Читать онлайн «Tall Tail»

Автор Рита Мэй Браун

Tall Tail is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by American Artists, Inc.

Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Michael Gellatly

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

BANTAM BOOKS and the HOUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Brown, Rita Mae, author. | Brown, Sneaky Pie, author. |

Gellatly, Michael, illustrator.

Title: Tall tail : a Mrs. Murphy mystery / Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown ; illustrated by Michael Gellatly.

Description: First edition. | New York : Bantam Books, [2016]

Identifiers: LCCN 2015045502 (print) | LCCN 2015047670 (ebook) | ISBN 9780553392463 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9780553392470 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Haristeen, Harry (Fictitious character)—Fiction. | Murphy, Mrs. (Fictitious character)—Fiction. | Women detectives—Virginia—Fiction. | Women cat owners—Fiction. | Cats—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths.

| FICTION / Humorous. | FICTION / Suspense. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3552. R698 T36 2016 (print) | LCC PS3552. R698 (ebook) |

ebook ISBN 9780553392470

Cover design: Beverly Leung

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Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

The Cast of Characters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Afterword

Dedication

Books by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

About the Authors

The Cast of Characters

The Present

Mary Minor Haristeen, “Harry”—A Smith graduate in art history, she wound up back in Crozet, Virginia, where she runs the family farm. Her two cats and dog are her constant companions.

Pharamond Haristeen, DVM, “Fair”—Harry’s husband is an equine vet specializing in reproduction. He has long ago given up keeping up with his wife. She sometimes mystifies him, but he loves her.

Susan Tucker—Harry’s friend from cradle days. They tease, bicker, and prod each other along. They are good at handling each other.

Ned Tucker—Susan’s husband, a lawyer, is now a representative in the House of Delegates.

Governor Samuel Holloway—a World War II naval hero, the former governor, Susan’s maternal grandfather, at ninety-six is dying of leukemia. His mind is razor sharp.