The Cat of the Century

Rita Mae Brown
& Sneaky Pie Brown

Harry Haristeen's friend, Aunt Talley Urquhart, is celebrating her 100th birthday. Aunt Tally is returning to her alma mater in Missouri for a fund raising celebration. Aunt Tally's lifelong best friend, Inez Carpenter, her niece Big Mim, grand-niece, Little Mim, and Harry go to William Woods University to join the celebration. Inez was Fair Haristeen's mentor and is like a member of Fair and Harry's family.

Inez also is the acting president of the women's alumnae committee because the current woman cannot control two adversaries whose arguements have escalated over the years. The committee meetings are nasty. Finally one woman didn't return. Despite the snow storm, Aunt's Tally's celebration and fund raiser was a success. A few days later, the other woman of the adversaries was killed in her office.

After they returned to Virginia, Inez and Aunt Tally know that things haven't returned to normal. Harry is always too curious, so she keeps up, too. Soon threatening emails start arriving to different members of the alumnae association and the president of the college, Something has to break soon, or more people will start dying.

Unfortunately, the mystery part of Cat of the Century is quite good. The clues are there but the reader is still left guessing. The animals do their bit to help, and become heroes once again.

This will probably be my last Rita Mae Brown book, though. She puts her political agenda in most of her books though her character's actions and words. In Cat of the Century, at least half of the book is devoted to her opinions and proseletyzing. I finally began rolling my eyes when I heard another environmental discussion or the taxes and Congress or how people need to start helping themselves more or... The list goes on quite a while. All the preaching pulled away from the enjoyment of the book. I couldn't easy skip Brown's opinion because they're ingrained throughout Cat of the Century. I would skip over those paragraphs at that time, but it's not long before it happens again.

Good characters and good mystery - ruined by the writing. Oh, well, I have a lot of other books on Mt. Bookpile.

Notice:  Non-graphic violence

Wish You Were Here
Rest in Pieces
Murder at Monticello
Pay Dirt
Murder, She Meowed
Murder on the Prowl
Cat on the Scent
Pawing Through the Past
Claws and Effect
Catch as Cat Can
The Tail of the Tip-Off
Whisker of Evil
Cat's Eyewitness
Sour Puss
Puss 'n Cahoots
The Purrfect Murder
Santa Clawed
Cat of the Century
Hiss of Death