What do you think?
Rate this book
"Sister" Jane #12
Scarlet Fever: A Novel
Winter blizzards bring a flurry of cases to solve in this riveting new foxhunting mystery featuring “Sister” Jane Arnold and her incorrigible hounds from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown.
Frigid February air has settled into the bones of the Blue Ridge Mountains, making for a slow foxhunting season, though “Sister” Jane Arnold’s enthusiasm is not so easily deterred. With the winter chill come tweed coats, blazing fireplaces—and perhaps another to share the warmth with, as the bold hunting scarlets worn by the men in Sister Jane’s hunting club make the hearts of women flutter—until someone’s stops entirely.
Harry Dunbar, a member of the Jefferson Hunt club with a penchant for antique furniture, is found with his skull cracked at the bottom of the stairs to a local store. There are no telltale signs of foul play—save for the priceless (and stolen) Erté fox ring in his pocket. Sister and her hounds set out to uncover the was this simply an accident—a case of bad luck—or something much more sinister?
Steeped in the deep traditions of Virginia horse country and featuring a colorful cast of characters both two- and four-legged, Scarlet Fever is another spirited mystery from Rita Mae Brown.
Frigid February air has settled into the bones of the Blue Ridge Mountains, making for a slow foxhunting season, though “Sister” Jane Arnold’s enthusiasm is not so easily deterred. With the winter chill come tweed coats, blazing fireplaces—and perhaps another to share the warmth with, as the bold hunting scarlets worn by the men in Sister Jane’s hunting club make the hearts of women flutter—until someone’s stops entirely.
Harry Dunbar, a member of the Jefferson Hunt club with a penchant for antique furniture, is found with his skull cracked at the bottom of the stairs to a local store. There are no telltale signs of foul play—save for the priceless (and stolen) Erté fox ring in his pocket. Sister and her hounds set out to uncover the was this simply an accident—a case of bad luck—or something much more sinister?
Steeped in the deep traditions of Virginia horse country and featuring a colorful cast of characters both two- and four-legged, Scarlet Fever is another spirited mystery from Rita Mae Brown.
320 pages, Paperback
Published January 5, 2021
207 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
174 books2,231 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 4, 2021
I'm never quite sure what to expect with a "cozy mystery"--minimal sex/cussing/gore? A tight-knit cast of characters, probably in a small town? A kind of Thomas-Kincade-pink, alternate reality where nobody punches a clock and yet everybody somehow owns nice possessions that perfectly reflect their quirky personalities?
Check, check, and check.
I didn't expect talking animals or a manual on fox hunting. But my dears, there are talking animals a-plenty here.
And lots of info on fox hunting. I took 10 years of huntseat riding lessons, but my eyes were still glazing over a bit. I hadn't realized that this was #12 in a series I haven't read, so I couldn't possibly get the warm fuzzies of seeing old familiar characters/friends.
So, as you can gather, I was having a pretty hard time getting into this book, but eventually it does start building toward its message. The afterword features important information about elder abuse and dementia, so if the book helps bring more awareness to that, I have to hand it back one of the stars I had taken away.
Check, check, and check.
I didn't expect talking animals or a manual on fox hunting. But my dears, there are talking animals a-plenty here.
And lots of info on fox hunting. I took 10 years of huntseat riding lessons, but my eyes were still glazing over a bit. I hadn't realized that this was #12 in a series I haven't read, so I couldn't possibly get the warm fuzzies of seeing old familiar characters/friends.
So, as you can gather, I was having a pretty hard time getting into this book, but eventually it does start building toward its message. The afterword features important information about elder abuse and dementia, so if the book helps bring more awareness to that, I have to hand it back one of the stars I had taken away.
January 4, 2020
Bleh. The reading draaaaaaaged interminably and the story itself was depressing, and also there was little to no mystery.
November 27, 2019
Rita Mae Brown is a very prolific writer. She has a couple of book series, including the Sneaky Pie Brown and the Sister Jane fox hunting series. This book, “Scarlet Fever”, is the 12th in Sister Jane books and follows the previous 11 books into the world of “Sister Jane” Arnold, a Master of the Hounds in central Virginia. Any similarities between Sister Jane and Rita Mae Brown are intentional.
