Rita Mae Brown is a well known, much loved author for a reason. Her books are GOOD. OUT OF HOUNDS joins Brown's Sister Jane series when the horns are sounded and the dogs are released. A series of thefts strike the community of hunters leaving Sister to question the motives, simple theft or outright violence targeting the fox hunting fellows. When one of their number is killed, the investigation must dig deeper before more tragedy strikes.

Once again, Ms. Brown knocks it out of the park. Out of Hounds is the thirteenth installment of the Sister Jane series, and the story this time revolves around the theft of some very valuable paintings. Along with piquing my interest in Alfred Munnings, the usual subtle inferences kept me guessing for quite a while. Written in real time, the author tackles the beginning of the pandemic without histrionics or politics, and I applaud her for that. As to the story itself, the writing as always is superb, making me feel as if I'm catching up with old friends. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the Jefferson Hunt and all of its members, and can't wait to begin the next title. I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this newest Sister Jane riveting story with the fabulous corgi and favorite feline. This series is a favorite!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. My favorite mystery author by far never disappoints , another great mystery.

Another great installment in the Sister Jane mysteries. This is book 13 in which Jane and her friends are knee deep in solving the art thefts happening in their community.

Love the well-crafted characters, the scenery, and the over all storyline. She never disappoints.

Well done!!

Oh dear. Looking forward to a romp through a rural cozy with Sneaky Pie Brown’s familiar corgi , feline, equine and occasional barn and field characters, not to mention the human characters we knew and enjoyed, I was too disappointed in discovering a confusing jumble of unknown characters to continue on.

Out Of Hounds by Rita Mae Brown

“Sister” Jane Arnold and her hounds must sniff out a thief with expensive taste when a string of missing paintings leads to murder in this exciting fox hunting mystery.

This was a very interesting book if you are seeking info on the fox hunts of Virginia and how they work. We also met a jewel thief and the beginning of the COVID-19 virus. Many characters and animals to remember. I like them way the author gives you the thoughts of the animals. A good book.

Jane Arnold and her crew are enjoying the fox hunting season. Their joy quickly becomes frustration when they are targeted by a thief who is stealing from their art collections. the inclusion of signs protesting the sport they all enjoy. Is it possible that the thefts are a form of protest. When bodies begin showing up Jane is determined to find the murderer and save her friends.

I did not enjoy this story for me it was way too prechy. I know that many people find fox hunting offensive. I read fiction to relax and step back from everyday life. So for me it was not a story i enjoyed.

The use of the animal characters were less then i have come to expect from Rita Mae Brown. It was a well thought out plot for the crimes.

Rita Mae Brown writes this wonderful mystery series without the help of her cat, Sneaky Pie. I love both series, though.
Local equestrian folks, especially those who ride to the hounds, will enjoy this series featuring the Jefferson Hunt Club (this is set in Virginia), led by Jane Arnold, better known to all as Sister.
The foxes have been leading members on some pretty good chases over the season (by the way, the foxes and the hounds get their say, too), but things go south after the theft of a high-dollar painting of a woman in hunting attire, riding sidesaddle, created by Sir Alfred Munnings. A few days later, another with the same subject matter is stolen.
When Delores Buckingham’s painting is taken, and she is left dead, Sister thinks it’s time to act.

This book is an excellent addition to the Jefferson Hunt Club mystery series. It revolves around the perplexing thefts of paintings of women riding sidesaddle. Although there are some killings along the way, art theft is central to the story.

The book is se5t in February and March of 2020, so the early days of the virus play a part in the story, though not in the solution. The solution to the mystery had me guessing throughout and I loved the way the secondary plot of the principal characters was nicely advanced.

I'm always excited to get a chance to read a Rita Mae Brown book. Brown is the master of weaving a tale and keeping the reader engrossed. This book is full of fascinating characters and a fascinating subject. Once again, I managed to be educated while enjoying a mystery.

Another enjoyable Sister Jane book. The who done it is usually not hard to figure out, but I enjoy the relationships with the continuing characters who have become old friends. This author is also one oyouf the best at setting the scene so vividly that you feel as if you are actually out in the weather in the beautiful Virginia countryside. This series always gas me ready for the next book when I finish the current one.

Ms. Brown has given us another great Sister Jane mystery. This is book 13 in the Sister Jane series and Jane and her foxhunting friends need to solve the art thefts and deaths in their community. I enjoy reading these books with the animal conversations taking place between the horses, foxes and dogs. Also the insight to rural Virginia and the foxhunting lifestyle is interesting and true. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have always loved Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries. This is the first of her other books that I have read. I am sorry to say that I had a really hard time getting into the story.

As with her other books, the settings are often real places and people familiar with the area around Charlottesville will have no trouble imagining the area. As in her other books, the animals "talk" with their dialogue shown in italics. There is a mystery, this time stolen paintings and then a murder or two. All that is fine.

But there was page after page of the fox hunt. The fox goes here, the dogs go there, the whippers in say this, want that. There's a fence, a den, a stream. Oh, my gosh, I thought it would never end. The social life of the hunt clubs, the endless chases. They took almost as long to read as a real hunt would last. I'm sorry, but I have no interest at all in the details of a fox hunt. I confess that I started skimming pages so that I wouldn't have to read all of that. I love to read, but I have a life to get back to and spending time on a fox hunt is not high on my list of priorities even during a pandemic.

The story itself is good. The characters are likable enough. But oh, my, it goes on forever. Perhaps the longes 320 pages I've ever read.

Rita Mae Brown's foxhunting cozy mystery series "Sister" Jane isn't one I actively seek out but when I see a book in the series I usually pick it up. I enjoy the mystery and the characters are growing on me after a couple of books. Though Out of Hounds is the 13 book in the series, I still don't feel compelled to go back and read the other books in the series.


When I saw this book on Netgalley, I debated requesting it. While book 12, Scarlett Fever was enjoyable enough it didn't immediately put the series on my must read list. But as I have only read that one book in the series I thought I should give it another try. I'm glad I read it.

So let's get the "why it isn't must read series for me" out the way. There is a lot of descriptive passages that I feel bog the story down and don't move it forward. These passages are usually about foxhunting. It isn't a sport I'm particularly interested in so reading about jumping coops and field conditions doesn't appeal to me. Those who enjoy foxhunting may really enjoy the passages. In this book, there was also a long descriptive passage (it might have just felt long) about a new estate in the area from a utility worker in a bucket truck. He's not describing it to anyone instead it is just his internal observation. While I appreciate descriptions in stories, I prefer for it to come out in dialogue.

The main reason I'm glad I read it relates to a post I wrote last year about how the pandemic would be portrayed in literature. When the first chapter started in February 2020, I thought perhaps it was doing what the television show NCIS did and skip the pandemic by setting the story before it really hit. As the month progresses, there are whispers of the pandemic - a virus in China mentioned briefly in an article a character is reading. But, keeping with telling the story in real time, Brown continues to roll out the pandemic in much the same way we all experienced it in the early days - lockdowns in Wuhan, Italy being hard hit with Germany starting to see it. As the story rolls into March, just like it was for us, the pandemic became more real for the characters - do they continue with the hunt schedule, being told to stay 6 feet apart, etc.

I liked that Brown kept it real without the pandemic taking over the story.

And what was the story? Paintings of women riding side-saddle are being stolen and dead bodies are cropping up.

Another reason I like this series is that the "amateur sleuth" isn't really investigating the mystery. Sister and her hunt club friends are more like typical people. They read or hear about something in the news and it piques their interest so they casually talk about it - throwing out theories and tidbits of information. And also like real people they may look more deeply into it because it ties in with a hobby they are passionate about. I know if I read a news story about a famous painting being stolen I would probably do a Google search to learn more about the painting or author just out of curiosity. This is different than most cozy mysteries where the main character is actively trying to solve the crime.

I did solve the mystery before it was revealed, but I didn't really think I had. It was more like a theory that one of the characters would have made - I thought a certain character would fit with the theory they had of what kind of person would have the opportunity to commit the crime. So I was a bit surprised when I turned out to be right.

As I said the characters are growing on me and I'm sure if I picked up some of the early books in the series I would like the characters even more as I got to know them more.

If you enjoy foxhunting or want a different kind of cozy mystery, then I would recommend giving this one a try. The story is well written and enjoyable.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, January 26 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/01/out-of-hounds-by-rita-mae-brown-review.html

Out of Hounds is the 13th "Sister" Jane mystery by Rita Mae Brown. Released 19th Jan 2020 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 320 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Like nearly all of Ms. Brown's oeuvre, this is a capably written, well told story that is character driven, neatly plotted, and finely paced. I've long been a fan of the author, and enjoyed her cozy Mrs. Murphy series as well as her more serious writing. 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.

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.

I personally love anthropomorphic mysteries, 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 art theft and murder plots felt 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.

Sister is back with another fox hunting season. This book has most of our familiar characters. I enjoy the characters including the animal characters. During a hunt, an expensive painting is stolen. As the season progresses similar paintings are stolen in other hunting areas. Also, some sketchy characters are found missing. Sister tries to puzzle out this mystery.

Spring of 2020 is the start of the Covid season and it appears that the hunt season will end early. I enjoy Sister’s way of puzzling out a mystery and her discussion of current events. Nothing alarming but often thought provoking. The ending of this mystery is filled with drama and provides a great ending. I really enjoyed this book.

Fox Hunting Mixed with Murder and Art Theft

It’s the end of fox hunting season, and Sister Jane, Master of the Jefferson Hunt, is preparing for closing the season. However, things are never dull for Sister Jane and her friends. Soon high dollar paintings by Alfred Munnings are stolen. Although Munnings painted many horse related paintings, the ones stolen are all of ladies riding sidesaddle.

Murder enters the mix when one of the owners of a Munnings painting is killed. This is followed by more murders as the police and private investigators try to locate the stolen paintings. The Covid virus also makes an appearance along with protesters who are against fox hunting even though they don’t understand it.

I always find the Sister Jane novels delightful. The fox hunting scenes are so well written you feel you’re there on a horse. The animals both foxes and horses not to mention the dogs make the story come to life.

The mystery is not the focus of the story. Sister tries to do some sleuthing but it’s not the main part of the story. I did enjoy the history surrounding Alfred Munnings and his art. The only negative is that there are a great many characters. If you follow the series, this isn’t a problem, but new readers may find it challenging to remember who everyone is.

I particularly enjoyed the discussions between Sister and her friends about the environment and how to preserve rural areas. If you love animals and rural life, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

Out of Hounds by Rita Mae Brown is the first of the series I have read, although I have read others by Brown and enjoyed them. This book never really grabbed me: it was all about hounds, horses, and hunts, none of which do I have experience with. There were art thefts and murders and usually that's enough, but there were too many characters and too many things I knew nothing about. This is a prolific author and this is far from the first book in the series. Possibly if I started at the beginning I would feel differently, but at this point, I did not care for it at all.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Out of Hounds by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #outofhounds

I have long been a fan of Rita Mae Brown’s work. I love the setting, the characters, the animals. Out of Hounds is no exception.

The book is set in present day, opening in February 2020. Sister Jane, as Master of the Jefferson Hunt, is starting to prepare for the closing of the fox hunt season. But soon there’s a new topic of interest – the theft of high-dollar artwork, paintings of women riding sidesaddle. At first, it appears to be simply a thief with exquisite taste. But then dead bodies start showing up, and when Delores Buckingham, a retired foxhunter, also ends up dead, Sister is on the hunt for a killer.

This is not a full-throttle, high-speed mystery. It’s a slow burn of a story. The characters are, for the most part, middle-aged and older, with the gentility of old Virginia society. They act with decorum even in difficult situations, and the story unfolds largely through dialogue. Sister is more a hunt master who happens to be inquiring about a crime than a private eye or homegrown sleuth.

There is also a lot of detail about foxhunting. I find it fascinating, because it is completely out of my realm of experience. Brown thoughtfully includes a cast of characters at the beginning, identifying all players, both human and animal. This is helpful, because there are a lot of characters. Maybe more human than animal. I enjoy reading about how the hounds pursue their prey (no prey is actually killed, in case you were wondering) and how the hunters care for their hounds and horses. If you aren’t big on that kind of specific detail, this may not be the best read for you. I loved it.

I also found it fascinating that Brown weaves very current events into her story. The COVID lockdowns started as she was writing, and she uses that as part of the story. This is the first book I’ve read that has done that, and I feel like she used it to good effect. It’s interesting to see how she wrote the characters’ perception of current happenings.

Five stars from me, and I’ll read just about anything Rita Mae Brown writes from now until forever.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advance reader copy. All opinions expressed here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.