Today I decided that since you all so quickly solve the mysteries that other Cozy Mystery readers ask about, I’d go ahead and ask for help in solving two Cozy Mystery readers’ questions.
Kathy:
I am trying to remember which book has the cat the breaks into the communion supplies at the church and steals the communion wafers. I keep thinking it’s Pewter (one of Harry’s cats in the Mrs. Murphy series). The preacher has 2 cats and I think one of them helps but I’m just not sure. Do you know which book it is? It might not even be Mrs. Murphy books. Just can’t remember.
Thank you
Kathy
AND
Susan:
…I read a book which as far as I can remember was about a young woman who inherits a relative’s place that is dominated by a huge piano. [The piano reveals something important when the relative’s murder is solved].
If you think you know the book Kathy is asking for about the cat or the book series/author Susan is asking for about the piano, please post a comment. Thank you!
dragons3 says
The cats break into the Communion wafers in several of the Mrs. Murphy books, I think. The one I particularly remember is “The Tail Of the Tip-Off”. It’s not just Pewter, it’s Herb’s cats Elocution and Lucy Fur and Mrs. Murphy. I think Tucker gets into the act too.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, I can’t get over you being able to remember the exact Mrs. Murphy book in which this occurred! Thank you!
dragons3 says
I confess. I recently listened to the audio book of it, so it stuck in my head. I really enjoy this series, although I think the earlier ones were more fun. Brown tends to ride too many hobby horses lately.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dragons3, I’m glad you felt the need to confess! 😉 The more I thought about it, the worse I felt about my memory!
Marja says
I can’t imagine what attracted the cats to Communion wafers, of all things — wonder if it’s the grain (which is also an ingredient in the not-so-great cat foods) … sounds like Pewter for sure, that omnivore!
I used to have cat who got into a packet of Basmati rice, and I have one now who once got into and chewed some coffee beans (that had me pretty scared, but she was fine — I watched her all night). But she’s naturally “caffeinated” — I have no idea why she wanted coffee beans. Must’ve been the oil in the beans.
Cats love oil products! Some lick plastic shopping bags or chew tissues (petrol products). My boy Percy loved olive oil, and my Fiona, caffeine fiend, does too, along with chocolate. (Hazards: caffeine and chocolate, so I must carefully guard every one of those foods I buy.) You can imagine, I have learned to unpack and store every one of my groceries immediately!
Sorry for going on, but I know there are pet lovers among us, and some of our animals have truly “catholic” tastes! So watch out for them.
dragons3 says
I had one of those omnivore cats, too. Her name was Scatter Kitty (better known as Scatter the Paw) and she was a rescue that I adopted when she was 5 weeks old. She could open any door and drawer in the house, so I had to put childproof latches on all the doors in my kitchen cabinets. She’d chew open boxes of cereal or pasta or crackers; chip bags; bread wrappers; any kind of food product and eat it. One time she opened the freezer and helped herself. The next morning I stepped on a half thawed, half eaten roast in the living room. smart kitty, and quite a character!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marja, I had no idea that cats are attracted to oil products. that is weird. When Sprite (dog) was with us, I had to be sure everything edible was out of her reach. Lucky for me, she (obviously!) couldn’t jump up on the counters like cats can!
Karen says
Rita Mae Brown’s series has the cats. It is the Minister’s cats who entice Pewter to gorge on the wafers. Will work on their names.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, thank you, but I think Dragons3 has figured out this takes place in The Tail of the Tip-Off. (There is no way I can remember which exact book in a long-running series has a specific action!)
Marja says
Lucy Fur is a perfectly – named tempter 😉
cejaxon says
For the cat eating communion wafers, try Cat’s Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown & Michael Gellatly.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cejaxon, thank you for this information. Someone else thought it might be The Tail of the Tip-Off, so Kathy only has two books to take a look at… Thanks, again!
Barb says
It’s definitely the Mrs. Murphy series with the communion wafer stealing cats but I would have to go through my books to tell you which cat or which book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Barb, so far it looks like it’s either Cat’s Eyewitness or The Tail of the Tip-Off, and I’m guessing that as soon as Kathy takes a look at both of those books, she’ll know exactly which one it is.
Deb B says
Written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie. It happens just about every time Harry takes the cats to visit the Rectory. I think just about every other book or so.
dana says
Yes, those are the Rita Mae Brown books. The cats Reverend Herb Jones have are Elocution and Lucy Fur. There is a third one but I can’t remember the name of that guy. I’ve read all the series and believe there are at least 2 with a lot of interaction with the Rev’s cats. Maybe the Big Cat Nap or Cat on the Scent.
Good luck!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dana, thank you for these two books’ titles. Now Kathy has four possible books to look at, and that’s a whole lot better than 25!
dragons3 says
I think the 3rd cat is Cazenova or Casenova.
Mary g says
Wow! You guys are fast! Yes, I agree it is a Rita Mae Brown book, the Sneaky Pie series. (The Reverend’s cats have some of the greatest cat names ever!). I can’t remember which book it occurs in either, I think about mid-series. Later books often refer to that incident.
By the way, I knew it wasn’t any of the Faith Fairchild books. (They do have a Reverend…her husband….but no cats. In those books (and they are terrific), action means more typically that Faith has been locked up in the church basement.)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary G, I see you’re amongst Katherine Hall Page‘s many, many Faith Fairchild fans! I agree, those Coziess are terrific!
Sue says
I have a question. I was reading a series about people who were taking care of stray cats. They were taking turns feeding them out of town up behind an old home that was empty. I know by now that there should be another book out by now It would be the fourth or fifth.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sue, I believe you’re looking for Sofie Kelly‘s Magical Cats Mystery Series. You’re right, there are currently seven books in that terrific series.
Dana says
Hi. About the stray cats, I believe you may be thinking of softie kelly’s magical cat series. Local folks go to an abandoned house and take care of the feral community. The main character works at a library.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dana, thank you for the information. I think you’re right, if it isn’t Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats series, I’d be surprised.
Mary says
You are talking about the Joe Gray mystery series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. I may be wrong on the spelling of the name but I think she is the author of that series. There are several books and all I’ve read are great.
Sharon B says
I love all the Cozy Mysteries. I have not found one that is dislikeable
Martha says
What about Susan’s question about the inherited house dominated by a huge piano? I must confess that have no clue what book this is!
Ruth says
Now I want to know too
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ruth, I know, it has been bothering me, too!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Martha, it looks like there are four Mrs. Murphy titles from which Kathy can pick, but so far, none of us have any ideas as to the author of Susan’s book. Susan did include a fact that I took out of the clue, because I was afraid it was too big of a spoiler for those who might want to read it (or are currently reading it).
Margaret StashEmpress says
Well I see the communion wafer eating cats question has been solved — I think the Rev’s 3rd cat is named Cazenovia or something like that?
Would also like to see the answer to the piano question — doesn’t ring any bells for me at all & has me quite curious.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Margaret StashEmpress, I’m glad Kathy has a starting point for the communion wafer-eating cat’s book title but wish one of us had read Susan’s mystery so we could help her. (Since none of us know who the author is, I have a feeling that it’s by someone who used to write mysteries years ago.)
Anne says
I’ve read the book Susan has but can’t for the life of me remember the title so it’s bugging me now as well! It will probably come to me after a while. Might be a long while.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, great news! At least one of us has read it. I hope it comes to you, but in case it doesn’t, I hope it doesn’t keep bothering you. I know how that it!
Anne says
I’ve remembered a little bit about the piano story I think – the relative had always wanted to play Schubert (or Bach, can’t remember) on a grand piano and some-one bought one for him, but he couldn’t play it, he’d gone past his prime. I think I remember the ending but I won’t give it away except to say it involved the layout of the apartment.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, it sounds like you might know the book/author. I don’t know the ending of the book, but the one detail I kept out of Susan’s comment was a spoiler, which I didn’t want to reveal…
Donna MC says
The piano one could be Somewhere in the House, by Elizabeth Daly. It’s one of the Henry Gamadge mysteries series, it’s very, very creepy (not supernatural) and one of her best novels, in my opinion. There is a big ol’ piano that figures into the story, but it’s not one of the main elements of the mystery, so this may not be the book Susan is looking for – but it is still an excellent read, especially if you like the old-fashioned, Agatha Christie era kind of book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna Mc, thank you. I’m hoping you guessed the right book/author for Susan. (Who doesn’t enjoy reading an “old-fashioned, Agatha Christie era kind of book”?)