Photo of Rita Mae Brown
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Rita Mae Brown

2 series 48 books in order 2 standalone books

Rita Mae Brown (born 1944) is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Active in a number of civil rights campaigns and associated with the women's liberation movement, she received the Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement at the Lambda Literary Awards in 2015. She is also credited with many books in the Mrs. Murphy series, including Cat on the Scent and A Hiss Before Dying.

Born
1944
Known for
Mrs. Murphy, "Sister" Jane

Series by Rita Mae Brown

Mrs. Murphy

31 books in order · 1990–2024

  1. Cover of Wish You Were Here

    Wish You Were Here

    1990 · Rita Mae Brown

    In Crozet, Virginia, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen has a tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, a Welsh Corgi, Tucker, a pending divorce, and a habit of…

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  2. Cover of Rest in Pieces

    Rest in Pieces

    1992 · Rita Mae Brown

    In Crozet, Virginia, newcomer Blair Bainbridge draws the attention of local matchmakers and divorced postmistress Harry Haristeen, whose cat Mrs.…

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  3. Cover of Murder at Monticello

    Murder at Monticello

    1994 · Rita Mae Brown

    In Albemarle County, Virginia, a new archaeological dig at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello slave quarters uncovers the skeleton of a well-to-do man…

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  4. Pay Dirt

    1995 · Rita Mae Brown

    Pay Dirt is a 1995 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 4 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  5. Murder, She Meowed

    1996 · Rita Mae Brown

    Murder, She Meowed is a 1996 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 5 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  6. Murder on the Prowl

    1998 · Rita Mae Brown

    Murder on the Prowl is a 1998 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 6 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  7. Cat on the Scent

    1999 · Rita Mae Brown

    Cat on the Scent is a 1999 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 7 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  8. Pawing Through the Past

    2000 · Rita Mae Brown

    Pawing Through the Past is a 2000 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 8 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  9. Claws and Effect

    2001 · Rita Mae Brown

    Claws and Effect is a 2001 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 9 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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  10. Catch as Cat Can

    2002 · Rita Mae Brown

    Catch as Cat Can is a 2002 book by Rita Mae Brown. It is book 10 of the series Mrs. Murphy.

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Show all 31 Mrs. Murphy books in order →

"Sister" Jane

15 books in order · 2000–2023

  1. Cover of Outfoxed

    Outfoxed

    2000 · Rita Mae Brown

    From the bestselling author of the landmark work Rubyfruit Jungle comes an engaging, original new novel that only Rita Mae Brown could have written.…

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  2. Cover of Hotspur

    Hotspur

    2002 · Rita Mae Brown

    In her well-received novel Outfoxed, Rita Mae Brown vividly and deftly brought to life the genteel world of foxhunting, where hunters, horses,…

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  3. Cover of Full Cry

    Full Cry

    2003 · Rita Mae Brown

    In the third novel of her captivating foxhunting series, Rita Mae Brown welcomes readers back for a final tour of a world where most business is…

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  4. Cover of The Hunt Ball

    The Hunt Ball

    2005 · Rita Mae Brown

    “A rich, atmospheric murder mystery . . . rife with love, scandal . . . redemption, greed and nobility,” raved the San Jose Mercury News about…

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  5. Cover of The Hounds and the Fury

    The Hounds and the Fury

    2006 · Rita Mae Brown

    Critics and fans alike are wild about Rita Mae Brown’s richly imagined and utterly engaging foxhunting mysteries–and this latest novel promises more…

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  6. Cover of The Tell-Tale Horse

    The Tell-Tale Horse

    2007 · Rita Mae Brown

    The hunt is on in this new installment of Rita Mae Brown’s clever and engaging series. Only instead of chasing foxes into their dens, the locals must…

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  7. Cover of Hounded to Death

    Hounded to Death

    2008 · Rita Mae Brown

    From New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown comes the latest novel in her enthralling series of foxhunting mysteries. Richly imagined and…

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  8. Cover of Fox Tracks

    Fox Tracks

    2012 · Rita Mae Brown

    “[Rita Mae Brown] enlivens a timely tale with . . . amusing accounts of her four-legged creations and delightful descriptions of the central Virginia…

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  9. Cover of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

    Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

    2014 · Rita Mae Brown

    The chase is on in New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown’s gripping foxhunting mystery, featuring the irrepressible “Sister” Jane Arnold…

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  10. Cover of Crazy Like a Fox

    Crazy Like a Fox

    2017 · Rita Mae Brown

    In this thrilling new foxhunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown, an investigation into a missing and valuable object…

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Show all 15 "Sister" Jane books in order →

Standalone books

  1. Cover of Six of one
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  2. Cover of Rubyfruit Jungle
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Rita Mae Brown written?

We list 48 books by Rita Mae Brown across 2 series, published between 1973–2024 — each shown in full reading order.

When is the next Rita Mae Brown book coming out?

The next book is “Pawsible Suspects”, book 18 in the series, expected Feb 23, 2027. That is the publisher's announced date and can change; this page updates when it does.

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

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Wish You Were Here.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Rita Mae Brown's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.