Death in Bloodhound Red

Jo Beth Sidden "Bloodhound" Mystery #1

by Virginia Lanier

Jo Beth Sidden raises and trains bloodhounds for search-and-rescue missions in the Okeefenokee Swamp. She is used to dealing with lost kids, prison escapes, snakes, bugs, macho deputies, and her abusive ex-husband. But now she is suspected of murder and has to choose between betraying a friend and proving her innocence. The mysterious will of her late father, a famous artist, adds to the web of deceit and betrayal that Jo Beth must unravel to save her livelihood and her life.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Dogs, Animals, Mystery Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Crime

468 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

An author who penned the popular "Bloodhound" series of mystery books and published her first book at age 65.

Her first book, Death in Bloodhound Red, released in April of 1995, was nominated for three literary awards: the Agatha, the Anthony, and the Macavity for the "Best First Mystery Novel in 1995."

Series:
* Jo Beth Sidden "Bloodhound" Mystery

Reviews

[Lori Whitwam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book shortly after it came out, and it inspired me to do something I never do... write to an author. I found that Virginia Lanier was in her 60s and had written this book at age 62. She had recently retired, along with her husband Hoss. They weren't in great health. She read a book and threw it on the table, declaring she could write better. Hoss said, "So do it." She had a million excuses. No education, couldn't spell, didn't have anywhere to write. Hoss bought her a dictionary, a used desk, and a typewriter, and four months later she had the 600-page manuscript for "Red," the first in the Bloodhound mystery series. Virginia and I became "pen pals." She was never online, so I did her website and Yahoo group. She wrote several more books in the series, before passing away shortly after her beloved husband.

This book is unique. Her heroine, JoBeth Sidden, owns a bloodhound kennel. Having escaped from a horribly abusive marriage to a "good ol' boy," she's making it on her own, raising and training bloodhounds and doing search and rescue for her local law enforcement. She's a feminist who frequently rubs the "boys" the wrong way. Sweet on the inside, though, JoBeth would do ANYTHING for her friends or her dogs. This gets her indicted for murder, though, when Bubba (the ex-husband with a fondness for lead-filled baseball bats) gets out of jail and is beaten nearly to death, and JoBeth can't provide an alibi without divulging information that could be harmful to a friend. She also gets a mysterious inheritance, goes on some exciting searches, and frets over the extensive security measures she's put into place in and around her home.

This book is fascinating, fast-paced, and a glimpse into a world that those who have never lived in the rural southeast couldn't imagine. Virginia was a dear friend, and is greatly missed.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am about to finish this one, and what a page-turner!
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The heroine is a bit too feminist and ball-breaking for me, plus her smoking habit makes me feel like I can't breathe. The book is well-written, however, and I can see where the constant attention to detail is necessary. I mean, if you raised and trained bloodhounds for things like search & rescue, tracking, drug sniffing and arson detection, of course you would pay attention to detail. Much like the book is loaded with such things, it also circles and backtracks- full of asides, flashbacks, anecdotal stories and information. Metaphoric of a hound on a trail? Why not? It was frustrating, at first, but once you get used to the style, it all makes sense. Meanwhile, I had nothing much to do this weekend, and although I kept closing the book and going off to do other things, I found myself returning to read more. I was annoyed last night when my husband finally decided it was time for bed and I was a mere 20-something pages away from finishing.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only single thing I can say against this book is that it is unnecessarily long at 461 pgs.

Now for the good stuff... Virginia Lanier did not begin writing this series until she was in her 60s, after working decades in the deep South during the years of Civil Rights and good ole boy attitudes. In this, her excellent debut mystery about an outspoken amateur female detective who leads bloodhound searches for all types of missing persons, her love for and her regret about the American South emerge.

There are lots of insights into Georgia's backwoods culture, beautiful descriptions of the land, great information on training dogs to find missing children/prisoners/tourists, and nice inclusions of humor and even a touch of romance. This is an excellent, fast-paced mystery with multiple story lines that many will enjoy.