The fun for a reader of series books is the chance to revisit dear old friends in old places. We catch up on lives in the past year and see what new adventures and maybe love affairs are happening. At the book’s end, we leave them behind for another year, until Sister Jane returns for another visit.
The Sister Jane books are not as well-written as they used to be. Sister has a steady cast of characters around her - mostly fellow fox hunters - whose descriptions remain the same year to year. There’s usually at least one murder - though not too graphic as these are “cozy” mysteries - and one or two other plot points that are contemporary problems. (In this book, the problem of elder abuse is brought up). The characters are not deeply drawn but all have a glint of identity recognizable to the reader. The women, particularly Sister Jane, tend to be described as beautiful. And the men, well, they’re certainly manly.
Brown writes a lot about fox hunting, which is a no-kill sport in the United States. Among her non-human characters are the horses, foxes, dogs and cats, birds, and other wildlife who share central Virginia with Sister Jane Arnold and other people. These animals talk among themselves and often have more interesting chatter than their human counterparts. There are also charming pictures of the animals in the book. (The book also has product placements; much of the book takes place in Warrenton, Virginia at the very real Horse Country Store, which handles all things horse and fox hunting. Another plug or two are also moved into the plot, but what the hell, it’s Brown’s book and she can write what she wants to.)
“Scarlet Fever” is not Brown’s best book; it isn’t even the best in the Sister Jane series. (You have to read “Six of One” or “Southern Discomfort” to get the full force of Brown’s exquisite writing). But for the longtime Sister Jane readers, this year’s edition will keep you happy for another year.
The fun for a reader of series books is the chance to revisit dear old friends in old places. We catch up on lives in the past year and see what new adventures and maybe love affairs are happening. At the book’s end, we leave them behind for another year, until Sister Jane returns for another visit.
The Sister Jane books are not as well-written as they used to be. Sister has a steady cast of characters around her - mostly fellow fox hunters - whose descriptions remain the same year to year. There’s usually at least one murder - though not too graphic as these are “cozy” mysteries - and one or two other plot points that are contemporary problems. (In this book, the problem of elder abuse is brought up). The characters are not deeply drawn but all have a glint of identity recognizable to the reader. The women, particularly Sister Jane, tend to be described as beautiful. And the men, well, they’re certainly manly.
Brown writes a lot about fox hunting, which is a no-kill sport in the United States. Among her non-human characters are the horses, foxes, dogs and cats, birds, and other wildlife who share central Virginia with Sister Jane Arnold and other people. These animals talk among themselves and often have more interesting chatter than their human counterparts. There are also charming pictures of the animals in the book. (The book also has product placements; much of the book takes place in Warrenton, Virginia at the very real Horse Country Store, which handles all things horse and fox hunting. Another plug or two are also moved into the plot, but what the hell, it’s Brown’s book and she can write what she wants to.)
“Scarlet Fever” is not Brown’s best book; it isn’t even the best in the Sister Jane series. (You have to read “Six of One” or “Southern Discomfort” to get the full force of Brown’s exquisite writing). But for the longtime Sister Jane readers, this year’s edition will keep you happy for another year.
December 2, 2019
The series seems to be running out of steam. The descriptions of the fox hunts remain exciting and detailed, with expert knowledge of hound-work. However, the mystery portion of the book is really an after-thought to the hunting and the contrived situations of conversation among familiar characters in which the author states her opinions on everything: modern medicine, cars, politics, farming and land-development, you name it. The murder in this book occurs in the last few pages and there is no mystery as to who did it or why. The mystery does not drive the book at all. The earlier books used fox hunting to enhance the central mystery. Now, the mystery is almost non-existent. Time to retire the hounds.
February 5, 2021
No one does a better job than Rita Mae Brown in describing nature, especially in relating the thrill of a good foxhunt. You really get the impression that you are riding right along with the master, through wood, field, and stream and all kinds of weather. But the murder mystery part of this book really seems to be an afterthought, though the murder at the end was shocking. Throughout the book, very little time is spent in solving any crime.
