What do you think?
Rate this book
"Sister" Jane #3
Full Cry
In the third novel of her captivating foxhunting series, Rita Mae Brown welcomes readers back for a final tour of a world where most business is conducted on horseback–and stables are de rigueur for even the smallest of estates. Here, in the wealth-studded hills of Jefferson County, Virginia, even evil rides a mount.
The all-important New Year’s Hunt commences amid swirling light snow. It is the last formal hunt of the season; therefore, participation is required no matter how hungover riders are from toasting the midnight before. On this momentous occasion, “Sister” Jane Arnold, master of the foxhounds, announces her new joint master and the new president of the Jefferson Hunt. And her choices will prove to be no less than shocking.
The day’s festivities are quickly marred, though, by what appears on the surface to be an unrelated tragedy. Sam Lorillard, former shining star and Harvard Law School alum, lies dead of a stab wound on a baggage cart at the old train station, surrounded by the outcasts and vagabonds who composed his social circle at the end of life. No one can remember when Sam started drinking, but the downward spiral was swift–and seemingly deadly.
Murder is followed by scandal when Sister Jane discovers dishonest hunting practices going on in a neighboring club. Unsure whether to turn a blind eye or report the infringement to the proper authority, Sister and her huntsman, Shaker Crown, decide to investigate a little further, with the help of their trusty hounds. But when they come a little too close to the staggering truth–and uncover an unforeseen connection to Lorillard’s murder–they realize they might not survive to see the next New Year’s Hunt.
Intricate, witty, and full of the varied voices of creatures both great and small, Full Cry is an astute reminder that even those with the bluest of blood still bleed red.
The all-important New Year’s Hunt commences amid swirling light snow. It is the last formal hunt of the season; therefore, participation is required no matter how hungover riders are from toasting the midnight before. On this momentous occasion, “Sister” Jane Arnold, master of the foxhounds, announces her new joint master and the new president of the Jefferson Hunt. And her choices will prove to be no less than shocking.
The day’s festivities are quickly marred, though, by what appears on the surface to be an unrelated tragedy. Sam Lorillard, former shining star and Harvard Law School alum, lies dead of a stab wound on a baggage cart at the old train station, surrounded by the outcasts and vagabonds who composed his social circle at the end of life. No one can remember when Sam started drinking, but the downward spiral was swift–and seemingly deadly.
Murder is followed by scandal when Sister Jane discovers dishonest hunting practices going on in a neighboring club. Unsure whether to turn a blind eye or report the infringement to the proper authority, Sister and her huntsman, Shaker Crown, decide to investigate a little further, with the help of their trusty hounds. But when they come a little too close to the staggering truth–and uncover an unforeseen connection to Lorillard’s murder–they realize they might not survive to see the next New Year’s Hunt.
Intricate, witty, and full of the varied voices of creatures both great and small, Full Cry is an astute reminder that even those with the bluest of blood still bleed red.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
72 people are currently reading
420 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
173 books2,232 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
October 23, 2014
For some reason this book felt 100 pages longer than the previous one, probably because there was less about the mystery & more soap opera. As much as I love the VA fox hunting scene & the wonderful way Brown describes it, there was too much preaching & I'm in the choir. If you want to know what real fox hunting is like, Brown does describe that well.
It was the realism of the actual murder mystery bits that really hurt this novel for me. The end fight, the reason & setup for it were particularly weak.
A big thread in here was about alcoholism. I'm on the fence about the way it was handled. She did the outsiders' point of view pretty well. It's obvious Brown isn't one, but I think she believes she knows one or two pretty well. She doesn't. She missed getting it right on a couple of critical points, though. A recovering alcoholic who didn't know he was getting drunk when someone spiked his drink? Please. Then she harmed that by making a point of how much it took to get an alcoholic drunk.
Mom gave me two of these books, this & the previous one. I won't bother to read another.
It was the realism of the actual murder mystery bits that really hurt this novel for me. The end fight, the reason & setup for it were particularly weak.
A big thread in here was about alcoholism. I'm on the fence about the way it was handled. She did the outsiders' point of view pretty well. It's obvious Brown isn't one, but I think she believes she knows one or two pretty well. She doesn't. She missed getting it right on a couple of critical points, though. A recovering alcoholic who didn't know he was getting drunk when someone spiked his drink? Please. Then she harmed that by making a point of how much it took to get an alcoholic drunk.
Mom gave me two of these books, this & the previous one. I won't bother to read another.
