CLAWS AND EFFECT

Considering that this story was jointly written with Brown's cat, Sneaky Pie, it's not surprising that the key sleuths in this murder mystery are cats (and a helpful dog). While this is ostensibly a story of foul play in the Crozet hospital, it's also a novel of horse country that introduces us to the good (and not so good) citizens of a small Virginia town. A crime needs solving, but most of the action takes place in the post office, where human heroine "Harry" Haristeen works. Narrator Kate Forbes commendably brings the townsfolk to life. Her animal voices are charming without being overly cute. And she ably keeps the story alive even when not much is going on. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]