This book is really a novelette in disguise. If you were to take out the side stories and the political, economic, and social commentary and tighten up the design, it really isn’t a full book. Much as I enjoy Sister and Ms. Brown’s writing, this is getting expensive for a book that seems half of what it could be.
This book is really a novelette in disguise. If you were to take out the side stories and the political, economic, and social commentary and tighten up the design, it really isn’t a full book. Much as I enjoy Sister and Ms. Brown’s writing, this is getting expensive for a book that seems half of what it could be.
December 16, 2019
This one's a bit depressing. The story involves dementia, elder abuse, drugs, theft, blackmail, murder, and foxhunting. The dementia and elder abuse make this story so depressing. It's unfortunate that things like that happen. The animals added levity. The animals continue to be my favorite part of the story. The mystery is interesting but not the focus of the story.
November 29, 2019
Almost finish in one sitting, but it's Thanksgiving.
January 5, 2020
Another great story with Sister and the members of her Hunt Club.
January 17, 2024
3.5 very fun and a great little read for a snow day! A quint essential cozy murder mystery!
December 19, 2019
Jumped around a bit. Some of the storylines were interesting but it took to long to tie it together.
January 6, 2020
Scarlet Fever is the first book that wasn't a "Sneaky Pie" book of hers that I have read. I love the Sneaky Pie series.
This is fun book with a quirky cast of characters and animals play a central part in their lives. Sister Jane is a master of the hounds. But really its the animals that always make me fall for the story.
I had a harder time getting into this one, because it is book 12 in a series and well...I didn't know a lot of the cast, but once I sorted everyone out I was fine, and I definitely want to go back to the beginning someday and meet everyone properly from book 1. The thing about this one that kept it from being a great read was that the mystery got buried in so many other things. I thought that the Harry storyline was the main mystery, but then there's Morris who has dementia and his family and well that part of the story is disturbing for anyone that's taken care of a parent with failing health regardless of the health issue.
I wish if Rita were going to write a mystery, she would have stuck to one story, not two that weren't connected. It kept me from really enjoying the story the way that I would have liked.
This is a fun cozy, like all of Rita's other book, perhaps not one of her best one's but still a good solid story that will delight her fans.
This is fun book with a quirky cast of characters and animals play a central part in their lives. Sister Jane is a master of the hounds. But really its the animals that always make me fall for the story.
I had a harder time getting into this one, because it is book 12 in a series and well...I didn't know a lot of the cast, but once I sorted everyone out I was fine, and I definitely want to go back to the beginning someday and meet everyone properly from book 1. The thing about this one that kept it from being a great read was that the mystery got buried in so many other things. I thought that the Harry storyline was the main mystery, but then there's Morris who has dementia and his family and well that part of the story is disturbing for anyone that's taken care of a parent with failing health regardless of the health issue.
I wish if Rita were going to write a mystery, she would have stuck to one story, not two that weren't connected. It kept me from really enjoying the story the way that I would have liked.
This is a fun cozy, like all of Rita's other book, perhaps not one of her best one's but still a good solid story that will delight her fans.
November 24, 2019
I have read and loved all of the author’s Mrs. Murphy series so when I saw Scarlet Fever on NetGalley I snapped it up. Mrs. Murphy books are a more traditional cat cozy mystery though the cats and dog do talk and investigate crimes.
Scarlet Fever is book number twelve in the “Sister” Jane mysteries. This book literally has a hundred characters. There are talking hounds, dogs, and horses—all with intricate family relationships. There are also many human characters with seemingly long-standing issues from previous books in the series. The author does provide a detailed biography of the cast at the beginning. However, it was difficult to get into the mystery while frequently having to turn pages back and forth. Therefore, I would not recommend starting the series with this entry.
However, if you like fox hunting, you will love this series that focuses minutely on the methods used by the hunters, their hounds, and the foxes trying to outwit them both. Long-term fans of the “Sister” Jane mysteries will be sure to enjoy Scarlet Fever. 4 stars!
Thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Scarlet Fever is book number twelve in the “Sister” Jane mysteries. This book literally has a hundred characters. There are talking hounds, dogs, and horses—all with intricate family relationships. There are also many human characters with seemingly long-standing issues from previous books in the series. The author does provide a detailed biography of the cast at the beginning. However, it was difficult to get into the mystery while frequently having to turn pages back and forth. Therefore, I would not recommend starting the series with this entry.
