Sealed with a hiss is number 33 of the 34 Mrs. Murphy mysteries by Rita Mae Brown. In this outing, a car with the driver still in it is discovered on a stream near Crozet, Virginia. It is discovered by ‘Harry” and her band of animals, who are in the area to work on the restoration of an old segregated school. It was closed in 1959 when segregated schools ended. Harry, and the other regular characters, have been working to restore it as a sort of museum.

But the 15 acres behind the school is of great interest to a local realtor who presses the local history group to intercede with the mayor, who is opposed to developing the acreage, on his behalf.

The restoration work and the history, especially the racial history, of his area is fascinating. But the pacing for the mystery is off, with the solution at the end feeling rushed.

A disappointment.

This is number 9 of 11 of the Timber Creek K9 mysteries. This continues to be a wonderful series.

Just days from her wedding to Cole Walker, Mattie and her dog Robo are called to the Pacific Northwest to search for a missing 9 year old. Since his mother is a world famous actress, all hands are on deck to find the boy. But the dampness, constant rain, and thick undergrowth make for an even more difficult search than ever. But the information that there have been several missing children raises a red flag for Mattie.

Then one of the other search dogs becomes seriously ill, and Mattie is directed to an area with several dead wildlife animals and a possibly poisoned stream. And soon after, Robo finds the graves of two children.

As is the case with this series, what is supposed to be a simple search becomes something more serious and complicated. Highly
Recommended.