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    Homeward Hound
    Homeward Hound
    Homeward Hound
    Audiobook9 hours

    Homeward Hound

    Written by Rita Mae Brown

    Narrated by Rita Mae Brown

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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 uncover who has killed a beloved club faithful. It's no help that the meddling, loathsome Victor Harris lurks in the shadows, weaseling his way back into the life of his disinherited daughter... As always, the gang must untangle the complex web of clues laid before them, and with Sister Jane at the helm, they will not rest until the truth is laid bare. Yet again, Rita Mae Brown shines, her signature flair sure to win over readers old and new.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateNov 20, 2018
    ISBN9781980000198
    Homeward Hound

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    Reviews for Homeward Hound

    3.5/5

    43 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Fans of Rita Mae Brown's fox hunting series will not be disappointed in this entry to the series. "Sister" Jane Arnold leads the Blue Ridge horsey set through another mystery involving current political and environmental issues in a tight knit community. Fox hunting details abound, personalities clash and support each other, and animals play major roles. A good fun read.
    • 4/5
      I have read all of the books in this series, and this is another good entry. It's not the best of the series, but it was a very pleasant read. The usual people and animals are involved, with a few addition, and Sister is in fine form as usual. The plot is a bit meandering and the ending, which reveals the murderer, is a bit contrived, but I did enjoy getting there! This was a an enjoyable Sunday afternoon kind of book, and I do recommend it.
    • 5/5
      I love Rita Mae Brown's books and cannot get enough of them. Sister Jane is determined that the Christmas Run will happen just as it has every year even with the threat of unusual winter weather situation, but soon after the run begins, a blizzard moves in and a horse returns without its rider. Of course, an unfortunate weather-related death is not what it seems and a murder investigation ensues.As always, Brown's mysteries are quick fun reads with a twist. The wonderful animal characters with their quick wit and unique personalities are what make this series of books so dear to me. I am never disappointed and this book (the eleventh in the series) was no different.!
    • 4/5
      This 11th book in the Sister Jane mystery series is yet another wonderful study in the finer details of fox hunting. The story opens with details of preparations for tomorrow's much anticipated Christmas Hunt. Everyone's eyeing the weather channel carefully as there's a snowstorm coming in but it's not supposed to hit until afternoon, after the hunt concludes. Well there's your first clue. Sure enough, while out on the run, all hounds, steeds and riders are caught in an instant whiteout as snow suddenly dumps upon the region. Everyone gropes their way back to their trailers and gets their animals squared away and soon off to home. Pokerface arrived back at the trailer without his rider, Gregory Luckham, whose luck may have just run out. Gregory's head of Soliden, a huge energy company planning a pipeline across the region they just foxhunted. His attorney, a longstanding foxhunt rider, thought that bringing him on the hunt could show Gregory how important keeping the pristine beauty of the region is. That in turn would alter his plans and the pipeline would get rerouted. With Gregory not being the most well-like guy on the hunt, the question arises, did Gregory have an accident or is foul play at hand. Weather conditions prevented a prompt search and rescue and everyone prayed and hoped for the best. The next day, a body is found and the mystery begins. Throughout this charming story, the reader is proffered historic detail, descriptions of hunt practices, roles and manners of participants - all of which lays out the landscape of the fox hunt. One quickly discovers that there is a tremendous amount of effort and planning which goes into each hunt. Blood foxhunting is a thing of the past as far as Virginia is concerned and the humane treatment and care of fox, hound and steed is emphasized in this story. The descriptions of the actual hunts are so beautifully detailed that one imagines that they're flying over fence and post alongside other riders. Add a suspicious death and you've got the makings of an enjoyable and educational cozy mystery. Kudos to Ms. Brown. If you are a fan of the traditional fox hunt, then this just might be a book for you. I am grateful to author Rita Me Brown, publisher Ballantine Books and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.Synopsis (from book's dust jacket):“Sister” Jane Arnold returns in a colorful mystery featuring four-legged sleuths—and the breathtaking thrill of the chase—from the New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Like a Fox.As winter deepens over the Blue Ridge Mountains, even the threat of snowstorms cannot derail this year’s Christmas run, not as long as Sister Jane has a say in it. With spirits high and traditions strong, a glorious parade of hunters in full holiday regalia gathers on the grounds of Tattenhall Station. But a blinding blizzard brings an early end to the sport. More disturbing: A horse soon returns without its rider.Gregory Luckham, the president of a powerful energy company pushing for a pipeline through central Virginia, is the missing hunter. His presence on the hunt has been controversial to say the least, and few would bemoan his passing. A search is organized for what is presumed will be a dead, frozen body. What is discovered, however, chills everyone to the bone—and points toward murder.With more than a few opinions offered by hunters, horses, hounds, and foxes, Sister Jane sets out to track down a killer and untangle a mystery packed as hard as snow—full of secrets, old wounds, and avarice.Steeped in the local history of Virginia’s horse country, Homeward Hound is a delightful immersion into a storied world no one knows better than Rita Mae Brown, accompanied by the indelible animal characters she brings vividly to life.
    • 1/5
      I probably should not have requested this book as the animals are a big part of the plot. Not a big animal fan. But after reading multiple pages lists of characters (human and animal) I could not go on. Too many characters and details to remember.
    • 5/5
      The Christmas Run is one of the highlights of fox hunting season and, while a snowstorm is predicted, “Sister” Jane Arnold, Master of Foxhounds, still thinks they can get a hunt in. Unfortunately, a blizzard starts during the hunt and, even more unfortunately, one horse returns without its rider. At first it seems to have been an accident, but when Gregory Luckham’s body doesn't turn up, Sister begins to wonder what is going on - especially because plenty of people wanted Gregory dead. Soon events prove that there is a murderer on the loose and Sister is afraid that the killer may be someone she knows.While I have read most of Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries, “Homeward Hound” is only the second of her Sister Jane books that I have read. I have to say I liked this book a lot more than I liked “Crazy Like a Fox” which seemed filled with foxhunting scenes and little else. There is foxhunting for sure in this book and, while I don't quite get the attraction, I did enjoy the details of the hunt in this book. I also enjoyed the cast of characters - there is literally a cast of characters list at the front of the book which I really liked because there are a lot of characters and I did refer to the list more than once. Just like the Sneaky Pie Brown books, the animals talk to each other in this book but don't really help solve the mysteries like the animals do in the Sneaky Pie Brown books. The mystery itself is well done, full of surprises, tension, and suspects. I did try to figure out who the killer was but was still surprised when the killer was revealed - well done by Brown!“Homeward Hound” is a nicely done mystery.
    • 3/5
      I've read some in Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie books I liked them. I had high hopes for Homeward Bound, however I was disappointed in it … and that surprised me.There seem to be many more characters than in the previous books I'd read. Even with handy "cast of characters" list, I had difficulty keeping track of them all. The list itself was disappointing, as I found it offered a bit more insight from the author into some of the characters … more than I wanted to know. It is a mystery story, or at least I had thought so.I read the book twice – thinking my opinion might change. I do that sometimes when I suspect I might have been distracted with my first reading, and I do it especially when I am planning to post my opinion in a book review. I find that sometimes on the second go, I realize aspects of the book that I may have not appreciated first time around.I have to stick with a 3-star rating. The book is okay, but for me -- not as entertaining as RMB's Sneak Pie Brown books I've read.
    • 5/5
      Once again, a fine book about Sister Jane and fox following (I won't say hunting and they only follow). The characters are VERY memorable, including the horses, hounds and foxes. Sister Jane leads a "hunt" that runs into trouble when the field winds up in a blizzard and has to fight to find shelter. Trouble shows up when a horse comes in without its rider--a guest (a man trying to build a pipeline through the old plantations). It's too bad out to search, and so they wait until morning to find what they are sure will be a frozen corpse. They do find one, but it is NOT whom they expected and the guest rider is STILL missing.It takes a lot of sleuthing on everyone's part, including the foxes, to figure out why the wrong man was found dead, and what has happened to the guest.
    • 4/5
      Even you you knew nothing about the sport of fox hunting when you begin this tale, by the time you finish it, you’ll know something about it. Much of the story involves several hunts. The author has kindly included in the book various terms and their meaning. She also has included a list of important characters, both humans and animals. While there is a murder to solve, that part of the story seems to take a backseat to the real story, that of the characters and their devotion to proper hunting. And while they chase the foxes, they never harm them. In fact, these pampered wild animals are given places to stay, sometimes preferring a dog house to an underground den, as well as nourishing table scraps and sweets for dessert. If you are looking for a mystery where the protagonist searches high and low for the killer, this book may disappoint you. But if you are looking for an entertaining read that will enlighten you about fox hunting, you will enjoy this tale with the interplay between the characters. The discussions that the animals have are also quite delightful. Now it’s time for me to “go to ground” and take a snooze!
    • 3/5
      Homeward Bound surprised me with the interesting tale of the fox hunt and the characterization of the animals. I feel that Homeward Bound provided a better format than Probable Claws, and the animal cast exhibited human traits more convincingly. Why do not all authors provide a character cast at the beginning of a story. I greatly appreciate this worthwhile tool when the author has an extensive cast. Rita Mae Brown shines in this genre of the hunt, probably due to her love of the sport. Brown dives into the explanation of the hunt and the many terms that apply to this sport. I thought that the tale would be arduous and lengthy, but the journey proved fun and enlightening. I will need to read more of this enjoyable series.
    • 3/5
      I read the first couple of chapters and the last couple of chapters, but just wasn't that interested in learning more about fox hunting although I could tell it might be a lot of fun. The mystery was pretty good, but there were so many characters it was hard to keep them all straight plus I'm not much of one for talking animals.
    • 2/5
      Homeward Hound is the eleventh in a series of books, that does has a fox hunt, talking animals (although they do not talk to humans) and a mystery of course. The yearly Christmas hunt is disrupted by a snowstorm. When the storm is over, one man is missing. As they search for him, they discover the hands to another man. Since the missing man is involved in a pipeline, is this the reason for his disappearance. With the vast amounts of characters (both human and animal), I got lost in the story and my interest. Although, I finished to book, it was not for me. Will not read another in this series.
    • 3/5
      I received a copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I'm not sure why I requested it as I read some of her other series and didn't like them much. The mystery itself was good, but there are lots of characters to keep straight, both human and animal. And a major theme of the book is foxhunting, which I am not very interested in. Part of a series. I hadn't read any of the others. I think I might have enjoyed the story more if I'd read some of the others.
    • 3/5
      The Christmas hunt, shortened by the arrival of a monster snowstorm, ends with the disappearance of a man involved with an unpopular pipeline. He's missing and presumed dead when they are able to begin the search after the storm, but instead of his body, they find the body of another man. Slowly the missing man's body parts begin turning up. Pretty soon it becomes clear that someone quite familiar with the fox club's hunting grounds must be the murderer. I've only read about one other installment in this series and found it difficult to follow, even with the aid of the cast of characters and fox hunting vocabulary in the front of the volume. Because some animals had human-sounding names (and some people animal-sounding ones), I found it difficult to distinguish their voices even though the animals' speech was italicized. This one was similar, but I managed to stay afloat a bit better than in the previous one. What I really did enjoy about this was the frequent references to Virginia's history. If I read other installments, it will be because of the historical gems rather than the fox-hunting plot. I received a copy through LibraryThing Early Reviewers' program with the expectation of an honest review.
    • 3/5
      A book by Rita Mae Brown set in Virginia among the fox hound set of people. The book is heavy on Fox hunts and the actions that take place on one. This overroad the mystery of who killed Rory Boone during a blizzard that came on suddenly during the fox hunt. It also overroad the disappearance of Gregory Luckham, the head of a company, Soliden, who wants to run a pipeline through the pristine and very historical area of Virginia. It was difficult to stay interested in the story due to the repeated description of the fox hunts.
    • 4/5
      "Sister" Jane Arnold is starting another fox hunting season. As Master of Foxhounds for the Jefferson Hunt, she's responsible for running the Hunt Club itself, together with her co-Master Walter, but also for relations with local landowners, ensuring the club has permission to pursue foxes on the local estates, only some of whose owners are fox hunters themselves. The hunt season itself has started off well, but nevertheless there is potential trouble brewing. Soliden, a major energy company, wants to lay a pipeline right through the heart of the hunt country and across old and carefully tended estates. A dinner planned to let the Soliden CEO and the hunt community get to know each other turns explosive. Crawford, head of another local hunt club, storms out in fury.All of which is disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing as when, at the end of the Christmas Hunt, cut short by the arrival of a blizzard, they find two things.Gregory Luckham, the Soliden CEO, has vanished, apparently right off his horse as they were coming in through the blinding blizzard. And a dead body is found, hit on the back of the head, and left in a ditch. It's not Gregory Luckham. It's Rory, a valued regular of the hunt's support staff.What follows is a frustrating and alarming mystery for the Sister and her hunting friends and rivals. Every piece of evidence found makes it clearer and clearer that the killer has to be one of them. Yet there is really no reason for anyone to have killed Rory. And where is Gregory Luckham?Brown has built up an interesting, diverse, and often likable collection of characters over the coursee of the series, and friendships and conflicts add to the interest of the story. In addition, as in all of her books, the dogs, cats, and horses, as well as birds and foxes, observe things the humans can't,and have their own opinions which they aren't shy about expressing--even if mostly it's only the other animals that get the full benefit of those opinions.No dogs, horses, or cats die--and since this is Virginia fox hunting, not English fox hunting, neither do any foxes. The point here is an exciting chase ending with the fox going to ground, not killing the fox and collecting the useless trophies of brush and mask.It's as always a satisfying story, both as a mystery, and in the long-running interplay of the characters. Recommended.I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 3/5
      Another interesting novel showcasing the ins and outs of foxhunting with an intriguing murder thrown into the mix and the killer isn't revealed until the very end.
    • 5/5
      animals, american-fox-hunting, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery Once again we are given an excellent murder mystery along with sentient animals and (for the foxes) bloodless hunting and marvelous horses. Fortunately for the reader, the book is prefaced by a dictionary of relevant terms and a comprehensive descriptive of all relevant characters both humans and animals. It's pretty easy from the opening chapters to see who is the kind of person who would be a target for murder, but from there on it is filled with suspects, twists, and red herrings! Altogether an excellent read whether you are into American fox hunting or not! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!