However, if you like fox hunting, you will love this series that focuses minutely on the methods used by the hunters, their hounds, and the foxes trying to outwit them both. Long-term fans of the “Sister” Jane mysteries will be sure to enjoy Scarlet Fever. 4 stars!
Thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 29, 2019
With literally hundreds of characters having input, you will enjoy this book best if you have some familiarity with the series from previous reads. It does stand alone, especially if you care about horses, hunting or old southern tradition.
We hear from the perspective of horses and hounds and even from the foxes themselves, as several hunt packs traverse the landscape of Old Family Virginia.
The tradition and pageantry are beautifully descriptive and warmly welcoming despite chill winds and bone freezing rains. Rife with complications of human relationships, scandal and tradition intermingle along with elements of greed and human frailty.
When a man, neither old not frail, slips and dies, people wonder, could it have been intentional?
When a brilliant man suffers with dementia and causes property damage as well as becomes violently mischievous, the community does their best to support him and his family.
So much is going on one must concentrate to catch it all.
There is also a unique piece of furniture of interest.
A fascinating series but enjoyed most when you read it start to each successive book.
We hear from the perspective of horses and hounds and even from the foxes themselves, as several hunt packs traverse the landscape of Old Family Virginia.
The tradition and pageantry are beautifully descriptive and warmly welcoming despite chill winds and bone freezing rains. Rife with complications of human relationships, scandal and tradition intermingle along with elements of greed and human frailty.
When a man, neither old not frail, slips and dies, people wonder, could it have been intentional?
When a brilliant man suffers with dementia and causes property damage as well as becomes violently mischievous, the community does their best to support him and his family.
So much is going on one must concentrate to catch it all.
There is also a unique piece of furniture of interest.
A fascinating series but enjoyed most when you read it start to each successive book.
November 18, 2019
This has a little more serious message than the usual Sister Jane mysteries- but know that you'll still find talking animals (love that!) and a lot of information about fox hunting. Sister Jane is the master of the hounds for the Jefferson Hunt and she solves murders. Or in this case, solves a mystery or two. It's been a rough season for the hunt- lousy weather and itchy people but Sister Jane still rides out. When a body is found (no spoilers) Sister Jane and the hunt must look among themselves and think about dementia, elder abuse, and how their community can responsibly care for others. I always like these books for the detail about the hunt and the animals and there's plenty of that here. There are, honestly, perhaps too many characters (and you can get lost in trying to keep up) but it's still a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is one case where those who have read the earlier books in the series will appreciate it more than those picking it up as a standalone.
October 7, 2019
If you are a Sister Jane fan then of course you will want to read the latest mystery by Rita Mae Brown (read from an eARC from Edelweiss). Set in the winter in Virginia fox hunting country, Sister Jane and her hunt are beset by the usual weather woes that make fox hunting challenging as well as deeply loved. In this season there is an overabundence of rain and even some usually well attended weekend hunts are either cancelled or draw only a small amount of members.
As usual, the members that make up the hunt as well as friends and neighbors are what drives these mysteries, their personalities and history intertwining. Unlike most of the other Sister Jane mysteries, the death of one of the members does not turn out to be a murder however there is eventually a murder that shocks the community. Rita Mae Brown writes afterwords in her novels and the one for Scarlet Fever is somewhat sobering.
As usual, the members that make up the hunt as well as friends and neighbors are what drives these mysteries, their personalities and history intertwining. Unlike most of the other Sister Jane mysteries, the death of one of the members does not turn out to be a murder however there is eventually a murder that shocks the community. Rita Mae Brown writes afterwords in her novels and the one for Scarlet Fever is somewhat sobering.
December 3, 2019
#11 in the Sister Jane Arnold, the Master of Foxhounds for the Jefferson Hunt, located in the piedmont area of Virginia. Typical for Rita Mae Brown mysteries, the 4 legged animals are as important as the 2 legged ones. This is a good series to read with well developed characters (both human and animals) set in an area rich in behavioral traditions and historical history.
