Rita Mae Brown books in order
Novelist, poet, screenwriter, activist
- Born
- 1944
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 70
- Series
- 1
Rita Mae Brown has published 63 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 3 poetry collections and 1 other book, beginning with Rubyfruit Jungle (1973). The series is Mrs. Murphy (27 books, starting with Wish You Were Here). 11 feature Jane Arnold and 3 feature Harry Haristeen. The latest is Sealed with a Hiss (2025).
Updated September 2026
Mrs. Murphy books in order (27)Series page
Reading order: 1 Wish You Were Here (1990) · 2 Rest in Pieces (1992) · 3 Murder at Monticello, Or, Old Sins (1994) · 4 Pay Dirt (1995) · 5 Murder, She Meowed (1996) · 6 Murder on the Prowl (1998) · 7 Cat on the Scent (1998) · 8 Pawing Through the Past (2000) · 9 Claws and Effect (2001) · 10 Catch as Cat Can (2002) · … all 27 below
- 1.
Wish You Were Here (1990)
- 2.
Rest in Pieces (1992)
- 3.
Murder at Monticello, Or, Old Sins (1994)
- 4.
Pay Dirt (1995)
- 5.
Murder, She Meowed (1996)
- 6.
Murder on the Prowl (1998)
- 7.
Cat on the Scent (1998)
- 8.
Pawing Through the Past (2000)
- 9.
Claws and Effect (2001)
- 10.
Catch as Cat Can (2002)
- 11.
The Tail of the Tip-off (2003)
- 12.
Whisker of Evil (2004)
- 13.
Cat's Eyewitness (2005)
- 14.
Sour Puss (2006)
- 15.
Puss 'n Cahoots (2007)
- 16.
The Purrfect Murder (2008)
- 17.
Santa Clawed (2008)
- 18.
Cat of the Century (2010)
- 19.
Hiss of Death (2011)
- 20.
The Big Cat Nap (2012)
- 21.
Sneaky Pie for President (2012)
- 22.
The Litter of the Law (2013)
- 23.
Nine Lives to Die (2014)
- 24.
Tail Gait (2015)
- 25.
Tall Tail (2016)
- 26.
Feline Fatale (2024)
- 27.
Sealed with a Hiss (2025)
Books featuring Jane Arnold (11)
Outfoxed (2000)
Hotspur (2002)
Full Cry (2003)
The Hunt Ball (2005)
The Hounds and the Fury (2006)
The Tell-Tale Horse (2007)
Hounded to Death (2008)
Fox Tracks (2012)
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (2014)
Crazy Like a Fox (2017)
Out of Hounds (2020)
Where to start with Rita Mae Brown
Start here
Rubyfruit Jungle
Rita Mae Brown's most-read book.
Newest
Sealed with a Hiss
Published 2025.
Standalone novels in order
Rubyfruit Jungle (1973)
A Plain Brown Rapper (1976)
In Her Day (1976)
Six of One (1978)
Southern Discomfort (1982)
Sudden Death (1983)
High Hearts (1986)
Bingo (Oct 1988)
Venus Envy (1993)
Dolley (1994)
Riding Shotgun (1996)
Rita Will (1997)
Loose Lips (1999)
Alma Mater (2001)
Animal Magnetism (2009)
A Nose for Justice (2010)
Murder Unleashed (2012)
Scarlet Fever (2019)
Furmidable Foes (2020)
Claws for Alarm (2021)
Hiss and Tell (2022)
Lost & Hound (2023)
Fox and Furious (2025)
Novellas in order
Sneaky Pie's Cookbook for Mystery Lovers (1999)
The Sand Castle (2008)
Non-fiction in order
Starting from Scratch (1988)
Poetry in order
The Hand That Cradles the Rock (1971)
Songs to a Handsome Woman (1973)
Poems (1987)
About Rita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. Brown was active in a number of civil rights campaigns and criticized the marginalization of lesbians within feminist groups. Brown received the Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement at the Lambda Literary Awards in 2015. She is considered a significant Southern lesbian feminist poet and author and is associated with the women's liberation movement and women in print movement.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Rita Mae Brown FAQ
- How many books has Rita Mae Brown written?
- Rita Mae Brown has published 63 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 3 poetry collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Rita Mae Brown's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Mrs. Murphy with Wish You Were Here. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Rita Mae Brown's latest book?
- Sealed with a Hiss (2025).
- What is Rita Mae Brown's most famous book?
- Rubyfruit Jungle (1973) is Rita Mae Brown's most widely read book.
- Are Rita Mae Brown's books connected?
- 27 books belong to 1 series (Mrs. Murphy); the other 43 books stand alone.
Authors like Rita Mae Brown
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.