[Elaine Nickolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took the long and steady road to the heartbreaking ending. However, due to the slow process I was tempted to put it down several times but I'm glad I stuck with it.
JoBeth owns a kennel with bloodhounds, and she is also the go to person in her area of Georgia doing search and rescue in her area. There is some question about her childhood and the life of her father who became a famous painter. The story details several stories of search and rescue and the story unfolds. I will be looking into others in this series.
50 State Challenge- #49- Georgia

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but I am going to give it 4 stars. The book is big so it takes a while to get through it. Feels like the author is living out her fantasies through the book and having a good ole time at it. Things wander around a lot, and there isn't a murder or attempted murder until 3/4 of the way into the book. There is a lot of details to her writing, some say too much, but I enjoyed her writing and details. For example, you always knew what the main character 'Jo Beth' was wearing in detail.

The book was published in 1995. Calling Jo Beth as a Southern feminist to me just doesn't works as the term feminist now has different overtones. I saw in another review they referred to the character as a 'ball buster' which is getting closer. In the book she has to stand up against some real sexist redneck jerks in the book. All in good fun I guess. I guess it was more prevalent in the 90's and before. In my professional background in the corporate world, and especially now with fear of being accused of discrimination and harassment, I would think the behavior like a large majority of the men in the book would be very rare nowadays. In the book it makes a good world for her to be ball busting a lot of people worthy of it.

Anyone sensitive to vulgar talk should stay away from this book. The author has a lot of fun having her character talk raunchy.

The tracking details were first rate. Several great dramatic searches told very well. In one part she rescues a little girl. Here is what the girl says and Jo Beth's response:
“I hear dogs a woo-woowing,” she said.
“Yes, honey, the dogs are mine and they are woo-wooing because they’re happy they found you.”

The book has great fun with being Southerners. Here is one bit relating to the that:
“How should I act… to be considered a real Southerner?
“First, don’t forget ‘You all.’ It’s slurred together and comes out sound like ‘Yawl,’ the word for a small sailboard. Next, always say ‘Yes ma’am’ and ‘no sir’ to everyone, regardless of their age. Walk out to meet your clients, never sit behind your desk and make them come to you. It makes them think they are important to you. Also, walk them out and prolog the goodbyes, even if you’re very busy. We rednecks have a lot of pride; we like to think we’re special and want to be treated special.

Other than the wandering around for a long time to get somewhere in the book, the part that put a craw in my hide was that in the end there seemed to be a lot of stuff just splashed out around for dramatic affect in the end.

Some people don't like dog books where Kleenex is needed when something bad happens to a dog. There is a part like that in the book, but they zoom past it on to other stuff so quickly, you don't have too much time to cry. That bothered me a bit, but like the way it was treated in the story, I left it behind quickly. But that bit made me drop a star from my rating as I thought the treatment insensitive.

This one is hard for me to give a solid recommendation on. If you think you would like a plucky Southern heroine busting balls on a bunch of sexist rednecks and don't mind a long trip with her, I would say probably read it as the character and story is definitely different and kinda fun. If you want a tighter story, are sensitive to vulgarity, then probably I would say this one may not be for you. Love to hear what others think who do read it.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! Jo Beth is sassy, brassy, & classy. What a great female lead.
The book is well-written and had a fast paced and didn't slow down. Had to make myself put it down a few times in order to sleep.
The author definitely did her research on Bloodhounds. As an owner of one of these slobbering, lovable, clumsy dogs she hit it on the "nose" with her descriptions.
I loved all the entwining stories and mysteries and that a woman stood up to that "good ole boy" attitude that is so prevalent here in the South.
Can't wait to read more.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun read. Takes place in my neighborhood in SE Georgia and the working bloodhound stuff was interesting. I didn't care for the protagonist's Stephanie-Plum-like need to describe her clothes and makeup and her ability to attract all the hunky men but the book was still very fun. And although I read all the Stephanie Plum books, I much prefer JoBeth Siddon, who knows how to crawl around in the swamp and isn't as quick to need the help of some hunky guy to save her from her own mistakes.

[Janell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story.. I hated the nitty gritty detail. I don't care about five minutes of furniture shopping or her desire for a specific kind of jam on toast... just tell the story. I know that seems mighty whambamthankyoumaam of me but truly, she did wander more than just a tad. That being said, I liked the overall plot, loved the characters, and have continued on in the series.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book in this series I have read. Not good enough to read another. The main character is just too much of a ball-breaking, in-your-face woman. I am a strong feminist but I found her obnoxious.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible writing and the longest book in creation. I had to finish it because I hoped it would get better. NEVER again with this author The tedious detail included make me want to shoot myself.