It is February and the fox hunting season is well underway though the weather has been much wetter than usual when a body is discovered. The death is considered an accident, though there are lingering doubts over the next month or so. Eventually a scam involving an inheritance ends in a murder. For the reader, there is a plot strain in which you are aware that a character is withholding significant information providing you with an unsettling why is this happening. Less murder mystery and more about fox hunting and people characters than a murder mystery.
It is February and the fox hunting season is well underway though the weather has been much wetter than usual when a body is discovered. The death is considered an accident, though there are lingering doubts over the next month or so. Eventually a scam involving an inheritance ends in a murder. For the reader, there is a plot strain in which you are aware that a character is withholding significant information providing you with an unsettling why is this happening. Less murder mystery and more about fox hunting and people characters than a murder mystery.
December 9, 2019
Scarlet Fever by Rita Mae Brown is about “Sister” Jane Arnold. She is dealing with frigid air in the Blue Ridge Mountains in February. Everyone cuddles in front of the fire until they find one of their group with his skull cracked at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Sister is not convinced this is an accident so she and her hounds determine to find out what really did happen. This book is all about the deep traditions of Virginia horse country. This is Rita Mae Brown’s 12th book in the “Sister” Jane Arnold series. It’s involves fox-hunting in the cold mountains. It has a few too many characters to remember them all. I do like hearing the animals “talking,” but I felt it was too similar to her 11th book isn’t this series.
January 31, 2024
I get that it was making a point about two murders of a sick person where one murderer was told they did the right thing and were so great and the other is in jail. But if we're supposed to be following Harry's murder, when we knew Jean was the one who was going to be with him beforehand, it was clearly her and there were no other hints along the way. It was just brought up occasionally. I was really hoping for a twist. And it was clear halfway through that Bainbridge or Morris were going to kill each other... Not a very inticing or suspenseful murder mystery.
(Plus the talking animals were really cheesey to me)
I've never read any other books by this author, so maybe it is her style, or maybe it was just not a good one. I don't know.
(Plus the talking animals were really cheesey to me)
I've never read any other books by this author, so maybe it is her style, or maybe it was just not a good one. I don't know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2019
I always love the communications among the tame and wild animals, especially when they are passing judgment on the humans. There is also much verbal interaction among the hunt people in this unseasonably snowy late winter. The plot is good and the characters certainly are, but there is a deeper message about the victims of dementia and the devastation to family and friends. The only thing missing is the physical danger to residential staff (I know whereof I speak). I found it an excellent and engaging read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!
April 12, 2021
I love the cover illustration. I love the cast of characters: horses, people, dogs, foxes (red and gray), and even the birds. I love the names of nicknames. I love the descriptions of the hunt terms. I would have loved a map. I chose this book because we are thinking of moving to western Virginia and I wanted some local color. Perfectly describes the kind of day no on would want to move to Virginia for!
I was once an antique dealer and I remember stopping at an antique show in his area about twenty years ago. Great stuff.
Good plot, great ending. Cheerful read. I would move to VA in a minute if I had this kind of money or..... no spoilers!
I was once an antique dealer and I remember stopping at an antique show in his area about twenty years ago. Great stuff.
Good plot, great ending. Cheerful read. I would move to VA in a minute if I had this kind of money or..... no spoilers!
February 25, 2023
So I'm rating a 3/5 because it isn't a bad book just not for me. Well written and with an interesting and unique plot, it is just not my taste. Very much set in the fox hunting world I had a hard time keeping us with all the characters and animals who are characters themselves. Admittedly, I haven't read any of the series so stepping in at #12 wasn't a good decision. I bought this at Naughty Dogs Book Store in Nashville, IN on a whim and I should have read about the series first. The cover and illustrations are delightful. It is just too heavy on the theme I'm not very interested in and the terms specific to the foxhunting theme.
August 30, 2024
Silly book. Not worth reading.
I was looking for something light and had never read one of Brown’s mysteries, so I thought I’d give this a try. It was a waste of time. Unless you’re really into fox hunting, I’d pass this series by. It’s actually challenging to read otherwise, because of all the hunting terms. There’s a 5-page glossary of terms, but it’s tiresome to have to keep looking. There’s also an 8-page glossary of characters - humans, dogs, horses, foxes, and birds. There are far too many otherwise indistinguishable characters to keep track of.
