art-theft, American Fox Hunting, Virginia, animals, animal-welfare, murder, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery*****

February 2020 in Virginia where the state sport is Fox Hunting and the state dog is Foxhound. It's a good thing that there is an explanatory cast of characters at the beginning because there are so many animals as well as humans! If you come for wealthy humans and a good mystery with murders and art theft, you'll love it. I come for the animal conversations and antics, and I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley. Thank you

Loved it! This was a very clever plot with rich characters. Perfect as always.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

Sister Jane returns in a cozy mystery that combines fine sporting art, hunt protestors, corona virus, and some cracking good cross country gallops on grand horses. The weather is cold, but it doesn't stop the Jefferson Hunt from keeping their schedule on the fixture card. This book catches us up on some of the characters from past books, and current characters make big steps forward in their relationships. Tootie, the college student who left Princeton to work at Sister's barn, and her mother, Yvonne, continue to be important in the story line.

The Jefferson Hunt, as well as other hunts, is being harassed by anti-hunt protestors who start by posting signs, then move up to appearing at a meet and ultimately trespassing on private property in order to harass the hunt participants. Their ringleader goes too far in his personal insults and receives a punch from the landowner, plus a citation from the sheriff for trespassing.

The irascible millionaire Crawford, formerly a Jefferson Hunt member but now master of his own competing hunt, has a multi-million dollar Alfred Munnings painting stolen from his home despite a top-notch security system. The painting showed the painter's former wife in side saddle attire with a beautiful hunter. This is only the first art theft of Munnings paintings showing side saddle riders, and it worsens when one of the art owners is later murdered.

Other random murders occur, and they seem to be tied to a new show jumper barn whose owner hires ex-cons for staff. When the hunt ends up on his property, one of his thuggish employees kicks a hound, then the huntsman who is trying to gather the hounds and leave the grounds. Later the thug turns up dead.

There's a lot going on in this book, but what I really like is the daily life of stables and kennels, getting ready for hunts, the feeling of flying at full gallop down to a big jump at the end of the field, the breakfast/brunch afterward, all done accurately. I care less about the whodunit and more about the close relationships.

The animals, from horses to minks, all communicate amongst themselves and are always happy to share an opinion. The foxes don't mind the occasional pursuit and quickly dismiss the hounds by ducking into the nearest den. The horses enjoy the exercise and fresh air, while the hounds work the puzzles presented by the fox. For those unfamiliar with American fox-hunting, the fox is pursued, but very rarely killed, and never killed in any of the Rita Mae Brown fox-hunting books. Foxes have a lot of smarts and personality, and sometimes display a spirit of play in their interactions with the pack. In thanks for the sport they provide, there is dogfood left at the dens by Sister and her neighbors, sometimes with wormer to help keep them parasite free, and maybe a little candy or other treat.

Perfect like always!! I have read every Sister Jane book that Brown has put out and I have yet to be disappointed by any of them. The story is rich and full of detail. The characters both human and animal feel like they could come to life.

Another cozy mystery in the Sister Jane series. This one has someone stealing hunting paintings until a murder happens. A fair mystery, that kept my interest through to the end. A lot of details on foxhunting and talking animals, but overall not as detailed as some of the previous in the series. Would recommend this book and author.