Rita Mae Brown

Name: Wish You Were Here
Author: Rita Mae Brown

American · 2 series

Amateur sleuth Animal sidekick Small town mystery

By The Editorial Team · Last reviewed April 2026

Who is Rita Mae Brown?

Rita Mae Brown was born in 1944 in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before she ever wrote a mystery novel, she was already a literary figure — her debut novel Rubyfruit Jungle, published in 1973, was a groundbreaking work of lesbian fiction that found a mainstream audience and remains in print more than fifty years later. It was published by a small feminist press after every major publisher passed on it, and then sold over a million copies. That is the kind of stubborn, unconventional trajectory that defines her entire career.

Brown is an activist, a screenwriter, a poet, and an essayist. She wrote for television in the 1980s and has been vocal on political and social issues throughout her public life. But for a large portion of her readership, she is known above all as the author of two long-running mystery series set in the landscapes of rural Virginia.

The Mrs. Murphy series, which began in 1990, introduced something genuinely unusual: a mystery series co-authored with her cat. The books credit “Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown,” with Sneaky Pie being Brown’s real tabby cat. The premise is played straight — the cat and her animal friends can observe and understand things the human characters cannot, and their perspective drives much of the detection. It sounds gimmicky. It is not. The series ran to 31 books through 2024, which is evidence enough that Brown found something that works.

The Sister Jane series, which began in 2000, is a different animal entirely. Set in the fox-hunting world of rural Virginia, it follows Jane “Sister” Arnold, an older woman who serves as Master of Foxhounds for a local hunt. The books take the sport seriously — Brown herself is a passionate horsewoman and fox-hunting enthusiast — and the result is a mystery series with a genuinely distinctive milieu that few other writers could have created.

Both series share a strong sense of place, a fondness for community, and the particular rhythms of Southern Virginia life.

Quick facts

Born 1944, Hanover, Pennsylvania
American novelist, activist, and screenwriter
Rubyfruit Jungle (1973) a landmark of American literature
Mrs. Murphy series: 31 books, co-authored with Sneaky Pie Brown
Sister Jane series: 15 books, fox-hunting mysteries
Passionate equestrian and fox-hunting enthusiast
Lives on a farm in Afton, Virginia

What order should I read Rita Mae Brown’s books?

Start with Wish You Were Here (1990) if you want the Mrs. Murphy series — it establishes postmistress Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen and her cat Mrs. Murphy in their small Virginia town of Crozet. The animal perspective is introduced gently, and the book earns the central conceit rather than assuming it.

For the Sister Jane series, start with Outfoxed (2000). The fox-hunting world has its own vocabulary and social codes, and Brown introduces them through Sister Jane’s experienced eyes. It helps to come in at the beginning.

Mrs. Murphy

1
Wish You Were Here (1990)
Residents of Crozet receive postcards from dead people, and Harry's cat Mrs. Murphy begins to sense that a killer is close to home.
2
Rest in Pieces (1992)
A handsome stranger arrives in Crozet and body parts start turning up around town — Mrs. Murphy and her friends investigate while Harry stumbles toward danger.
3
Murder at Monticello (1994)
A renovation at Thomas Jefferson's famous estate uncovers old bones, and secrets buried for two centuries begin to surface with deadly consequences.
4
Pay Dirt (1995)
A bank employee is murdered after discovering something troubling in the accounts, and Crozet's animals sniff out what the humans are missing.
5
Murder, She Meowed (1996)
A jockey is found dead at the Montpelier races, and Harry is drawn into the competitive, dangerous world of Virginia steeplechasing.
6
Murder on the Prowl (1998)
A fake obituary appears in the local paper and soon real deaths follow at a private school, putting the whole town on edge.
7
Cat on the Scent (1999)
A Civil War re-enactment stirs up local passions and a man goes missing, sending Mrs. Murphy and Tucker on the trail of something more sinister than battlefield theatrics.
8
Pawing Through the Past (2000)
Crozet's high school reunion brings old friends together and old grievances to the surface — plus a murderer picking off former classmates.
9
Claws and Effect (2001)
A hospital administrator is found dead and the medical community of Crozet closes ranks, leaving Harry and Mrs. Murphy to find the cracks.
10
Catch as Cat Can (2002)
Strange goings-on around election time in Crozet lead to murder and a tangle of local politics that Mrs. Murphy helps Harry navigate.
11
The Tail of the Tip-Off (2003)
A murder at a women's basketball game puts the Crozet community under suspicion and Harry's investigating instincts into overdrive.
12
Whisker of Evil (2004)
A body is found drained of blood on a back road, and rumours of a vampire spread through Crozet while the real predator operates in plain sight.
13
Cat's Eyewitness (2005)
A religious statue appears to weep and a monk is murdered, drawing Harry and Mrs. Murphy into a mystery with roots in an old Virginia monastery.
14
Sour Puss (2006)
A grape-growing boom in the Virginia wine country turns deadly, and Harry investigates among the vineyards while Mrs. Murphy keeps a watchful eye.
15
Puss n' Cahoots (2007)
The Kentucky Horse Show brings glamour and murder when a trainer is killed, and Harry finds that the equestrian world harbours dangerous ambitions.
16
The Purrfect Murder (2008)
A prominent architect is shot dead and Crozet is gripped by speculation — Mrs. Murphy and her friends have a clearer view of the killer than anyone suspects.
17
Santa Clawed (2008)
Christmas in Crozet is disrupted by a murder at the local country club, and Harry finds that festive goodwill can paper over a great deal of malice.
18
Cat of the Century (2010)
A centennial celebration at a Virginia women's college ends in murder, and Harry follows the trail back through decades of old money and older secrets.
19
Hiss of Death (2011)
A cancer fundraising committee in Crozet becomes a target for a killer, and Mrs. Murphy must help Harry see through the goodwill to the real threat.
20
The Big Cat Nap (2012)
A mechanic is murdered at the local garage and the victim's past draws Harry deep into an investigation that the animals grasp faster than any human.
21
The Litter of the Law (2013)
A corpse discovered by the roadside and a missing woman send Harry and Mrs. Murphy into a case tangled with rural Virginia's hidden underworld.
22
Nine Lives to Die (2014)
A blizzard traps Crozet and a killer is active in the snow — Mrs. Murphy and the animals work to protect Harry as she closes in on the truth.
23
Tail Gait (2015)
A history professor researching the Revolutionary War is murdered on the University of Virginia campus, and the past proves as dangerous as the present.
24
Tall Tail (2016)
A trip to Monticello stirs up more than history when a local man is killed and Harry discovers that some Virginia legacies come with lethal attachments.
25
A Hiss Before Dying (2017)
Bones unearthed on a Crozet farm turn out to be far more recent than they should be, and a killer is watching as Harry starts asking questions.
26
Probable Claws (2018)
A local pharmacist is murdered and medication goes missing — Mrs. Murphy and Tucker follow a scent trail while Harry works the human angles.
27
Whiskers in the Dark (2019)
A shooting camp in the Virginia mountains becomes the scene of a murder, and Harry must navigate a world of sporting rivalry and dangerous pride.
28
Furmidable Foes (2020)
A political fundraiser in Crozet ends in death and Harry finds that local elections conceal far darker contests than anyone admits in polite company.
29
Claws for Alarm (2021)
An old friend of Harry's is found dead and the investigation leads into Virginia's pharmaceutical industry, where profits and secrecy make a dangerous mix.
30
Hiss and Tell (2023)
A murder at a local auction house sends Harry and Mrs. Murphy into the world of Virginia antiques, where provenance can be as deadly as poison.
31
Feline Fatale (2024)
The latest in the series finds Harry facing a killing close to home in Crozet, with Mrs. Murphy and the animals ahead of the investigation as always.