Also, Brown’s dealing of “senile dementia” is uninformed.
I was looking for something light and had never read one of Brown’s mysteries, so I thought I’d give this a try. It was a waste of time. Unless you’re really into fox hunting, I’d pass this series by. It’s actually challenging to read otherwise, because of all the hunting terms. There’s a 5-page glossary of terms, but it’s tiresome to have to keep looking. There’s also an 8-page glossary of characters - humans, dogs, horses, foxes, and birds. There are far too many otherwise indistinguishable characters to keep track of.
Also, Brown’s dealing of “senile dementia” is uninformed.
December 1, 2019
Bracing run but missed the usual cast of characters . . .
Impossible not to enjoy the latest from RMB but I did miss some of the usual suspects and longstanding members of the hunt. Granted their absence may have something to to with their naughtiness (which made many of them so damn likable) but that’s what makes this series so damn good. Raining in VA today and our Sunday meet was canceled so I more than ever felt a part of the novel, enduring a sloshy season with the Jefferson Hunt. Kick on!
Impossible not to enjoy the latest from RMB but I did miss some of the usual suspects and longstanding members of the hunt. Granted their absence may have something to to with their naughtiness (which made many of them so damn likable) but that’s what makes this series so damn good. Raining in VA today and our Sunday meet was canceled so I more than ever felt a part of the novel, enduring a sloshy season with the Jefferson Hunt. Kick on!
December 11, 2019
Rita Mae Brown writes books that are fun and easy to read. She builds a community and populates it with entertaining characters. Entertaining until someone gets killed. In this new series she introduces us to the fox hunting crowd and sets them up for our heroine to solve a murder along with a major theft ring. I have always loved Rita Mae Brown's series and have now added this one to my friend's TBR piles!
December 15, 2019
A bit disjointed and meandering, not the intricately entwined twists and turns of hunts and human nature that we've come to expect. In the end, while enjoyable, it felt wanting: much of the mystery was left out, the hunts mostly stood alone, and the character development was fairly non-existent. While I have loved this series from the start, the anticipation of this new installment vs. the reading of it has left me with a feeling that the series has lost its luster.
January 10, 2020
This book is more about fox hunting and weather than anything else but still makes for interesting reading because of the way the author portrays the characters. She can really make them come alive and be very personable. Of course, it also tends to have a modern day morale and be realistic in matters that can touch everybody's lives at some point in time. Well worth the time spent reading as it is a short book to begin with.
January 28, 2020
This is typical Sister Jane book with murder, talking animals and fox hunting. The subject matter in this one is a little depressing dwelling on elder abuse and dementia. This is book 12 in the Sister Jane series and I like it more than her Murphy Brown books because she isn't pushing a political environmental agenda. You can read it as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 5, 2020
All of the Sister Jane series is so much fun. Scarlet Fever does not disappoint! Good mystery! The stories always include a list of major characters, the dogs, the foxes, and the horses. Sometimes other animals are included. The animals converse and tell the happenings from their perspective. As an animal lover, this thrills me. Sometimes Rita Mae Brown shares a message. The message this time involves Alzheimers.
April 2, 2021
Antique dealer/member of the Jefferson Hunt Harry Dunbar is found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Then Morris Taylor, former Hunt member suffering from a violent senile dementia, is found shot dead under a pile of brush. While Morris' older brother Drew, Hunt member/insurance executive, and Morris' motherless son, Bainbridge, who has been fighting his addictions to oxy and liquor, flee, MFH "Sister" Jane Arnold makes the most discreet inquiries imaginable about the increasing body count.
January 13, 2022
The hunting scenes are well-written and engaging, but this is not at all my kind of book. There are two mysteries wrapped in this story of the sporting life in middle Virginia. What I disliked were the effortlessly wealthy characters lecturing each other and the reader on the value of life. What is the value of life if you can’t exercise your horse on a fox hunt with your friends three times a week? Apparently, not much. It’s not the series for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews