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"Sister" Jane #7
Hounded to Death
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 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.
“Sister” Jane Arnold, esteemed master of the Jefferson Hunt Club, has traveled to Kentucky for one of the biggest events of the 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.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
144 books2,272 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."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 1, 2018
I thought I'd like this since it is set in KY at the Shaker Village where I often ride & is about showing hounds. Nope. Audio is not the way for me to read these books. I read the first few in paperback which is much better since I can quickly skim past all the explanations & opinions. They might be necessary for those who don't know anything about hunting, but that's not me. The narrator wasn't bad, but I just found it tedious.
November 4, 2012
I love all the Sister Jane books. This one seemed a little rushed. I was hoping for more talk between the animals. She hbas been introducing new foxes and I was hoping for more background on them. The human element was good. Love the ending. I do wish Ms. Brown would consider doing more Jane books. She's still young!
August 31, 2011
Rumor has it that this book, published in 2008, may be the last volume in Rita Mae Brown's Sister Jane fox-hunting series. If that's so, I'll be sorry. Like the Nancy Drew books of my childhood, I've gotten used to the characters, the setting and even the rituals of fox-hunting, and I would hate to lose this fictional world which is far more interesting than Nancy's was! Hounded to Death is a bit less tight than the others in the series, but the solution to the mystery is clever and somewhat unpredictable. Not everyone is as transparent and well-behaved as they seem, and even Sister Jane is surprised when the final answers are revealed. The series has any number of loose ends that need to be tied up, and I hope another title is forthcoming.
December 26, 2023
It was a cute little mystery, not entirely my lane but i dont regret reading it
January 26, 2023
Having horses, ridden, and been around the edges of fox hunting as a teen (my mother hunted and even my husband hunted once with my mother). Horses, horses, horses. I loved reading the definitions and many of the activities. My niece actively hunts today so she gets this book next. Otherwise just a very nice little murder mystery.
July 8, 2010
When the author takes up 20 pages introducing each character (info that is not crucial to the story) including each dog, horse, and domestic pet, you know you are in trouble. When the author makes each hound, horse and domestic pet actually carry on conversations in the book you should probably put it down. There was some language. The story was ok with a decent twist. Definitely for insane animal lovers.
October 22, 2010
I got this from the library as a playaway (book on 'tape' sort of deal), which, if it had been an actual book I most likely would have stopped reading it. Let me just say that a 'murder mystery' genre does not go well with whimsical talking animals. So ridiculous. She also went waaaaaay overboard with the hound hunting info. Super boring. So to sum things up, it was a ridiculous, boring book; how she's managed to garner a following baffles me.
December 20, 2008
I always enjoy my time with Sister and her horses and hounds. Once again this was a clever mystery set in the hunting community of Virginia. Cast of characters included not only many of the regulars in the Hunt and surrounding neighbors but the hounds, horses, owls, cats and of course the foxes of the area.
August 13, 2017
Gave it a good shot and opted out on page 87. The writing style felt awkward to me, and the conversing dogs drove me a bit nuts, but it could certainly be a personal problem - as obviously there are enough fans out there to support a whole bunch of books :).
February 8, 2023
"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." - Amazon
“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." - Amazon
January 2, 2024
I really enjoy this series, probably because I love horses and used to ride a great deal, and because I like mysteries. This is the seventh book in the series, and certainly did not disappoint. In the "Sister" Jane Arnold series, you are invited into the foxhunting world of the south. No, they don't kill the fox.
In these books, the animals talk to one another and have character, although the humans mostly don't understand that. I gave this 4 stars because, although it is a fun read, it isn't one of those "I'll remember this for the rest of my life" kind of books. I'm happy to have read it.
In these books, the animals talk to one another and have character, although the humans mostly don't understand that. I gave this 4 stars because, although it is a fun read, it isn't one of those "I'll remember this for the rest of my life" kind of books. I'm happy to have read it.
February 15, 2026
Nice easy read and some fun personalities but sort of a stretch on the murderer. I also would have taken the entire beginning section introducing people and animals and just done it is an appendix. It was too complicated to read all of that up front and you just get lost. Just jump into the book and explain relationships as you go. It doesn’t help to know that this person is a jerk-you should be able to convey that in the writing of the book. And for kindle versions (I had an old hardback) you could have made those hyperlinks. Basically a waste of 22 pages that might turn off readers. So just jump into at chapter 1
April 10, 2021
Absolutely LOVED the book. Once you have read part of the series you do not need to reread the beginning where the author gives the background on all the characters including the animals and people. Go right to the story. I read the books, not audio, and it comes alive. The setting in the Hills of Virginia is as picturesque as it could be. The history of that part of the country is unique. Sister Jane truly loves her Hounds, Foxes and Horses. I am 76 and really Love these novels.
August 17, 2023
The Jefferson Hunt Club goes to Kentucky for a show, and of course murder follows. Mo Schneider is killed, and there is a long list of suspects. Back home, beloved vet Hope Rogers is killed in the same way and "Sister" Jane is determined to find the killer.
This book has many recurring characters, as well as animals, both tame and wild, who communicate with each other to help solve the crime.
