Customer Reviews

The Hounds and the Fury

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In the fifth entry of the Outfoxed series, Sister Jane Arnold and her friends ride out with their hounds while dealing with the ramifications of the disasterous culmination of the Hunt Ball as detailed in the previous book of that name. Crawford Howard has withdrawn his financial support from the Jefferson Hunt, and another affluent member, Dr. Jason Woods, can't seem to decide whether to follow. The mystery involving possible financial wrong-doing at a local factory takes a while to develop and then takes a back seat to the foxhunts and all the work that makes them possible, but the details are fascinating and, of course, the observations of all the animals are worth the read by themselves.

If you follow both the Mrs. Murphy and Sister Jane series of mystery novels written by Ms. Brown, you may have noticed that what one can only assume are the author's personal opinions about everything from the quality of various makes of automobiles to the advisability of purchasing various brands of boots have been creeping into the stories. That's fine, as long as those details don't overwhelm the story line, and in the last two Mrs. Murphy mysteries, I felt that they had -- I don't remember "who dunnit" but I do recall a several-page exploration of automotive engine technology, which, while mildly interesting, clearly distracted from the story rather than enhanced it. In this book, however, politics are mostly balanced out by event development, although the events may be more about the Hunt than the mystery itself.

I found myself a bit puzzled by a lack of leading articles in dialogue -- statements that would normally begin with "a," "an" or "the" had those words left off. It might ring true for someone from the region, but I couldn't "hear" it and found it a bit disrupting. The dialogue between close friends sometimes "skipped around" a bit, too -- while one can easily see how folks that know one another well would talk in shorthand like that, I don't know these people well enough to follow their conversation all the time.

However, the comments from the animals are spot on, and my own dogs listened intently while I read some of the hunting sequences to them (although, being Poodles, they opined that the foxhunt sounded like rather a lot of work, and why not just head straight to the tailgate potluck?)

A foxhunter herself, Ms. Brown is obviously using these books to present her case in favor of the sport, and I find her arguments to be compelling ones. Actually, I'd be in favor of scrapping the "mystery" element to the books completely, just to read about the traditions and day-to-day activities of the foxhunters! Sure makes me wish I'd kept up those riding lessons waybackwhen....

Cons: Not so much of a mystery, really

Pros: Engaging characters -- especially the animals -- and fascinating exploration of foxhunting.

Being an avid fan of Rita Mae Brown...and Sister Jane....I preordered this book and waited with baited breath until it arrived. I couldn't wait to find out what happened with Crawford. The book basically was good except I wish she had concentrated less on the crime and more on the issue of Crawford Howard and his antics. I think a whole book could have been done about that (and maybe that's forthcoming) because the mystery parts are shallow and have nothing to do with foxhunting. I love the foxhunting parts and her descriptions of the hunt are great....however I feel that a good line could have been how Crawford's hounds felt about hunting for him (I did see the one or two lines of how they felt, however I think dialog between them and the Jefferson hounds could have been good). Also, Marty, being such a close friends of Sister Jane's was sort of forgotten in this book. I am looking forward to Shaker's expanding romance with Lorraine and also the interaction of Ben and Margaret. I always enjoy these books. I read them many times over. I look forward to the next one to see where she takes these story lines.

I was very disappointed in the changes in the main character, "Sister", from a 73 year-old honorable, respectful environmentalist and 'sage'/protector of her community, to a somewhat self-centered younger woman searching for the right mate.

Ms. Brown's Sneaky Pie and fox hunting mysteries have always given me great pleasure until the Hounds and the Fury. I had the very strong sensation that Ms. Brown used three-fourths of this book to expound on fox hunting and her rise to Master of Fox Hounds in her private life. 'Tooting her own horn' so to speak. If I could get my money back, I would.

I hope that this is not a trend and that Ms. Brown returns to her previous writing style re: "Sister" and her world; if not, I will not be buying anymore of this series. If Sneaky Pie's mysteries change radically, as well, I will not buy more of them.

