dying
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Probable Claws
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Whiskers in the Dark
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Whiskers in the Dark - Book 29:
Furmidable Foes
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Furmidable Foes - Book 30:
Claws for Alarm
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Claws for Alarm - Book 31:
Hiss and Tell
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hiss and Tell - Book 32:
Feline Fatale
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Sealed With A Hiss
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sealed With A Hiss - Book 34:
Clawed and Dangerous
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Clawed and Dangerous
About the Mrs. Murphy series
In the small Virginia town of Crozet, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen keeps finding dead bodies along her mail route — and her real crime-solving partners are her own pets: Mrs. Murphy, a sharp-witted tiger cat, Tucker, a loyal Welsh corgi, and Pewter, a vain and food-obsessed gray cat. The animals see, hear, and deduce more than the humans around them, and much of each book's charm comes from their private conversations and running commentary on the two-legged investigation happening in parallel — Harry and her ex-husband, the local vet, and the county sheriff all catching up eventually to what the animals worked out chapters earlier.
Rita Mae Brown (credited alongside her real-life cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, as co-author) built the series around small-town Virginia hunt-country life — foxhunting, farming, church suppers, old-money and new-money friction — with the animal chapters giving the cozy formula a genuinely distinctive gimmick rather than just cute pet-shop-front dressing. It's a long-running favorite for readers who want their amateur-sleuth mystery narrated partly from the animals' point of view, set in a richly recurring small-town cast that has evolved gently across more than three decades of books.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Mrs. Murphy series?
There are 34 published Mrs. Murphy titles, from Wish You Were Here (1990) to Clawed and Dangerous (2026).
What order should I read the Mrs. Murphy books in?
Publication order, starting with Wish You Were Here. Most mysteries are self-contained, but Harry's life and the animal characters develop gradually across the series.
Is the Mrs. Murphy series finished?
No. Clawed and Dangerous was published in April 2026 and the series remains active.
Who is Sneaky Pie Brown?
Sneaky Pie Brown is Rita Mae Brown's real-life cat, credited as co-author on every Mrs. Murphy book since the series began — a running conceit reflecting the animals' central role in solving each mystery.
Do the Mrs. Murphy books stand alone from Rita Mae Brown's other series?
Yes. It's separate from her Sister Jane foxhunting mysteries and her other fiction, with its own cast and Crozet, Virginia setting.
If you like the Mrs. Murphy series
Reading order last verified .