Sour Puss

[cornerofmadness]

Sour Puss by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


It's rare I rate a book this low because I usually don't finish books I hate but I was listening to this on CD (also the narrator does a bad job of distinguishing voices) and it was on the so-so side until the absolutely ludicrous end.

The basic plot is someone is threatening the Virginia wine making/grape growing crowd and people are dying. A lot of effort is put forth to make us think that's the killer's motivation. It is such an obvious example of the author wanting to work in all the stuff they researched for no good reason. It drags on about bioterrorism and threats to grapes that it's dull as dishwater. It's laughable that Harry actually considers herself under threat by someone targeting grape growers because she has a quarter acre dedicated to some rare heirloom varietal. Please that is worth no one's time.

It took 3 of 6 discs to get to the disappearance of the professor talking about the bioterrorism (about 100 pages judging by the rest of the reviews) so less than 300 pages of novel that means nothing happens for half the book. If your mystery needs a 100 pages of set up you're doing something wrong. The animals figure out something's wrong by ch 10, takes another 8 before the humans do the same (eye roll)

There is so much wrong with this, like some of the science. She doesn't even quote the Bible right (totally inaccurate as to where in Philippians the quote is from). And that's just the start. Let's get into some of the worst parts. Non-spoilery first.

Harry remarries Fair (this is important for far more reasons than her bad judgment) She is more forgiving than I. If my ex cheated with my good friend I'd not speak to either of them again but I think Boom Boom (really? I can't remember why she's named this but I have ugly suspicions) was even at the wedding. Harry's pets, Mrs. Murphy & Pewter (the cats) and Tucker (the corgi) who narrate half the book were and they destroy the altar with Harry just laughing about it. Ugh.

At one point we have Mrs. Murphy being judgey about another animal being pregnant and reveals she just doesn't have sex when its her time. Harry thinks she's spayed but the vet merely shaved her belly but accidentally spayed another cat. Setting aside that bit of malpractice we're expected to believe, Harry, an expert horsewoman and animal lover doesn't notice there ISN'T an incision in Mrs. Murphy. What about the removal of stitches? And this bit of idiocy adds nothing to the story.

Another totally unnecessary add in was Harry and I think Boom Boom talking and it leads them to the oldest profession and they decide that prostitutes must enjoy their job because sex is fun and 'no one stays with a job they hate.' OMFG. The utter stupidity of that whole exchange can't be understated. How am I supposed to root for a woman who thinks women prostitute themselves for fun? The complete lack of insight into the desperation that drives most women to prostitution is overwhelming as is how judgmental Harry is.

They all are in fact. There is a lot of white privilege going on with her and her friends and a definite whiff of right wing politics which again add nothing to the story line. All of this could have been edited out for a better story.

We're also given displays of toxic masculinity between Fair and Arch, one of Harry's former boyfriends back from CA to work grapevines in VA. which naturally half-heartedly sets up Fair for being a suspect how I'm not sure since it wasn't like it was Arch who died. It would have been better to concentrate on the conversations of Harry's three fur babies with the wild animals in the barn including Simon the possum, Matilda the snake and Flat Face the owl.

Now for the spoilers of this absolutely ridiculous ending but before that let me say the ending is actually rather graphically violent more so than a lot of cozy/amateur sleuth fans would like. Doesn't bug me but I know that is a big issue for some. So it turns out that Arch killed two of the three dead people to set up Fair and he could swoop in to save Harry from her cheating ex because she deserves better (I'd say yes but she thinks women like prostitution so maybe a cheater is what she deserves) .

By some miracle Harry figures it out it's Arch just as he arrives at her barn. I'm not even sure how she knows the truck is his because I don't remember her looking out of the barn. Rather than run out of the barn to her truck/house/her gun she trees herself in the loft and drops her cell phone because we can't have that there ruining this ending right?

So Arch goes up the ladder and ALL the animals end him. Not just her pets which I can see happening but no, all the animals chip in including the wild ones like the owl, snake and possum. Can you see this? If they are reacting t the threat why aren't they biting Harry and Arch equally as they fight (and they do, she stabs him in the face several times, breaking off her knife in his jawbone) No they only attack him. Pewter even blinds him in graphic detail and when he falls out of the loft Tucker tries to bite out his throat. I'm sorry but I just can't see these wild animals rushing to Harry's defense. And as a reward she gives Simon the possum her phone because he likes shiny things.

Now I remember why I quit this series.



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