March 11, 2014
All right, the mystery itself deserves four stars. The problem comes in all the extra confusing the issue. The foxhunting is interesting as it is such as alien sport to me. The interplay between the creatures is fun to read even though I think some it is pure fantasy. [I raise goats and find the local hounds terrifying to have in the pastures.] It did make up an important part of the mystery. Some of the other causes were much too heavy handed.
For the mystery, it is pure Rita Mae Brown up to the exciting climax and solution.
For the mystery, it is pure Rita Mae Brown up to the exciting climax and solution.
October 18, 2025
Too little mystery in it for me.
January 19, 2019
Mrs Murphy wins by a nose
August 20, 2021
A slow burn.
This is not your usual cosy. It moves at a snails pace, but I didn’t mind that too much once I got into the swing of things. Jane ‘Sister’ Arnold is a seventy something widow who is living her best life. She is down to earth, intelligent and has an appreciation for the natural world that was a breath of fresh air. I was worried about the foxhunting aspect as it plays a major part of the book. The characters eat, sleep and breath the sport, and I was so relieved to find out that the pack are called off once they ‘tree’ or den the fox. Another quirk is that the animals also contribute to the narrative, and their simplified observations clarify certain points and it really does work in this book (although it does take a while to acclimate to these unique povs).
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get my hands on the previous two books, and although I followed the story, you do miss out on the backstories that are liberally sprinkled throughout, and I’m that kind of reader who feels antsy when I’m not in the know when it comes to series. Sadly, they are hard to find for a reasonable price, so snap them up if you see them.
4 stars ⭐️
This is not your usual cosy. It moves at a snails pace, but I didn’t mind that too much once I got into the swing of things. Jane ‘Sister’ Arnold is a seventy something widow who is living her best life. She is down to earth, intelligent and has an appreciation for the natural world that was a breath of fresh air. I was worried about the foxhunting aspect as it plays a major part of the book. The characters eat, sleep and breath the sport, and I was so relieved to find out that the pack are called off once they ‘tree’ or den the fox. Another quirk is that the animals also contribute to the narrative, and their simplified observations clarify certain points and it really does work in this book (although it does take a while to acclimate to these unique povs).
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get my hands on the previous two books, and although I followed the story, you do miss out on the backstories that are liberally sprinkled throughout, and I’m that kind of reader who feels antsy when I’m not in the know when it comes to series. Sadly, they are hard to find for a reasonable price, so snap them up if you see them.
4 stars ⭐️
September 16, 2024
I'm learning a lot about fox hunting (this group doesn't kill the foxes; they leave feed with wormer in it to help protect the foxes. I suppose being focussed so fully on the hunt is one way to spend time out in nature. "Cute" is the motif of dogs, foxes, cats, owl, whatever able to speak to each other and among their species. I do think though that in reality foxes don't enjoy the chase; in this series so far they do. In this one, the pack ends up chasing a mountain lion. Sadly the Virginian lions are extinct, though occasionally South Dakota's Black Hills lions do wander into Virginia and elsewhere.
I didn't quite get how "Sister" (aka Jane Arnold) figured out who was the killer. When I was 70, Sister's age, I don't think I would have been so athletic as she was in the solution. That seemed fake to me. And why does everyone call her "Sister"? She has a sister in NYC and was never a nun or nor a British nurse. Though she was a member of a sorority. Still men and non-sorority women call her "sister".
I didn't quite get how "Sister" (aka Jane Arnold) figured out who was the killer. When I was 70, Sister's age, I don't think I would have been so athletic as she was in the solution. That seemed fake to me. And why does everyone call her "Sister"? She has a sister in NYC and was never a nun or nor a British nurse. Though she was a member of a sorority. Still men and non-sorority women call her "sister".
April 17, 2024
Something is amiss among the foxhunters. People have been turning up dead under suspicious circumstances. What seemed like a sad spiral into alcoholism
was more complicated than freezing to death. Then there was a second death.
And a fire. And someone else found in the ashes. In the relatively small tight knit community, people thought they knew one another pretty well. But some had been keeping secrets and had a lot to lose. Interspersed with chasing foxes, members of the Jefferson Hunt find the mystery comes close to home. And lifelong friends and acquaintances may not be what they seem. This series weaves the murder hunt with the lore of foxes, lays a trap for the killer and culminates in one last thrilling chase on horseback.
was more complicated than freezing to death. Then there was a second death.
And a fire. And someone else found in the ashes. In the relatively small tight knit community, people thought they knew one another pretty well. But some had been keeping secrets and had a lot to lose. Interspersed with chasing foxes, members of the Jefferson Hunt find the mystery comes close to home. And lifelong friends and acquaintances may not be what they seem. This series weaves the murder hunt with the lore of foxes, lays a trap for the killer and culminates in one last thrilling chase on horseback.
June 17, 2020
This one felt a little weak in the mystery department. It gives you a pretty obvious idea of who the killer is and doesn't really throw doubt on those guesses along the way so no big surprise at the end. The ending itself felt a bit rushed and the killers reaction to Sister's plan seems way over the top - especially for someone who just murdered people in a calm and calculated way. The other frustration was the way this book bordered on political. Still planning to read the next book, hopefully it's as good as the first two.
December 1, 2021
This book is perfectly well-written, but neither the characters nor the plot really grabbed me. Perhaps it's just that I have no background in foxhunting, horses, or hounds, so it really just didn't speak to my interests. Maybe if I had those interests, I would have been more taken with it. But it really didn't do a good job of reaching out to the outsider; this is definitely a story for the members of that niche. It is a moderately tolerable story for anybody else, but it's the first time I've ever been disappointed by a Rita Mae Brown story.
September 7, 2017
Interesting in the details of the fox hunting sport. Weird with the animals talking to each other. Not so great mystery story.
Found this in the closet with no idea how it got there! Rainy day reading.
Found this in the closet with no idea how it got there! Rainy day reading.
November 4, 2023
Not a bad story by Rita Mae Brown. I about cried when more details surrounding Ray Jr.’s death came to light. However, my favorite plotline was Sister’s rekindled romance. If it can happen to her at 72 yrs old then that’s something to look forward to in the future!! Thank you Ms. Brown!!
April 20, 2024
This #3 Sister Jane book looks at alcoholism, two "derelicts" are found dead at the train station where they were know to spend their days. Their deaths help Sam , the brother of Jefferson Hunt Club's newest member to go to rehab. there is a fire in town which brings more question.
March 20, 2018
An adventure from beginning to end, and what an end
October 8, 2018
Always a Joy
Even if you don’t hunt or even ride these stories bring another part of nature to life. And Sister is my hero.
Even if you don’t hunt or even ride these stories bring another part of nature to life. And Sister is my hero.
October 9, 2018
As interesting as the fox hunts are, I found this book about 100 pages too long and the ending confusing and quick. Sister jumping on the back of Clay's horse. Really?
April 25, 2020
Another great entry in the Sister Jane series!
May 17, 2020
lots of fun info on fox hunting.
July 15, 2020
Very much enjoy Ms. Brown’s work. Tight mysteries, great characters. Absolutely love the animal characters. Fully developed and quite fun to read.
March 10, 2022
Not one of her best. Story was skimpy and only wrapped up in last few chapters.
May 27, 2022
Love learning more background on Sister's life and other in hunt group. Good character building in this one.
December 30, 2024
An excellent primer on the Virginia fox hunting culture but completely overshadows what might have been a compelling murder mystery.
October 1, 2025
Love!!!
Anything by Rita Mae is a hit for me. Amazing writer. Love the Sister Jane books! The animals are hilarious.
Anything by Rita Mae is a hit for me. Amazing writer. Love the Sister Jane books! The animals are hilarious.
March 13, 2017
Goodness, if this keeps up all of Jefferson Hunt will be either murdered or in prison, with only Sister Jane left to keep hunting. Jane finally gets her own love interest in this one! I hope he doesn't end up dead in future books. I just love reading these, they are more about foxhunting than murder and that is fine by me. I am learning more and more about this aspect of horsemanship that I previously knew nothing about. I would definitely recommend these books to all animal lovers out there. The animal characters have their own voice which makes these books unique and fun to read. Four out of five stars to Full Cry.
June 15, 2020
0-345-46520-2
November 2, 2008
What I like about many mystery series is the look they give into a world you know almost nothing about. Rita Mae Brown's fox-hunting books, set in the rolling hills of Virginia, do just that. This is the fourth one I've read, and I've learned quite a lot about American fox-hunting, which unlike European fox-hunting is not a bloody sport. In the United States the hounds only chase the fox until it escapes into a den, and the Masters of the Hunt take care of their foxes by leaving food for them in storms and even giving them "treats" containing deworming medicines. I've also learned about the care of hounds and horses, Southern hospitality and the way of life in affluent rural Virginia. The mystery is the least important part of the stories. It's the characters, both the animals who comment among themselves and across species, and the people, who command your attention. One caveat - the blurb on the hardcover copy of Full Cry and on Rita Mae Brown's web site as well is incorrect. Sam Lorillard is still very much alive and sober at the end of the book, and the dishonest practices have nothing to do with another hunt club.
