Lost & Hound: A Novel (Sister Jane, #15)

by Rita Mae Brown

When a body is found curiously displayed on “Sister” Jane Arnold’s foxhunting grounds, members of her hunt club realize someone is sending them a dire message, in this exciting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown.

“Cunning foxes, sensible hounds, and sweet-tempered horses are among the sparkling conversationalists in this charming series.”—The New York Times Book Review

Early fall in Virginia means shorter days, cooler temperatures, the blooming milkweeds of summer giving way to fields of fluffy seeds—and of course, the start of fox hunting season. It’s “Sister” Jane Arnold’s favorite time of year. And this year, the Jefferson Hunt Club is busier than ever, organizing a fundraising drive to help with the upkeep of their beloved hunting grounds.

But the festive season is interrupted by the appearance of a dead body, tied to a chair and placed directly in the path of an early-season hunt. No one recognizes the victim, but the intentional placement makes it clear that someone is sending a message. Then, one huntsman’s valuable stamp collection is stolen, and they discover the victim was also a stamp collector. Sister suspects a connection, which is confirmed when just one stamp is found taped to the garage door of her friend and treasurer of the hunt club Ronnie Haslip. Could Ronnie have been involved in either the murder or the theft, or has he been marked as the next victim? Sister must uncover who has been sending these cryptic signs to her friends—before any of them wind up dead.

• ISBN10: 0593357574
• ISBN13: 9780593357576
• Publish Date: 24 October 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593357576

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Lost & Hound is the 15th "Sister" Jane mystery by Rita Mae Brown. Released 24th Oct 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 272 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Like nearly all of Ms. Brown's oeuvre, this is a capably written, well told story that is character driven, neatly plotted, and fairly well paced. Fans of the author, who also enjoy her cozy Mrs. Murphy series as well as her more serious writing will find this series readable and engaging. The Sister Jane books are cozies and full of the American foxhunting traditions and culture. If you don't know anything about riding to hounds, you will after reading this book. This book, markedly shorter than the previous books, seems to be a bit more patchy, with a few seemingly distracting side trips, but overall it's still well told and entertaining. The author/publisher have also helpfully included a glossary and list of characters with short descriptions to help readers stay in the story.

The dialogue and writing are pitch perfect. Typically for Ms. Brown, the writing is solidly comfortable and engaging. Reading her books is almost like visiting with an old friend you haven't seen for a while; you just pick up where you left off the last time, even if you haven't seen them for ages.

This is a distinctly anthropomorphic mystery; but fair warning, if talking animals bug you, this probably isn't the series for you. The book also does a superlative job of giving a glimpse into Virginia hospitality and etiquette and the riding subculture.

Four stars (mostly because even though American fox hunters just chase the foxes and don't kill them, it still distresses me and I'm always rooting for the foxes - the books are also *full* of upper class extremely wealthy people who often rub my proletariat heart the wrong way). Bonus points for the author's managing to make her characters ethnically diverse, and not just pasted on, either. Many of the characters have faced and worked through part of their tragic shared traumatic past, from slave times onward and at this point there seems to be more good-natured camaraderie than any festering resentment.

The actual murder mystery felt -distinctly- secondary to the fox hunting in this one, but still overall quite a solidly entertaining read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

[chymerra]

I love it when I open a book and see that the author has included a glossary of terms used in the book. That is helpful because sometimes, mainly in fantasy, I need clues about what those words mean. In this book, it was helpful because I am not familiar with foxhunting. Having a list of what the different sayings mean and how they are used is beneficial. The author also went a step above and gave a list of characters—humans and animals.

Lost & Hound is the fifteenth book in the Sister Jane series. It can be read as a standalone, but I strongly suggest reading the previous books first. There are backstories and relationships that I could have used better insight into while reading, and there are also references to previous books that left me confused.

The main storyline in Lost & Hound focused on Sister, the Hunt Club, and the various relationships between the members. Strangely, the murder and the investigation were not the focal points of the book. There was little to no insight into the investigation until halfway through the book. However, the storylines were interconnected and well-written.

I was not familiar with foxhunting until I read Lost & Hound. Foxhunting is a sport that I thought was exclusively in England, and I was surprised that people did the hunts in America. The author did a fantastic job of explaining what goes into running a hunt club. As stated in the first paragraph, the author has a glossary of terms that gives more insight into the different terms and positions in the hunt. Also, to clarify, no foxes are harmed in the book. The author also makes that very clear.

The author did something different, including the animals’ POV throughout the book. Seeing how the animals interacted (the whole cow conversation was hilarious) and their insights into their people was often funny and exciting.

The author kept the mystery angle to the background until well past the middle of the book. There were no hints or clues about why the person was killed or who would even want to kill him. So, when the reveal came, it was a huge surprise because it came out of nowhere. Yes, Sister did some digging and revealed the man’s name and occupation. But there were no suspects or reasons.

The end of Lost & Hound was confusing. The reveal of the murderer and the reason behind it was chaotic. I was truly surprised by who killed the man and why. At the risk of repeating myself, it was entirely out of left field, and I was not too fond of that. I also got the impression that there will be a book 16.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Rita Mae Brown for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Lost & Hound.