I was really looking forward to this book--I've read RMB since Rubyfruit Jungle and I love mysteries--but my anticipation came to a screeching halt on page 4, where Ms. Brown produced this piece of pandering: "The whole point of the ban [on English foxhunting] was to punish those suspected of wealth or title from (sic) enjoying themselves... It was perfectly fine with [those who passed the ban] if the farmers shot the beautiful creatures... Better yet, Americans did not hunt to kill the fox."

No. It isn't all about the seedy underclasses hating the wealthy (though given the centuries of class privilege in England, it might be understandable if that were the case). It's not to punish those with wealth or title for enjoying themselves... though I'm sure those with wealth and titles were equally annoyed when droit du seigneur was abolished.

The whole point of that ban was to put an end to the bloody and horrible way in which English hunts conclude--the painful, terrifying death of the fox. You see, I'm one of those ignorant Yankees who signed one of the many petitions to Parliament to try to bring an end to the bloody business of British-style foxhunting. I don't recall the English foxhunters ever offering to compromise--to merely hunt the fox, and not allow the dogs to tear it to pieces when it's cornered. It's one thing to shoot an animal that's endangering one's poultry--at least it's quick and relatively merciful. A British fox-hunt is anything but.

Ms. Brown tosses off the very important difference between US and English hunts as though the death of the fox, and the manner of its death, does not matter. It matters to me--as I am sure it matters to the fox. The English hunt begins early, with gamekeepers going around to where the foxes live and stopping their dens--blocking their means of escape. Not very "sporting!" - but if the fox were allowed to escape, the ladies and gentlemen of the hunt would be denied the pleasure of the kill, and that would be such a disappointment!

Let's look at it from the fox's point of view, as Ms Brown does in her books. What would happen to her beloved foxes--what if Target or Comet were unfortunate enough to live in Merrie England? What about sweet, intelligent little Inky? How would the story go...

"Panting, exhausted, Inky dashed through the creek, backtracked to muddle her trail. She ran along a fallen log, cut through a thicket, and dove for her escape hole. It was blocked by a stone, too big to move, too deeply wedged to move around. She gasped, whirled--but it was too late. The hounds closed in, snarling. Inky screamed in agony as her hind leg was torn off, but her adrenaline-charged heart was pumping so fast that she bled to death in seconds.

The whipper-in beat off the dogs and pulled out the bleeding stump of what had been her beautiful, luxuriant tail.

He took the still-warm trophy of their victory over to the youngest member of the hunt, an eight-year-old old boy, and smeared Inky's blood across the child's face.

The boy fought back nausea. This was the glory of the hunt--his father, his mother expected him to be a man! So he did his best, and smiled, and wished he were a million miles away."

I used to buy Rita Mae Brown's books in hardcover. When her misplaced modifiers and brand placement got too irritating--her last Sneaky Pie book read like an ifomercial for the Virginia wine industry--I started reading the hardcover at the library and buying the paperback.

At this point... I don't even know if I'm going to finish this book. The disconnect of making her foxes such interesting, lovable people (her animals have always been more interesting than her humans) while kissing up to the savage brutality of English foxhunting is just more hypocrisy than I want to deal with in recreational reading.

I don't care if Ms Brown or anyone else wants to chase foxes till they're blue in the face; I'm sure it's great exercise. But I draw the line at being told what to believe when it comes to humane treatment of animals. It's sheer nonsense to pretend there's no difference between the US and UK style of fox-hunting or wax indignant over how those of us who think British foxhunting is barbaric are trying to punish the poor hunters. I'm sure Ms. Brown's fox-hunting friends were hugging themselves with glee over her polemic on page 4, but it's just lost her a reader.

I enjoy Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie series very much but this latest novel featuring the Hunt and Sister left me wondering about this theme that Ms. Brown is trying to "get across" to the "straight" crowd. Her political views would be better kept to herself, the snobbery of the Hunt Class and the people involved always "inserting" a lesbian character is leaving me cold. Story line is good, but I could do without her personal life opinions.

