Rita Mae Brown

This 15th book in the Sister Jane mystery series is yet another wonderful study in the finer points of humane fox hunting. The reader is proffered historic detail, descriptions of hunt practices, roles and manners of participants - all of which lays out the landscape of the fox hunt. One quickly discovers that there is a tremendous amount of effort and planning which goes into each hunt. The descriptions of the actual hunts are so beautifully detailed that one imagines that they're flying over fence and post alongside other riders. Add a philatelic twist to the murder and you've got yourself a fun cozy mystery while hanging out with the hunting set. Kudos to Ms. Brown. If you are a fan of the traditional fox hunt, then this just might be the book for you.

I am grateful to author Rita Me Brown and publisher Ballantine Books for having provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: ‎ Ballantine Books
Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Number of pages: ‎ 272
ISBN: ‎978-0593357576… (mais)

Thanks to Ballentine Books & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I liked the book cover and the publisher’s description, so was expecting an entertaining cozy mystery. The best thing about this book was the cover. The book itself was incredibly tedious, and I read 50% before I called it quits and DNF (did not finish). I have read other books by Rita Mae Brown that I recall enjoying, but not recently and not from this series.

The first clue I had that this might not be an appealing read was the list of characters presented before the novel began. After the list and description of 27(!) “Humans” (including nicknames that sounded like the animals in the other lists), there were lists and descriptions of “American Foxhounds,” “The Horses,” “Foxes” (both reds and greys), “The Birds,” and “Sister’s House Pets.” Plus a glossary of “Useful Terms” that explained fox hunting.

I optimistically figured it would all come together as I began to read, but it was so slow and bogged down with fox hunting activities, as well as hunt club minutiae and technicalities that I couldn’t believe many people would care about this world of Virginia foxhunting, hunters, horses, hounds, and foxes.

To its credit, this is #15 in the series, so maybe if I had started with #1 and read all 14 earlier books, I might have enjoyed this one. But the only thing that broke up the tedium was the discovery of the murder victim in Chapter 3. By Chapter 18 I’d had enough. There is really no story and no characters worth caring about. With too many other books in my TBR pile (both digital and paper) I couldn’t spend any more time with this one.… (mais)

2604. “Lost & Hound” by Rita Mae Brown * * *
Review of eBook

A dense and persistent fog keeps people home, the birds and the deer are still. The silence is unnerving for Jane Arnold, better known as Sister. Fifteen couples are scheduled for the Jefferson Hunt Club’s foxhunt; however, after one run, the thick fog causes the cancellation of the hunt. Both Ben and Betty think they saw something, but in the thick fog, they dismiss it as an illusion.

The next day, Sam, heading for church, discovers the body. He realizes that, if not for the thick fog, they’d have discovered the body the day before.

Did the murderer want someone in the hunt club to see the body? And who is the victim?

=========

The magnificent descriptions are the highlight of this narrative; whether it’s the setting or the foxhunt, the descriptions are magnificent, propelling the reader into the midst of the scene. It’s clear that the author is well-versed in the sport; conversations between the animals are often delightful.

The characters are well-developed and believable; here in this fifteenth book in the author’s Sister Jane series, all the expected characters are in place. As with previous stories in the series, the friendships and camaraderie between the characters is a highlight of the narrative. The plot offers some surprises, but the mystery feels like a minor plot in the telling of the tale.

An extensive cast of characters precedes the narrative; readers new to the series are likely to find these . . . the humans, the foxhounds, the horses, the red foxes, the gray foxes, the birds, Sister’s house pets . . . helpful in determining who’s who in the telling of the tale. Also provided is a list of useful terms for those unfamiliar with foxhunts. This protracted list may feel a bit daunting to readers new to the series, but the information does help with understanding the unfolding story.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#LostHound #NetGalley… (mais)

Jane "Sister" Arnold lives in Albemarle County, Virginia with her husband Gray. She and her friends live for the hunt, and raise both horses and dogs. It's the beginning of autumn, and they decide to enter the fray, only to find that there is too much fog for anything to happen, so they all retire back home. But the next morning after the fog lifts, it is discovered that there is a dead body tied to a chair. Unfortunately, the vultures have already had at him, which makes it a bit impossible to tell who he is. That and the fact that there is no identification.

Why was he tied there, in the way of the hunt? Who is he? How did he die? And what does it have to do with the hunt club, if anything? These are the questions that need to be answered, but no one has any of them. Still, the questions linger, and soon enough it's discovered that perhaps it does have something to do with a member of the hunt club. But is it ominous? And does that member have anything to do with the murder? Sister is determined to find out, even if it might be dangerous to do so...

I will admit that this is the first book in this series that I have read. I also freely admit that I love Mrs. Murphy series, and have read almost all of those. So yes, I was willing to give this one a go. Upon starting the book, I had no idea that I would learn so much about fox hunting. (Not enough to try it myself as I am a city girl born and bred, but it's an interesting idea otherwise!) It's extremely detailed and everything is recorded, you need a hunt master (which I knew) and others to keep everything running smoothly. There are so many details that I can't list them all here, but it's a lot of work and takes a lot of people.

However, Ms. Brown gives us an interesting story in between the hunting. Her writing is warm and the characters are believable. The story is written well, and it is nearly impossible to discover the reasons why the murder was committed. But even though the clues are there, this is how a good tale is done. You need to figure out what those clues mean, and decipher them along with the protagonist. While Sister doesn't really figure out the mystery, she is as much a part of it as her fellow huntsmen.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, they are one of the most despicable of all. There is no sympathy for this person. We cannot feel for each killer, nor should we. All in all, the ending is worth the read, and when everything is said and done, we have read a good story. I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

I was given an advance copy from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.… (mais)