Rita Mae Brown, The Hounds and the Fury

The Hounds and the Fury

Rita Mae Brown

Ballantine, October 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 0345465474

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 purchases 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 storyline 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.