I've long loved the Sister Arnold series but this one was just too much to stomach. It's preachy, that looooong section on England's foxhunt had zip to do with the story and was a personal argument from the author. Second, I found myself pitying the one character the reader was meant to hate--- this character was far more interesting than the good guys. As for the good guys they suddenly came off as smug and downright cruel to anyone who wasn't in the circle of Sister's friends. Speaking of Sister, I didn't like what's happened to her character, she's changed. I didn't like this version of her at all--maybe Brown just didn't put enough effort into this novel. The animals were wonderful but there wasn't enough of them. I found myself getting irritated as I read Hounds and the Fury and had to force myself to finish it. Will I buy the next book? Maybe, if I find it used somewhere and even then, only if it's super cheap.

In Virginia, septuagenarian "Sister" Jane Arnold is the grand mistress of the foxhounds at the Jefferson Hunt Club. Though crusty she is normally friendly to man and beast though she finds the four legged species much kinder than the two legged animal. However, Jane does not like two new club members due to their cavalier attitude towards tradition.

Affluent Crawford Howard disrespects everyone especially Jane when he deems their antiquated methodology holds him back; he commits the ultimate insult when he purchase foxhounds to form his own rival club. Cancer specialist Jason Woods expects VIP special treatment from the JHC especially Jane, but even long time members do not get superior handling and Sister tries to ignore him. Meanwhile Jane's companion Gray Lorillard audits the books of a local company only to learn Iphigenia "Iffy" Demetrios has been withdrawing money from it for years. Not long afterward someone murders Iffy and wounds Gray's brother. Jane and her four legged buddies conclude that someone fears what else the audit will reveal.

The villain is obvious and the story line with talking animals used by Rita Mae Brown in this series (see FULL CRY) and her other major series (Mrs. Murphy) will delight her fans who will definitely want to read this charming cozy. The talk with the animals' whodunit is fun to follow as Sister and her four legged pals investigate the murder and the apparent attempted murder where she assumes Gray was the target. Fans of Ms. Brown will enjoy her latest personification mystery.

Harriet Klausner

the author and her alter ego Sister Jane just gets more insufferable in each book. Again, the mystery part of the book occupied a very small portion of the word count. Most of the book was taken up with glorifying Sister Jane, name and brand dropping, and political and moral harangues.

I think the series jumped the shark for good when a character takes hold of one of his own dogs, by the collar mind you, and Sister Jane punches him several times, knocking out several teeth, claiming no one mistreats a dog around her. Now apparently it is fine to haul a hound by its tail from digging a fox out of its den, but taking hold of a dog by the collar is mistreatment and a jaw breaking event. And of course everyone applauds Sister Jane. It's nauseating.

Another thing that is frankly disgusting is her glorifying of infidelity. I'm not married; my parents never divorced, and I don't really care what unattached consenting adults do. Meaning I have no baggage, but I do believe adults should behave with some integrity, and if they can't, don't glorify the lack as a virtue as Sister Jane/Rita Mae does. If you are going to get married, have the maturity and decency to be honest with the person you gave vows to. If you want to play around, divorce, or at least separate. We wouldn't countenance children cheating on tests, but apparently its noble in Sister Jane's book to cheat on the one person you should value most in the world. It's not being liberated; its just shamefully dishonest.

When I first started this series, I thought the talking animals an overly cutesey device. But now I wish the story contained only animals. At least they wouldn't preach politics, worship brand names, glorify a lack of impulse control that would shame a toddler, or put front and center a Mary Sue character that would embarass a fanfiction editor. I like horses, but not even horses can save these novels.

I have the first seven books, so I am going to read and review them just so that another person not so enthralled by the lives of the rich will not mistake these for mystery novels.

I love this series! spent all night reading this one. fantastic! rita mae brown did it again! I wish she would write another in the sister series. Foxhunting fans and non equestrians would both love this book, good portrayal of the country life and people, highly recommend

I am an occasional reader of this author. I find the books entertaining. Never read any of the horse stuff, and the political narrative concerning fox hunting, the glossing over of the brutality of the endeavor, and the fact that the author is trying to convey that this is not a rich man's sport is laughable. Anyone who owns a horse knows that it is way more expensive than owning cats and dogs (as if that is cheap) and is not your average middle class worker. I very much do not care for books that distort cultural differences to pander to a certain set of people. Not my views, not my cup of tea.