Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Fox and Furious: A Sister Jane Cozy Mystery" by Rita Mae Brown

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Review of "Fox and Furious: A Sister Jane Cozy Mystery" by Rita Mae Brown

In this 17th book in the 'Sister Jane' cozy mystery series, a feud between two brothers becomes deadly. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Jane Arnold, called "Sister", has been Master of Foxhounds (MFH) of the Jefferson Hunt - a foxhunting club in Albemarle County, Virginia - for over forty years.

As MFH Sister hires and fires personnel; makes arrangements with landowners; develops the pack of hounds; organizes the hunts; and so on. The foxhunts are very popular, and Sister is aided by an array of personnel who command the hounds and make sure things run smoothly.

As the story opens, it's October, 2024, and Sister is overseeing a joint hunt with the Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles, which hunts rabbits. The participants enjoy the event, though there's minor angst surrounding the Bradford family.

The Bradfords got very wealthy from timber mining, and ever since her husband died, matriarch Olivia Bradford has been overseeing the business and keeping the peace between her middle-aged sons Winston and Andrew.

Winston is Master of Beagles, and puts a lot of work into nonprofit companies, especially those addressing environmental concerns. Winston and his wife Beryl have been happily married for almost 30 years.

Winston's brother Andrew is Joint Master of Beagles, but has no brain for business, and just wants to have a good time. It bothers Andrew that Winston gets more respect than he does, though Andrew does nothing to deserve admiration. Andrew's reputation declines even further when he has a midlife crisis, divorces his wife Georgia, and marries a gorgeous young woman named Solange.

Andrew's ex-wife Georgia was hurt by the rejection, but ultimately realized she was happier without Andrew.

Winston and his wife Beryl; Andrew and his wife Solange; and Andrew's ex-wife Georgia all participate in the hunts. Everyone is polite, but there's an undercurrent of discomfort amongst them.

When matriarch Olivia Bradford has a stroke and dies, Winston and Andrew each inherit half of the Bradford estate. A brouhaha over the location of the beagle kennels leads to a vicious fight between Winston and Andrew, with punching, kicking, and threats.

After the next Jefferson Hunt, Andrew doesn't come in for the delicious post-hunt repast, and several club members go out to look for him.

Andrew's body is found in a farm equipment shed, impaled on the spider wheel tedder used to make hay bales. Solange screams, "Winston's killed my husband. I know it! I know it!"

The upshot is that Winston is arrested, but most people in the Jefferson Hunt think he's innocent. Sister and her friends discuss the situation, and suggest reasons Andrew may have been targeted: Was he dealing drugs? Did he make a bad business deal? Was another man interested in Solange? and so on.

While awaiting Winton's trial, Sister and the foxhunters have additional concerns. Fox hunts take place over large swaths of land, and hunt participants sometimes cross paths with deer hunters; moonshiners; trappers; or criminals with hidden stashes of guns. Encounters with these people can end in violence, and during one fox hunt, a man is found dead in a bear trap.

By the end of the book, all is revealed, and we learn how and why Andrew was killed.

The 'Sister' cozies by Rita Mae Brown are much more about foxhunting than solving a mystery, and the story features one foxhunt after another, each of which is described in detail. The hunts are seen not only from the POVs of the humans, but also of the dogs, horses, and foxes involved. There's also chatter from pet dogs and cats, all of which adds a fun element to the novel.

The book contains many scenes of Sister talking with her friends, or at home with her husband Gray and her pets: long-haired cat Golly; Doberman Raleigh; harrier Rooster; three rescued fox cubs; and a turtle called J. Edgar Hoover.

J.Edgar even gets a little skateboard, to roll around the house.

Rita Mae Brown includes beautiful word pictures of the Virginia landscape, which adds a wonderful ambiance to the story. I'd recommend the book to fans of Rita Mae Brown and people interested in foxhunting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rita Mae Brown, and Ballantine Books for an ARC of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Review of "Fox and Furious: A Sister Jane Cozy Mystery" by Rita Mae Brown

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