The Big Cat Nap * Rita Mae Brown * Mrs. Murphy #20

When a string of bizarre vehicular mishaps culminates in the brutal murder of a local garage mechanic, an intrepid ex-postmistress and her hyper-perceptive pet menagerie must dig under the hood of a dark corporate conspiracy.

The Story: Written by Rita Mae Brown and her fictional feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown, this milestone twentieth-anniversary volume brings readers back to the colorful, tight-knit sandbox of Crozet, Virginia. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen is attempting to navigate a low-friction spring routine managing her farm crops and classic cars. The regional sanctuary fractures when her dear friend Miranda Hogendobber’s car veers into a drainage ditch, followed immediately by the local reverend's truck completely breaking down. The high-stakes tracking line turns lethal when Harry visits the local repair shop and discovers a mechanic brutally executed with his head bashed in. While local law enforcement issues strict warnings to back off, Harry drops her defensive guard to launch an unvarnished investigation. Sensing automated danger fast approaching, her wise tiger cat Mrs. Murphy, cranky gray cat Pewter, and loyal corgi Tee Tucker coordinate a synchronized counter-campaign of their own—tracking a ledger of greed to shield their foolishly brave human before she gets run off the road for good.

Perfect For: Devotees of slow-burn animal-assisted cozy puzzles, lovers of rich Blue Ridge mountain regional settings, and readers who cherish long-running amateur sleuth series by authors like Lilian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown, or Clea Simon.