Hounded to Death (Center Point Platinum Mystery (Large Print)) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Rita Mae Brown (Author)

Book Description

Series: Center Point Platinum Mystery (Large Print) | Publication Date: October 2008

From New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown comes the latest novel in her enthralling series of foxhunting mysteries. Richly imagined and utterly engaging, Hounded to Death reveals the cutthroat world of competitive hound shows as both humans and animals alike try to solve a series of bizarre deaths.

“Sister” Jane Arnold, esteemed master of the Jefferson Hunt Club, has traveled to Kentucky for one of the biggest events of the season: the Mid-South Hound Show, where foxhounds, bassets, and beagles gather to strut their champion bloodline stuff. But the fun is squelched when, immediately after the competition, one of the contestants, Mo Schneider, turns up dead–facedown, stripped to the waist, and peppered with birdshot. Universally detested by his peers, Mo had no shortage of enemies, making the list of suspects as long as the line for homemade pecan pie at a church bake sale.

Two weeks later, back in Virginia, Sister is rocked when her friend the popular veterinarian Hope Rogers dies from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sister refuses to believe that Hope killed herself and vows to sniff out the truth. But before she can make real headway, a wealthy pet food manufacturer vanishes during the granddaddy of all canine exhibitions, the Virginia Hound Show.

Ever reliant on her “horse sense,” Sister can’t help but connect the three incidents. And what she uncovers will make her blood run colder than the bodies that keep turning up in unexpected places.

Thrilling adventures with horses and hounds, breathtaking vistas, furry friends, familiar faces–including Shaker Crown and the girls from Custis Hall–Rita Mae Brown weaves all these elements into a dazzling novel of suspense.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of bestseller Brown's discursive seventh crime novel starring master of fox hounds Sister Jane Arnold (after The Tell-Tale Horse), Sister is busy showing her hounds in the hunting off-season. Then calamity strikes. At the Mid-America Hound Show in Kentucky, an unpopular master is shot dead with rat shot (aka bird shot). Back home in Virginia, a member of Sister's Jefferson Hunt Club disappears. When a veterinarian, despondent over her divorce, apparently commits suicide, Sister decides she can no longer leave matters to the police. As usual, a wealth of fox-hunting lore lends interest, but too many incidentals—a conversation about a saint, the furnishings of Sister's house, a prep school commencement—neither further the plot nor illuminate character. Still, series fans should enjoy catching up with old friends among the Virginia fox-hunting gentry. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Lusty, lively Sister Jane, Master of the Hunt and amateur detective, is back in her seventh book. No one other than Sister is worried when a thoroughly nasty hound breeder is killed, but Sister’s suspicions really kick into high gear when the local (and world-renowned) equine vet is found dead in her surgery, with one of Sister’s horses. Typical of this series (and the author’s Sneaky Pie Brown books), the countryside of central Virginia is as important a character as any of the large cast, and this time that lush landscape is explored by Sister and her fellow hunters as they prepare for the new hunting season. The slower pace of the investigation is offset by the character development and interaction between human, hounds, and horses; clever and snappy dialogue between humans and animals is interspersed with more philosophical discussions on the value of human and animal life. Hounded to Death, a solid and enjoyably entry in this popular series, will be snapped up by fans and draw in new readers. Anyone interested in rural sleuths, animals, Virginia, hunting, or horses will enjoy the engaging story, its countryside and its characters, all wrapped up in a high-quality modern cozy mystery. --Jessica Moyer --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 307 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Large Print; Lrg edition (October 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602852669
• ISBN-13: 978-1602852662
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,174,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rita Mae Brown is the bestselling author of the Sister Jane novels-Outfoxed, Hotspur, Full Cry, The Hunt Ball, The Hounds and the Fury, The Tell-Tale Horse, and Hounded to Death-as well as the Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries and Rubyfruit Jungle, In Her Day, Six of One, and The Sand Castle, among many others. An Emmy-nominated screenwriter and a poet, Brown lives in Afton, Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, October 3, 2008

By 

Intrepid foot follower (C'ville VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hounded to Death: A Novel (Hardcover)

Rita Mae Brown delivers a winner in this installment of her Sister Jane "Outfoxed Series". Where her last title seemed rushed to production and the plotline was not well-developed, "Hounded to Death" is a welcome return to a great read for Rita Mae fans.
The story begins in late Spring in Kentucky at the Mid-America Hound Show where evil quickly raises its ugly head and starts the novel on its "whodunit" path while simultaneously explaining hound shows and searching for a stolen hound. Then, a suicide of a friend occurs, but Sister is not willing to believe that it was a suicide. Hmmm. Intermingled are interesting discussions of Kentucky bourbon, human nature, descriptions of opening new hunt territory, carrion eating habits, graduation from Custis Hall by "the girls", moonshining, and animal cruelty allegations.
As usual with this series, Rita Mae gives great accounts that educate us on foxhunting and animals without the feeling that we are being educated. And yes, the animals have some great conversations--a Rita Mae device to give us more clues and education.
While the book moves through the summer, there are no accounts of actual hunts so the reader must wait until hunting season just as foxhunters must wait. As with real foxhunting, the wait is worthwhile, as several wonderful accounts finally take place. As often happens in this series, a body is discovered during a hunt, and similarly, the unmasking of the killer is discovered, and he is accounted for at the end of a hunt.
Several old friends from previous books play important parts, including Tootie, Shaker and Gray. New characters include the despicable Mo Schneider; a horse vet--Hope Rogers; retired Judge Barry Baker; pet food maker, Grant Fuller; and new landowners, Dr. and Mrs. Mitch Fisher.
The writing is entertaining and sometimes thought provoking. It is also quite poetic and descriptive as evidenced by the following passage:

"Red!" Dreamboat called out.
As this hound was only in his second year, Cora checked it.
Asa came over, put his nose down, then lifted his head along with Cora and the curtain was raised.

This is a fun read, and we are there with them. I'll recommend this one to all my friends.
+

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is getting better, October 6, 2008

By 

S. Roth (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hounded to Death: A Novel (Hardcover)

I was glad to see a return to some better plot lines. Although I miss my "friends" like Crawford Howard, being a foxhunter myself, I know how these relationships tend to take a back seat in the summer. I am waiting for that Jane Arnold mystery that will make me not want to put the book down, like earlier ones Outfoxed and Hotspur. I must say that hound shows are a part of hunting I know nothing about, so it was quite interesting to read the ins and outs of hound showing. It has made me want to go view one next year. So, all in all, this one was better, not her best work but I'm glad to see a return to more storyline.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hounded to sleep, January 27, 2009

By 

Newfmom "Newfmom" (Grafton, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hounded to Death: A Novel (Hardcover)

I am a big fan of Rita Mae Brown's fox hunting series. However, her latest intallment is way off the mark. The wonderful characters that are so important to the books are lost. The wonderful animal characters are almost non existant. I love to read the foxes' comments and thoughts, but Inky, (my personal favorite) the wonderful Balck fox, is not involved. The rest of the animal characters are also absent. These characters have always added depth, humor and interest to the previous books. Sister Jane has always been a wonderful warm, honest and above board person. She is different in this book, and not a good different. Shaker is also different in this book, and not very involved. Shaker and Lorraine's relationship has gone no further and is lost to us readers. The rest of the members of the Jefferson Hunt are mere shadows of themselves and not truly involved in the investigations of the murders. The murderer himself is also a huge contradiction and confusing character. I don't know whether to like, dislike, hate or what to feel about him. The young girls from Custis Hall are back, but are not quite what we are used to, much more shallow and in Felicity's case BLAH. Crawford, Sister Jane's great nemisis, makes only a short uninteresting appearance. Character development has not only stopped in this book, it has regressed. The hunting sequences are absent until the end and are very drab. The plot is also convoluted and at times does not make any sense. The death of the vet is deeply troubling and is never truly explained in a satisfactory manner. The several deaths involved in the book are especially cruel and their explanations trite. This book feels like a rough draft of what could have been a great addition to the Sister Jane fox hunting books. Instead, it is lack luster, confusing and a big disapointment. I recieved this book as a gift. If I had purchased it for myself, I may have asked for a refund.