Quick read, and very entertaining.
This book has many recurring characters, as well as animals, both tame and wild, who communicate with each other to help solve the crime.
Quick read, and very entertaining.
October 18, 2018
This is one of those series that I have read over the years and really like. It’s not a fast moving plot or anything, but it’s nice to be “home” with these characters that I’ve followed over the years. I enjoy this series and when I need a “happy good book” I always look for one of Rita Mae Brown’s books.
December 30, 2023
The fact that Sister Jane does not believe in the reasoning behind Hope's death shows how truly remarkable she is. It's sad to see the Custis Hall girls moving on but that's the way life is (actually, I think that thought's mentioned in the story). The motive behind the murders is powerful yet true in our time: really, I expected nothing less from Rita Mae Brown.
February 4, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this book by Rita Mae Brown. The books about fox hunting are so interesting to me. I have had no experience with horses, fox hounds, or fox hunts. I can really get myself into the action as I read. Four murders, but not solved until near the end. I had no idea who the murderer was.
September 28, 2019
Tally Ho! Another "Sister" Jane mystery with all of the characters you have come to know.This time set in the off season,with less hunting and more hound shows. There are mysterious murders, secrets and of course the horses dogs and foxes comment on the goings on of those humans. So cozy.
July 10, 2023
I read the first chapter and immediately became uninterested. The main character is in her seventies, which makes it hard to relate to her since I’m in my teens. I’m only really giving it 2 stars because it was written by Rita Mae Brown and I love her Mrs. Murphy books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2025
Good book. Plot was very good but the storyline seem to have holes in it. The ending was weak and unclimactic. There was still an unknown at the end on who exactly killed one of the main characters, which appeared to be a major focus of the entire book. Recommend but expect some disappointments.
August 9, 2017
Loved the animal comments Great plot.
July 27, 2018
This was my first Brown book. I enjoyed learning a bit about fox hunting. I like how Brown weaves in animal dialogue. The Cast Characters and Useful Terms sections were helpful as well.
April 27, 2019
The plot was a little slow with a surprise ending for me. I do enjoy Sister Jane and certainly learn so much about fox hunting.
August 20, 2019
Loved all the Sister Jane mysteries! Not going to list them all, just this one as a place holder.
January 27, 2022
I'm thinking of quitting Sister Jane, or at least taking a break. The animals are not taking as active a role as before and I'm so tired of hearing how perfect sister Jane is.
May 24, 2024
Never read Rita Mae Brown before and didn’t like this book. Too many characters and too many animals talking.
April 28, 2009
I almost put this book down after seeing the 12 pages of introductory material, consisting of an introduction to all characters--human and animal--as well as a glossary of fox hunting and hound management terminology. But I didn't; I kept reading. Sigh.
All in all, there was probably 1 page of actual detecting. Some things would happen, the main characters would then make some assumptions, and the ending, the solution, came as a complete surprise. As a mystery, it was not satisfying nor intriguing. As a guidebook to the previously-unknown-to-me world of fox hunting, it was interesting.
Although I've read Rita Mae Brown before and I know her to be an accomplished writer, passages such as this made me pause and wonder: "The canine hunting population never quite recovered from that first gruesome bugle call of the twentieth century [WWI:]. Still, away from Paris there remained people who cherished a beautiful hound." Is it just me?
All in all, there was probably 1 page of actual detecting. Some things would happen, the main characters would then make some assumptions, and the ending, the solution, came as a complete surprise. As a mystery, it was not satisfying nor intriguing. As a guidebook to the previously-unknown-to-me world of fox hunting, it was interesting.
Although I've read Rita Mae Brown before and I know her to be an accomplished writer, passages such as this made me pause and wonder: "The canine hunting population never quite recovered from that first gruesome bugle call of the twentieth century [WWI:]. Still, away from Paris there remained people who cherished a beautiful hound." Is it just me?
September 11, 2016
Unfortunately, this was another "Jane" book that just didn't deliver. While there were two hunts at the end of the books (finally...) the rest of it had almost no animals. The plot itself was disjointed and thin; literally unbelievable. While I will continue "reading" the series, at least for one more, I'm starting to doubt that reading will really be involved... I essentially skimmed this one. I believe this may be what I did for the last two books in this series, which is why I did not remember them when I picked them up again. Additionally, Crawford does not make an appearance in this book. While not a likeable character, he does bring a certain realism to hunt club relationship that is sorely missed.
First read Dec 2011.
Re-read (accidentally) Sept 2016.
First read Dec 2011.
Re-read (accidentally) Sept 2016.
November 10, 2008
Though I love this author's Sneaky Pie Brown mystries about Mrs. Murphy, I honestly don't know why I kept reading this. The characters were okay, but not as engaging, and while the setting was interesting, the plot did not gel at all. And while the talking animals are a source of delight in those other books, they were simply a contrived annoyance in this one that broke up the flow of the narrative. Additionally, the POV drifted so much it was difficult to keep the characters straight, and a lot of them seemed to have no real purpose in the book. Had this been a first novel from an unknown author, I doubt she could have sold it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews