Ocean State Libraries

"Sister" Jane Arnold, the 73-year-old master of foxhounds at central Virginia's Jefferson Hunt Club, and a host of anthropomorphized dogs, horses, foxes and birds have their work cut out for them. As Sister prepares for the winter hunt, arrogant arriviste Crawford Howard acquires an "outlaw" pack of hounds and proceeds to set up a rival event on land long used by the Jefferson Hunt, a plan that threatens to tear the community apart.

From the bestselling author of the landmark work Rubyfruit Jungle comes an engaging, original new novel that only Rita Mae Brown could have written. In the pristine world of Virginia foxhunting, hunters, horses, hounds, and foxes form a lively community of conflicting loyalties, where the thrill of the chase and the intricacies of human-animal relationships are experienced firsthand—and murder exposes a proud Southern community's unsavory secrets....

"A mystery full of colorful characters (both two- and four-legged!), gorgeous country landscapes, timeless traditions, and the breathtaking thrill of the fox hunt, from the New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Like a Fox. Amidst the revelry of the Christmas Hunt, mystery and intrigue abound! When the fanfare is interrupted by the discovery of a body, "Sister" Jane Arnold and her company of loyal hounds find themselves faced with a pressing task--to...

"Spring is peeking through the frost in Virginia, and though the hunting season is coming to a close, the foxes seem determined to put the members of the Jefferson Hunt Club through their paces. Sister and her friends are enjoying some of the best chases they've had all season when the fun is cut short by the theft of Crawford Howard's treasured Sir Alfred Munnings painting of a woman in hunting attire riding sidesaddle. When another painting goes...

"On the Ides of March, an ill wind blows no good -- especially when it knocks down a tree limb in the oldest equine graveyard in America, revealing remains that are decidedly un-equine. It falls to Master of the Foxhunt, the indomitable "Sister" Jane Arnold and her trusty hounds to investigate an old murder with present day repercussions. To start off, the complicated relations between three old families and their prize thoroughbreds must be untangled....

When the husband of a wealthy dog food heiress is found bludgeoned to death at an exclusive hunt club, Nora Blackbird is as surprised as anyone. Worse still, the evidence points toward a devious blackmail scheme-with Nora's sister, Emma, as the main suspect. Investigating with the help of friend and foe alike, Nora uncovers the secrets of some of Philadelphia's high-and-mightiest-and attracts the unwanted attentions of the real killer...

"Early fall in Virginia means shorter days, cooler temperatures, the blooming milkweeds of summer giving way to fields of fluffy seeds -- and of course, the start of fox hunting season. It's "Sister" Jane Arnold's favorite time of year. And this year, the Jefferson Hunt Club is busier than ever, organizing a fundraising drive to help with the upkeep of their beloved hunting grounds. But the festive season is interrupted by the appearance of a dead...

Facey Romford is often mistaken for a wealthy man of the same name. He decides to capitalize on the case of mistaken identity and becomes Master of Hounds of the Heavyside Hunt, taking advantage of English hunting society's gullibility-and he may even get away with it.