[Morgan Stansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest series ever. I first read these when I was in fourth grade (backwards, of course) and then several times after that. Most important series of my life after Harry Potter.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

This was a satisfying and intriguing read. Jo Beth Sidden raises, trains and uses her bloodhounds for search and rescue in Balsa City Georgia. She contracts with the county to do sweeps of local businesses for drugs. During the story she will find the dead body of a young boy who is mentally challenged, who wanders off into the Okefenokee Swamp, and is bitten by a coral snake; she will find a three-year-old who wanders off, two fishermen who get lost and drunk on moonshine, a 73-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer's who has been murdered by a relative and hidden in the ceiling, then pretends he has wandered off. And finally, three escaped convicts who will kill her dog Bo as they are found hiding and shot. The dogs do the work, and we are given sweatingly described episodes of how the dogs work their magic.

The writing is brilliant, providing an atmosphere of dank, moldering swamp, invested with bugs, that challenge humans to breathe. She is further challenged with the good-old-boy attitude of law enforcement especially Sheriff Samuel Carlson, who hates Jo Beth, and who tries to steal the limelight. When Jo Beth continues to better his abilities, he attempts to get rid of her. She prevails and he loses his job, along with the other corrupt officers with him. Lanier peppers the story with the myth of the South and the swamp and tells of the various animals that inhabit the area including the Cougar Program, which the government didn't think was successful. Jo Beth comes across a female with two cubs. She also witnesses the rare site of a black snake devouring a rattler.

Jo Beth's family, her famous painter father, and her inheritance also form an integral part of the narrative. She is also facing her stalking and violent ex-husband Bubba who is out to kill her, recently released from prison. Her biological father has will that her half-brother Jackson Hanaiker will try to get her from sharing in, setting her up for beating her ex-husband nearly to death. She will eventually get the special paintings that her father did of her and her mother. She will prevail throughout the story. Jo Beth is a beautifully developed character, chain-smoker, staunch feminist, loyal friend, and intuitive and intelligent Southerner, dedicated to her culture and history. I am looking forward to the next of the series and am only sorry there are so few of them.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! I read it many years ago but apparently before I was part of Goodreads and didn't do a review. I only remember how much I loved it and something reminded me of the series and I hunted down a few of the books in the series and immediately began book one when they arrived in my mailbox.
There are certain writers who pull me in with more than the story or the mystery. Virginia Lanier is one. Sharyn McCrumb and Margaret Maron are two others. All three are of the Southern mystery persuasion and I love them.
Anyway, there is definitely more to this book than the mystery. And there are a lot of mysteries, investigations, searches...backstory of Jo Beth and her friends and relationships. She likes helping people for all that they might not want the help. She's a lot to take in, but I think I could be friends with her. She takes no guff, she's scared of the man she used to be married to and has taken as many precautions as she can. He's protected by his rich father and the legal system he's bought to keep his son out of jail.
Jo Beth works as an independent raising and training bloodhounds for search and rescue, drug sweeps, search for escaped prisoners. She is hired by the local sheriffs' departments, forestry service, land management, local businesses.
Everything is intertwined and plenty of twists and turns. I loved it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as I find them. I will read them in order.
I can absolutely recommend this book, series and author.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time the "name some of your favorite series" topic comes up, "Death in Bloodhound Red" makes my list so I may as well say a few words.
Jo Beth Siddon trains bloodhounds for search and rescue operations in the area around the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. The varied nature of the searches - some tense, some comic - the hostile relationship with her ex-husband, Bubba, and an unexpected inheritance from her famous father are chaotic enough, but when Bubba is severely beaten and near death, and Jo Beth's divided loyalties keep her from providing the police with an alibi, she has to take the fight for her innocence in her own hands.
Many people know the story of how the sixty-something Lanier came to write this book (sadly the series ended with her death - way too soon) but the biggest recommendation is that it is full of personality - the characterizations, the dialogue, the setting and the writing style have the distinct personality that I am missing in a lot of today's mysteries and thrillers. There are too few writers that can have the reader saying "This is a -------- book!" So many authors in the mystery, thriller, suspense category just seem so interchangeable, but Lanier was a true original.
I keep a short list of "books that should be optioned for movies or TV" and Lanier's series is high on it.

