From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Brown (The Tale of the Tip-off, etc.) and her feline collaborator offer another winsome tale of endearing talking animals and fallible, occasionally homicidal humans, many of whom breed and raise horses in the small Piedmont town of Crozet, Va. Near Potlicker Creek, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her petsâ€"corgi Tee Tucker, tiger cat Mrs. Murphy and fat, gray kitty Pewterâ€"discover 34-year-old breeder Barry Monteith, "fit, handsome... and fun-loving," on the ground, his slashed throat gushing blood. "Death, often so shocking to city dwellers, was part of life here in the country." Later, Harry resigns in a pique when the overzealous, obnoxious animal-control officer prohibits her pets from the post office. A reawakening of affection for Fair, her former husband, and the building of an addition to her barn complicate things further. Her animals figure she's too distracted when Harry misses vital clues to Barry's murderâ€"and to the peculiar death of a second young breeder. The mystery thickens with a strange case of rabies that brings on the state health inspectors as well as the media. Brown perhaps overdoes the details of horse breeding, record-keeping and rabies, but fans are sure to cheer as Tee Tucker, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter rush to their mistress's rescue at the harrowing climax. Illustrations by Michael Gerraty not seen by PW. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–In a unique town in Virginia, the animals speak English to one another and help to solve murders. In this installment in the entertaining series, postmistress Harry finds the body of her friend Barry, a horse breeder, who seems to have been attacked by a bear. But no, it turns out that he died of rabies. When a second mysterious death occurs, the town is concerned that there will be an epidemic, and the officials refuse to let Harry's pets come to work with her. Readers learn details about rabies and horse breeding before the exciting climax in which Harry's animals fly into action to save her life. Delightful line drawings illustrate the creatures, usually in some adorable pose. Witty dialogue will bring a smile to readers' faces as the animals outsmart the humans.–Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Just when you think Brown might be running out of plotlines for her popular Mrs. Murphy series, she comes back with an intriguing new adventure featuring the titular talking cat and her animal and human friends. The story begins with a bang as protagonist Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen, postmistress of tiny Crozet, Virginia, happens upon a dying man whose throat has been slashed. As if that weren't bad enough, he also had rabies. Snooping around the crime scene, Harry finds a ring belonging to a long-missing woman. Are the two connected? This is just one of the many puzzles that unfold in this suspenseful tale that also involves the disappearance of a famous studhorse. Along the way, Brown imparts significant knowledge about horse breeding and dispels many common myths about rabies. Fans who think of Harry as a friend will appreciate how Brown catapults the young farmer out of her comfort zone, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in her life. Admirers of Mrs. Murphy will enjoy the expanding repertoire of animals she converses with: snakes, owls, mice, swallows, and foxes. In a somewhat uneven series, Brown comes into her own here; never has she seemed more comfortable with her characters. The pick of the litter. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Readers who think murder mysteries are the cat's meow love it when bestselling author Rita Mae Brown joins forces with her feline coauthor, Sneaky Pie Brown, for another purr-fectly plotted whodunit. In Whisker of Evil, pets and people offer delightfully different perspectives on the mysterious death of a well-liked young man in the local horse breeding business. Unfailingly curious local postmistress "Harry" Haristeen is out walking with her cats, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and her feisty corgi, Tucker, when they come across the mortally injured man. His throat's been ripped open, but there's no sign of either a human or animal attacker. The coroner's findings add even more troubling information to the mix -- the dead man was terminally ill with rabies at the time he was murdered. Murderers and rabies are among the most dangerous of the threats that reach across species boundaries, so the residents of Crozet, human and animal alike, are equally desperate to stop the spread of both in their hometown. As usual, Harry and her loyal nonhuman associates are soon hot on a trail that will lead them in many unexpected directions, on the way to a truth that will shake both their tiny community and the American thoroughbred industry to the core. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"This balmy summer in Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has a lot to think about. Things have been pretty cozy between her and her ex-husband, Fair...and her beloved old post office is in danger of being replaced with a modern building - and modern rules." "Harry's thoughtful contemplation is shattered the day she stumbles over a dead body near Potlicker Creek. Barry Monteith, the handsome local horse breeder, has been savagely murdered. A true ladies' man, Barry was known to have left a string of broken hearts behind him. But could a spurned lover be responsible for his untimely demise? The plot only thickens when an autopsy reveals that Barry was infected with rabies weeks before being killed." "As usual, Harry can't resist doing a little digging - with Mrs. Murphy close by to warn of approaching danger. Harry makes a remarkable discovery in the creek - the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local woman who disappeared thirty years earlier along with prized Thoroughbred stallion. Like Barry, Mary Pat was a successful horse breeder - and now all of Crozet is wondering if the two cases are linked." As the police struggle with the evidence, the pressure gets hotter than a June afternoon - especially when another person is found dead of less-than-natural causes. As usual, Mrs. Murphy and her crew are the first to sniff out the truth. But if they don't find a way to help Harry piece together the puzzle, she could become the killer's next target - and even Mrs. Murphy's slinkiest moves won't be able to save her.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Brown (The Tale of the Tip-off, etc.) and her feline collaborator offer another winsome tale of endearing talking animals and fallible, occasionally homicidal humans, many of whom breed and raise horses in the small Piedmont town of Crozet, Va. Near Potlicker Creek, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her pets corgi Tee Tucker, tiger cat Mrs. Murphy and fat, gray kitty Pewter discover 34-year-old breeder Barry Monteith, "fit, handsome... and fun-loving," on the ground, his slashed throat gushing blood. "Death, often so shocking to city dwellers, was part of life here in the country." Later, Harry resigns in a pique when the overzealous, obnoxious animal-control officer prohibits her pets from the post office. A reawakening of affection for Fair, her former husband, and the building of an addition to her barn complicate things further. Her animals figure she's too distracted when Harry misses vital clues to Barry's murder and to the peculiar death of a second young breeder. The mystery thickens with a strange case of rabies that brings on the state health inspectors as well as the media. Brown perhaps overdoes the details of horse breeding, record-keeping and rabies, but fans are sure to cheer as Tee Tucker, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter rush to their mistress's rescue at the harrowing climax. Illustrations by Michael Gerraty not seen by PW. (Mar. 30) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Sleuthing postmistress "Harry" Haristeen can cope with visiting movie stars, a rabies epidemic, and even murder-but not the newly updated post office, which might cost her her job. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal