Books › Wish you were here
Wish you were here
First published 1995 · 344 pages
A charmingly nosy postmistress and her fiercely protective pets sniff out deadly secrets in a quaint Virginia town.
What it feels like
This cozy mystery wraps the reader in the comforting, gossip-filled atmosphere of a close-knit Virginia town before slowly turning up the suspense. The narrative balances the wry, everyday observations of a nosy postmistress with the surprisingly astute, scent-driven investigations of her loyal cat and dog. It reads at a brisk, engaging pace, offering a playful yet intriguing tone as the quaint facade of the community cracks to reveal deadly secrets. The prose is accessible and warm, perfectly capturing the deep bond between humans and their animal companions. It is an absolute delight for readers who crave lighthearted amateur sleuthing, quirky local characters, and the unique charm of pets who are always one step ahead of their humans.
- Mood
- cozy
- intriguing
- quaint
- lightly suspenseful
- Tone
- wry
- playful
- suspenseful
- charming
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- small-town secrets · animal companionship · amateur sleuthing · nosy neighbors
- The writing
- Accessible and engaging, balancing lighthearted animal perspectives with the steady unraveling of a small-town murder mystery.
- The arc
- Moves from the quaint amusement of small-town gossip to the suspense of closing in on a killer, anchored by the comforting loyalty of animal companions.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love cozy mysteries where quirky small-town dynamics and highly intelligent animal sidekicks take center stage.
Content notes
- murder
- divorce
About the book
Curiosity just might be the death of Mrs. Murphy--and her human companion, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen. Small towns are like families: Everyone lives very close together...and everyone keeps secrets. Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town-until its secrets explode into murder. Crozet's thirty-something post-mistress, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh Corgi (Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her. When Crozet's citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message "Wish you were here" on the back. Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues. Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware her pets are one step ahead of her. If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before the murder occurs--and before Harry finds herself on the killer's mailing list.
Description from Open Library.
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