Sister Jane

1
Outfoxed (2000)
Sister Jane Arnold leads the Jefferson Hunt through a season shadowed by rivalry and a death that the local community prefers not to examine too closely.
2
Hotspur (2002)
The discovery of a skeleton during a hunt stirs old memories in the valley, and Sister Jane finds that some Virginia families guard their secrets with real menace.
3
Full Cry (2003)
A member of the hunt is found dead and the tight community of riders and hound-handlers closes in on itself, making Sister Jane's investigation both necessary and unwelcome.
4
The Hunt Ball (2005)
The Jefferson Hunt's annual ball ends in violence and Sister Jane must untangle social rivalries, old affairs, and a killer who moves comfortably among the county's best families.
5
The Hounds and the Fury (2006)
A feud within the hunt community explodes into murder and Sister Jane, navigating loyalty to old friends and obligation to truth, follows the hounds toward the answer.
6
The Tell-Tale Horse (2007)
A valuable horse goes missing and a body turns up in the Virginia countryside — Sister Jane's knowledge of the equestrian world gives her an edge no detective could match.
7
Hounded to Death (2008)
A Masters of Foxhounds convention brings hunters from across the country to Virginia, and along with them comes a killer willing to murder to protect a long-hidden secret.
8
Fox Tracks (2012)
Strange events during the hunt season point toward organised crime reaching into rural Virginia, and Sister Jane must decide how much danger she is willing to walk into.
9
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (2014)
A body discovered near a historic estate reopens a case thought long settled, and Sister Jane's investigation uncovers a county-wide deception that has lasted for decades.
10
Crazy Like a Fox (2017)
A series of thefts from hunt members escalates into murder during a hard riding season, and Sister Jane hunts a killer as relentlessly as the hounds pursue their quarry.
11
Homeward Hound (2018)
A murder with connections to the opioid crisis reaches into the Jefferson Hunt's community, and Sister Jane confronts the limits of what a huntsman can do against a modern plague.
12
Scarlet Fever (2019)
A new rider joins the Jefferson Hunt with money and ambition — and a dangerous past that soon brings violence to the Virginia countryside Sister Jane loves.
13
Out of Hounds (2021)
The discovery of a body on hunt land draws Sister Jane into an investigation that tests old friendships and her faith in the close community she has spent her life building.
14
Thrill of the Hunt (2022)
A contested will among Virginia's old families produces suspects in abundance — and a murder that Sister Jane must solve before more heirs start disappearing.
15
Lost and Hound (2023)
The latest Sister Jane mystery finds the Jefferson Hunt facing a killer embedded within the community itself, testing Sister Jane's loyalty and her nerve in equal measure.

If you enjoy Rita Mae Brown, try...

M.C. Beaton — Long-running cosy series with quirky village settings
Kerry Greenwood — Mystery series with strong, unconventional female leads