November 30, 2014
This is a comfortable cozy mystery centered around the world of fox hunting and while there are times that Rita Mae Brown explains the art and science behind fox hunting a little more than most people might be interested, none the less, it was a good mystery and a fun read.
"Sister" Jane, the 72-year-ld master of the foxhounds has more than her usual duties in this book. She has finally named her co-master and gotten one of her wealthier members named president (a better position for him that co-master) of the club, but the squabbling doesn't stop there. One of the members has hired the alcoholic brother of another to take care of his horses. The man, Sam, has been through detox and it seems to have worked but there are still hard feelings between the former drunk and one of the other members. Meanwhile, two of Sam's former associates end up dead -- and it appears to be murder. The hounds track their foxes while Jane goes after the human predator or predators in an intricate weave of greed, jealousy and violence. A good story with many twists and turns.
"Sister" Jane, the 72-year-ld master of the foxhounds has more than her usual duties in this book. She has finally named her co-master and gotten one of her wealthier members named president (a better position for him that co-master) of the club, but the squabbling doesn't stop there. One of the members has hired the alcoholic brother of another to take care of his horses. The man, Sam, has been through detox and it seems to have worked but there are still hard feelings between the former drunk and one of the other members. Meanwhile, two of Sam's former associates end up dead -- and it appears to be murder. The hounds track their foxes while Jane goes after the human predator or predators in an intricate weave of greed, jealousy and violence. A good story with many twists and turns.
January 20, 2016
P 98 democracy has become the holy grail of the west, of industrialization...real worship is not of one man one vote, it's one man one dollar. Commerce drives democracy not vice versa.
P98 the tax code will never be simplified in our lifetime because it's not about taxes; it's about congressmen distributing the pork....people focus on the irs, the symptom of their pain, instead of congress, the source of their sickness.
P201 safety numbs people
Ok end of third book. Sister Jane plans her scheme to flush out the murderer. On the actual day it happens in a page and a half. I've read almost three hundred. I don't follow. I like the characters but by golly (the name of the cat by the way) I don't feel much connection in motives and people to the murder. Then, it's the end of story.
P98 the tax code will never be simplified in our lifetime because it's not about taxes; it's about congressmen distributing the pork....people focus on the irs, the symptom of their pain, instead of congress, the source of their sickness.
P201 safety numbs people
Ok end of third book. Sister Jane plans her scheme to flush out the murderer. On the actual day it happens in a page and a half. I've read almost three hundred. I don't follow. I like the characters but by golly (the name of the cat by the way) I don't feel much connection in motives and people to the murder. Then, it's the end of story.
December 6, 2007
Out of the 3 Rita Mae Brown books I've read, I think I liked this one the best. Though she started out a little preachy (as usual), she seemed to let up towards the end and let the story tell it itself instead of forcing agendas into every nook and cranny. The publisher's description of the book is just wrong. Sam Lorillard is not killed in the book. There are 3 murders, and he isn't one of them. That kind of threw me off for a long time because I kept expecting him to die and he never did, plus one of the books I've read supposedly took place after this and he was alive in that book. So I thought Brown had screwed up and forgot she killed him off.
May 26, 2011
The thing about Rita Mae Brown is that sometimes, instead of using the story to make her point, she has one of the characters deliver a lecture. And sometimes anthropomorphizing the non-verbal characters in the story (hounds, horses, foxes, cat) gets to be a bit much. In general, I know what to expect, and I'm OK with it. In this book, however, it seemed like characters were lecturing me more than usual. I found it irritating and disruptive.
I'll still probably read the next book in the series. I still want to be Sister Jane when I grow up.
I'll still probably read the next book in the series. I still want to be Sister Jane when I grow up.
September 17, 2011
This fox hunt series, the "Sister Jane" books, seems to have more of Rita Mae brown's heart in them than the Mrs. Murphy Books, which are beginning to wear a bit thin. I hope it won't turn into another "Cat Who..." series, which will pay the bills and tarnish her reputation. But who can blame a writer for writing what sells. not everyone has another "Bingo" or "Southern Discomfort" in them. I hope Rita will.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews