Murder on the Prowl

Review by Edan
Title: Murder on the Prowl (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery #6)
Author: Rita Brown and Sneaky Brown
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 1999

Quick Summary:
In the town of Cozet, Virginia, "Harry" Haristeen lives alone with her intelligent tabby cat, Mrs. Murphy, her corgi, Tee Tucker and her fat cat, Pewter. In this small town, everyone knows everyone and soon a false obituary appears in the paper for Roscoe Fletcher, the principal of St. Elizabeth's, the local high school. The town is flipped upside down as people wonder if it is a warning or joke. A few weeks later, another false obituary winds up in the newspaper for one of Roscoe Fletchers best friends, a old Hollywood star. Murders begin taking place all around town, yet everything seems to surround the school in unexpected ways. Mrs. Murphy and her furry friends dive into these murders and try to find ways to lead Harry and the humans to this blood thirsty killer.

Review:
I hadn't read any of the other book of this series, but loved this one all the same. I tried picking up another Mrs. Murphy from earlier in the series and didn't like how some people were missing and things were different. I have started reading the book after this one and am enjoying it much more. There are so many characters in these books, I had a hard time figuring out who was who in the beginning, but luckily they included a character cast. By the end of this book and the start of the next, I understood the major characters who stay in most of the stories.  Mrs. Murphy and her friends add another aspect to these mysteries. All the animals speak to one another and understands the humans, yet the humans don't understand them. Being cats and dogs, they can get away with listening in and going places other people wouldn't be able to do. Only a true cat lover could add some comments and complaints that the cats make. Me, being a devote cat owner, found the cats very funny and lifelike. Any cat owner would like these books. I personally am not very fond of mystery books, but I love these fascinating, funny, thrilling and enthralling mysteries.

Rating: *****

Behemoth

Review by Edan
Title: Behemoth (Leviathan Trilogy Book #2)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Published: 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Quick Summary:
As the Leviathan flies toward Istanbul, Deryn Sharp (a midshipmen in the British Air Service disguised as a boy by the name of Dylan) and Prince Aleksander (the secret heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary) continue to hold their secrets. They are fighting during WWI, but Deryn is a Darwinist and Alek is a Clanker. The Darwinists use their fabricated animals like the Leviathan, a giant, helium inflated whale, and the Clankers use their war machines. In Istanbul, they are thrown into a exciting journey as Alek tries to flee the Leviathan and Deryn struggles to keep her secret and make sure Alek is safe. They work together to try to put a stop to the war that keeps these two friends apart.

Review:
I liked this enthralling book just as much as I liked the first book. The characters are complex but understandable. Though out the book, the point of few shifts. It isn't in first person, but it lets you understand what Deryn and Alek are thinking and what secrets they are worried about being discovered. It is so nerve racking knowing Deryn is a girl. I wanted Deryn to tell Alek the truth, but she was never able to. It is hard to understand the machines and animals and what they look like. The pictures make it all clear. The story is twisting and unexpected and there are many surprises in store for the reader. After reading the second book in this series, your have to read the last one immediately  afterwards.

Rating: *****