Animal Mysteries

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

The New York Times best-selling Mrs. Murphy mysteries delight fans with an irresistible blend of suspense, engaging characters, and the entertaining high jinks of some quick-witted, four-legged friends. With more than two million copies in print, the series has made co-authors Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown the most popular human/feline writing team in the world.

Filled with frisky pets and fine suspense, the Mrs. Murphy mysteries are instant New York Times best sellers. Fans love the sleuthing team of spunky postmistress "Harry" Harristeen and Mrs. Murphy, her savvy tiger stripe cat.

When the dead body of building contractor H.H. Donaldson is found in the parking lot during a basketball game, felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with Tucker the Corgi, know just what will happen next. Harry Haristeen can't help but try to solve the puzzle. Who could be the killer? Is it a mistress, an archrival, or Donaldson's ailing wife? Leave it to Mrs. Murphy and her gang to lead Harry right to the missing piece.

Never have two species co-created a work of such suspense and humorous catitude as the wildly popular mystery series by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. This time out, that agile-witted tiger puss Mrs. Murphy makes the round of parties where Virginia's Very Best People mingle with some of the worst. Together, she and her human must unravel a veritable cat's cradle of ambition, greed, and murder at the center of which waits a killer with the most tangled of motives.

Artist Celeste Cabot welcomes the chance to show her paintings at a craft fair in her hometown of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where she and her Chihuahua, Van Gogh, can park her vintage Shasta trailer and sell her creations, too. Unfortunately, her sales take a hit when a customer returns a painting, claiming it's haunted. When a fellow vendor discovers images hidden in Celeste's artwork - and a ghost pays her a late-night visit - she's shocked to realize she has psychic abilities.

The Kentuckiana Dog Show Cluster is not to be missed. Ellie Gates Wanamaker, a former standard poodle exhibitor and a member of a well-heeled Kentucky family, has been out of the dog show world for more than a decade, but when Melanie invites her to spectate at the Louisville Kennel Club dog show, she's eager to accompany her. Miss Ellie's presence at the expo center, however, provokes mixed reactions from exhibitors she hasn't seen in years, including some outright animosity. The following day Melanie learns that Miss Ellie has suffered a fatal accident while exercising her dogs.

When the fanfare is interrupted by the discovery of a body, "Sister" Jane Arnold and her company of loyal hounds find themselves faced with a pressing task - to uncover who has killed a beloved club faithful. It's no help that the meddling, loathsome Victor Harris lurks in the shadows, weaseling his way back into the life of his disinherited daughter. As always, the gang must untangle the complex web of clues laid before them, and with Sister Jane at the helm, they will not rest until the truth is laid bare.

After helping clean up an oil spill in Connecticut, the Aldens are heading to a much cooler climate, where scientists are working to conserve the snow leopard population. With only hundreds left in the world, the Aldens know each animal is important. Can the Aldens do their part to help save this elusive and important animal?

Chipper is a very special dog. He's part of a multi-million dollar experiment at a secret organization known only as The Institute. The Institute has been experimenting with dogs, melding them with state-of-the-art computer technology. But there's a problem with Chipper. His natural dog instincts often overrule his computer side. No matter what he's doing, if he sees a squirrel or a mouse, he'll drop everything to chase it.

In this 12th entry in the award-winning series, Carolyn Haines' intrepid PI Sarah Booth comes up against porn-star-turned-psychic Sherry Cameron, who runs a medium business from a haunted estate on the edge of town. After growing suspicious that Sherry might be exploiting her emotionally vulnerable - and extremely wealthy - clients, Sarah disguises herself as a maid and sneaks onto Sherry's estate. But what she discovers there is deadlier than she could have imagined.

When the down-on-his-luck Emory Fulton moves into the crumbling Magpie Lodge and starts running historical tours, the locals are none too pleased. He’s inventing grisly tales about their lovely little village and disturbing everyone’s peace. But then he’s found dead in his bath, and everyone is suddenly running scared. Could something strange be happening? After all, the murder mirrors one of Fulton’s stories about Saxford’s dark past.

It’s all hands on deck after head rooster J.T. Cluck files an alarming report that the Charlies have invaded the ranch! And, things go from bad to worse when, in the midst of the chaos, Drover turns up missing. Between J.T.’s report and some important clues from Pete, the Security Force has no choice but to assume that he's been taken hostage! Will Hank be able to rescue his deputy from the Charlies in time—or even find out where they're hiding him—or is it curtains for everyone's favorite sidekick?

Mystery writer Lorinda Lucas tosses yet another paperback in the trash, appalled at the gruesome direction of today's crime fiction. She's even more disturbed at the half-starved state of Roscoe, the cat next door. Before Lorinda left for her latest book tour, Roscoe was as plump and pampered as her own two felines. It only takes a modicum of sleuthing to find out that in Lorinda's absence Roscoe's owner, Macho Magee, has acquired a new girlfriend-a harridan who has put the gentle Macho and his pet on a strict diet. And that's only the first disturbing news in Brimful Coffers.

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are off to the rain forests of Sumatra, where a protected piece of land is home to endangered animals such as orangutans, elephants, and tigers. But when part of the forest gets cut down, the Aldens have to figure out who is responsible, not only to protect the rain forest, but also the animals within.

Theo Jennings is a young auctioneer at the Thoroughbred sales ring in Newmarket. The October yearling sales are where the big money exchanges hands in frenzied auctions. It's the greatest gamble in all of horseracing, and one that can end in ruin. Theo has just made the biggest sale of his life when he overhears a secret conversation between the two bidders – can they really have colluded to fix the price of his big sale? When that same horse is found dead the next morning, he has no choice but to investigate.

It's all fun and games until somebody ends up in the pound. It's been a busy few days for the Head of Ranch Security, what with routine patrols and not-so-routine combat with headless monsters. When the dust settles, Hank decides to take a break from duty and visit his sister in town.

They’re furry and funny. They’re tracked and tricky. What are they? Animal mysteries, of course! Get ready to crack the cases and the real animal info wide open. You might need your camouflage for this one.

Tracking down Aunt Lavender's kidnapper is proving to be more difficult than running through a swimming pool filled with peanut butter. Every lead we uncover ends with more questions than answers.

Author of the New York Times best-selling Mrs. Murphy mysteries, Rita Mae Brown delivers the goods with The Hunt Ball, the most entertaining entry yet in her popular foxhunting series. When a faculty member of the local prep school is murdered, the headmistress and "Sister" Jane Arnold, master of the foxhounds at Virginia's Jefferson Hunt Club, work together to uncover a killer.