[Tom Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virginia Lanier was an interesting story in her own right. She was 65 when her first book was published, but she had never written prior to that. She had tossed aside a book saying she could do better than that. Her husband encouraged her to do so, but her education was lacking and couldn't spell. So her husband bought her a typewriter and a dictionary. The result was Death in Bloodhound Red, which won the Anthony Award in 1996 for Best First Novel. Quite an accomplishment!

The book stars Jo Beth Sidden, a divorced woman in her late 20s, a victim of a brutal attack by said ex-husband, an owner and operator a Bloodhound facility, and uses her dogs to track down people in the swamps of the Okefenokee. She has a sharp wit and a sharp tongue, which doesn't go down well with the good ol' boys, especially cops and firemen. The episodes where she and the dogs are tracking, whether it's after criminals or lost children, are fascinating and scary, but wonderful in how close she and the dogs are to each other. This is well worth reading.

[Marie Carmean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I did not finish this book. It was like being with a non-stop talkative friend who rambles on and on without taking a breath, changing the subject as things pop into her head. It was exhausting! Just not a writing style I could enjoy. I also could not relate to the main character who was a chain-smoking, beer-guzzling young woman with a severely bad past relationship with a man that leaves a bad taste in her mouth and makes her a little too rabidly feminist for my taste. Nope, this book just was not for me. I bought it because I was inspired by the fact that the writer started her writing career at age 65. That's impressive. But, it just wasn't something I could get into.

[Spuddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me ages to read this book. It's just too long, too detailed and too scattered with too many characters for a 'first in series mystery.' I have to say that the writing was decent and I really do like the main character, although...she was a bit too glib and her actions too 'pat' for my taste. It was almost as though she was a Jo Beth robot. In the end, I confess I had to skim about the last third of it because it was just TOO MUCH. I wanted to tell the author to 'get real.' LOL That said, I am willing to give book two a try. Maybe, now that the main character is fully introduced, it won't be so cumbersome and won't take half the book before you realize what the mystery is.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good detail on how bloodhounds are trained and how they track to find drugs, bodies, missing people and miscreants. The mystery itself is a small part of this large book. The rest is personalities, life in a small Georgia town, political and court maneuvering, with a bit of violence. The sex is only suggested, and the language, though often a bit rough and crude, doesn't descend too often to the worst of obscenities. The protagonist is sympathetic, though extremely preachy. The book seems more to educate and change attitudes than to entertain.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mystery with cool fellers, jerkwad characters--male and female--and bloodhounds! Stayed up entirely too late last night so I could finish it. If you like older mysteries (this book was published in 1995) then I highly recommend this one. The characters have flaws and those flaws are acknowledged without the author being overboard about them. Much more to my preference than some current authors offerings.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My library has just one copy of this left in its collection and I'm glad I found it! The sense of place was intriguing and so well permeated characterization and plot. I don't know anyone like Jo Beth and we'd never be friends, but I could understand even if I couldn't relate. Frankly, I think I like her better in 2017 than I would have in the 90s. Fortunately my library has at least one copy of the remaining series, so the plan is to give it a wee rest and then continue on.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another review on Goodreads directed me to this author and her series. Wow - this first book was a little l-o-n-g but I’m not sure what could be left out (well, maybe the whole Mary Jane growing and removal from Jo Beth’s lawyer’s inherited home - but it was interesting). Loved the dogs and the tracking and training and all the characters (except the bad guys) were really likeable.

[Matt Mccann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start that this book is unneccessarily long and way too detailed in certain spots. It also took the author way too long to get to the central story line. Also the main character, Jo Beth is too much of an energetic feminist for my liking. That being said the central story line was intriguing and I wanted to find out what happened.

[Brenda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was recommended by my best friend. I bought the entire series. I loved this first on the series. I am from Georgia so it really hit home since Jo Beth has her bloodhound business in South Georgia. This book was entertaining and suspenseful. Can’t wait to start number two in this series.

[Kenzie Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure to start with, but it continued to surprise me. Jo Beth was incredibly sassy and all the dogs rocked my world. Will be keeping this book in my bookshelf and start reading the sequel

[Sue Nellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info on the breed and insight into the dedication required of their handlers.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like books with dogs and suspense, then this one is for you. Spoiler alert---things happen.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enough to add the next one to my to read list. Jo Beth is a fun character and I love the dogs.

[Regine]

Lively.

[Janet Reeves]

Not in library

[Karen Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book with so much detail I was with the characters living with them. Would highly recommend.