Autumn is in the air in the Blue Ridge Mountain community of Crozet, Virginia--and all the traditions of the changing seasons are under way. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen cleans her cupboards, her husband, Fair, prepares the horses for the shorter days ahead, and the clamorous barking of beagles signals the annual rabbit chase through the central Virginia hills. But the last thing the local beaglers and their hounds expect to flush out is a dead body.

Disturbingly, it's the second corpse to turn up, after that of a missing truck driver too disfigured to identify. The deaths seem unrelated--until Harry picks up a trail of clues dating back to the state's post-Revolutionary past.

The echoes of the Shot Heard Round the World pale in comparison to the dangerous shootout Harry narrowly escapes unscathed. Next time, it may be the killer who gets lucky. But not if Harry's furry friends Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker can help it. Lending their sharp-nosed talents to the hunt, they'll help their mistress keep more lives from being lost--and right an injustice buried since the early days of America's independence.

Rita Mae Brown's earliest memory is of the soothing purr of Mickey, her family's long-haired tiger cat, who curled up and claimed a spot in her crib. From there, a steady parade of cats, dogs, horses, and all manner of two- and four-legged critters have walked, galloped, and flown into and through her world. In Animal Magnetism, the bestselling author shares the lessons she's learned from these marvelous creatures as well as her deep appreciation for them.

Brown readily admits that she prefers the company of animals to people, a trait handed down from her mother. After all, Brown explains, "There's no such thing as a dumb dog, but God knows there are continents filled with dumb humans." In fact, by observing the dogs on her farm, the horses in her stables, and the cats that have helped her flesh out her many novels, Brown has gained better insight into herself and other human beings-one need only look at a chicken coop, she once realized, to see its striking similarity to her mother's clucking and preening group of friends.

In hilarious and heartwarming stories, Brown introduces us to Franklin, a parrot with a wicked sense of humor; R.C., a courageous Doberman who defined loyalty and sacrifice; Suzie Q, the horse who taught her the meaning of hard work; Baby Jesus, a tough tiger cat from New York City with sharp teeth to match his attitude; and of course the beloved and prolific Sneaky Pie, who needs no introduction to her legions of fans. In her succinct and personable style, Brown also revisits the very human parts of her life-growing up in the segregated South, dealing with the pain and the loss of those dearest to her, and coming into her own as an adult and as a writer.

Every recollection here reveals nature's delight and wonder-and offers solid evidence of the ability of animals to love. As funny as it is poignant, Animal Magnetism shows how these inspiring creatures, great and small, can bring out the best in us, restore us to our greater selves, and even save our lives.

It takes a cat to write the purr-

fect mystery.

Things have been pretty

exciting lately in Crozet, Virginia

—a little too exciting if you ask

resident feline investigator Mrs. Murphy. Just as the town starts

to buzz over its Civil War

reenactment, a popular local

man disappears. No one's seen

Tommy Van Allen's single-

engine plane, either—except for Mrs. Murphy, who spotted it

during a foggy evening's

mousing.

Even Mrs. Murphy's favorite

human, postmistress Mary

Minor "Harry" Haristeen, can sense that something is amiss.

But things really take an ugly

turn when the town reenacts

the battle of Oak Ridge—and a

participant ends up with three

very real bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and

her friends sift through clues

that just don't fit together,

more than a few locals fear that

the scandal will force well-

hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when

Mrs. Murphy's relentless tracking

places loved ones in danger, it

takes more than a canny kitty

and her team of animal sleuths

to set things right again...

It takes a cat to write the purr-

fect mystery.

Things have been pretty

exciting lately in Crozet, Virginia

—a little too exciting if you ask

resident feline investigator Mrs. Murphy. Just as the town starts

to buzz over its Civil War

reenactment, a popular local

man disappears. No one's seen

Tommy Van Allen's single-

engine plane, either—except for Mrs. Murphy, who spotted it

during a foggy evening's

mousing.

Even Mrs. Murphy's favorite

human, postmistress Mary

Minor "Harry" Haristeen, can sense that something is amiss.

But things really take an ugly

turn when the town reenacts

the battle of Oak Ridge—and a

participant ends up with three

very real bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and

her friends sift through clues

that just don't fit together,

more than a few locals fear that

the scandal will force well-

hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when

Mrs. Murphy's relentless tracking

places loved ones in danger, it

takes more than a canny kitty

and her team of animal sleuths

to set things right again...

It’s no secret that cats are a

mystery writer’s best friend.

Just ask the bestselling team of

Rita Mae Brown and her furry

partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, back

on the prowl with another unforgettable whodunit. This

time a controversial miracle in

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains

sparks religious fervor–and a

suspicious death. Now the

indefatigable felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with

the dogged corgi Tee Tucker,

must trust their animal instincts

to sniff out the worst of human

nature....

With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen

and her best friend, Susan

Tucker, take a much-needed

time-out at the mountain

monastery of Mount Carmel.

There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin

Mary, their worldly worries are

soon overshadowed. For in

front of their very eyes the

statue begins to cry tears of

blood. Legend has it that Mary’s

crimson tears are harbingers of

crises. And though skeptical, the

ever-practical Harry can already

see one on the horizon. If

leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the

monastery and the town of

Crozet into a circus. What Harry

doesn’t foresee is murder.…

When Susan’s great-uncle

Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the

base of the statue, foul play is

ruled out–at first. But at Harry’s

urging, the body is exhumed for

an autopsy. There’s just one

problem: the coffin is empty. That’s when Mrs. Murphy,

Pewter, and Tucker get

involved. Then there’s the

shocking revelation of a

mystery that has perplexed the

citizens of Crozet for ages. With Christmas around the

corner and the monastery

overrun by the faithful, all

Harry’s meddling menagerie can

do is stay on her trail as she

jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation–one

that becomes more dangerous

when another Crozet citizen

meets an untimely demise. In

this case it will be a miracle if

Harry stays alive...

Spring fever comes to the small

town of Crozet, Virginia. As the

annual Dogwood Festival

approaches, postmistress Mary

Minor “Harry” Haristeen feels

her own mating instincts stir. As for tiger cat Mrs. Murphy,

feline intuition tells her there’s

more in the air than just

pheromones. It begins with a

case of stolen hubcaps and

proceeds to the mysterious death of a dissolute young

mechanic over a sobering cup of

coffee. Then another death and

a shooting lead to the discovery

of a half-million crisp, clean

dollar bills that look to be very dirty.

Now Harry is on the trail of a

cold-blooded murderer. Mrs.

Murphy already knows who it

is--and who’s next in line. She

also knows that Harry, curious as a cat, does not have nine

lives. And the one she does have

is hanging by the thinnest of

threads.

Spring fever comes to the small

town of Crozet, Virginia. As the

annual Dogwood Festival

approaches, postmistress Mary

Minor “Harry” Haristeen feels

her own mating instincts stir. As for tiger cat Mrs. Murphy,

feline intuition tells her there’s

more in the air than just

pheromones. It begins with a

case of stolen hubcaps and

proceeds to the mysterious death of a dissolute young

mechanic over a sobering cup of

coffee. Then another death and

a shooting lead to the discovery

of a half-million crisp, clean

dollar bills that look to be very dirty.

Now Harry is on the trail of a

cold-blooded murderer. Mrs.

Murphy already knows who it

is--and who’s next in line. She

also knows that Harry, curious as a cat, does not have nine

lives. And the one she does have

is hanging by the thinnest of

threads.

Winter puts tiny Crozet,

Virginia, in a deep freeze and

everyone seems to be suffering

from the winter blahs, including

postmistress Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen. So all are ripe for the

juicy gossip coming out of

Crozet Hospital–until the main

source of that gossip turns up

dead. It’s not like Harry to resist

a mystery, and she soon finds the hospital a hotbed of ego,

jealousy, and illicit love.

But it’s tiger cat Mrs. Murphy,

roaming the netherworld of

Crozet Hospital, who sniffs out a

secret that dates back to the Underground Railroad. Then

Harry is attacked and a doctor is

executed in cold blood.

Soon only a quick-witted cat

and her animal pals feline

Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker stand between Harry and a

coldly calculating killer with a

prescription for murder.

In this thrilling new foxhunting mystery from New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown, an investigation into a missing and valuable object flushes out murder, ghosts, and old family rivalries. Now “Sister” Jane Arnold and a pack of four-legged friends must catch the scent of a killer and unearth a long-buried truth.As the calendar turns, the crisp October winds bode well for this year’s hunting season. But before the bugle sounds, Sister Jane takes a scenic drive up the Blue Ridge Mountains for a board meeting at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. Brimming with colorful stories and mementos from hunts of yore, the mansion is plunged into mystery when a venerable hunting horn is stolen right out of its case. The only clue, on a left-behind cell phone, is what seems to be a “selfie” video of the horn’s original owner, Wesley Carruthers—deceased since 1954.Odder still, Wesley’s body was never found. When Sister makes a discovery that may explain his unsolved disappearance, it leads her back to the Jefferson Hunt at midcentury, with her faithful hounds at her side. But as the clues quickly mount, Sister is no longer sure if she’s pursuing a priceless artifact, a thief, Wesley’s killer . . . or a ghost. The only certainty is that someone wants to put Sister off the chase—perhaps permanently.Teeming with familiar and beloved characters, intrigue, and the rich local history of Virginia’s horse country, Crazy Like a Fox races toward its stunning conclusion in full cry and packed with plenty of surprises. Once again, Rita Mae Brown dazzles and delights in her irresistible style, with a novel readers are certain to be crazy about.

New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown bounds to the front of the pack with Fox Tracks, the thrilling new mystery in her beloved foxhunting series featuring the indomitable “Sister” Jane Arnold and, among others, the boisterous company of horses and hounds. Now, as a string of bizarre murders sweeps the East Coast, this unlikely alliance must smoke out a devious killer who may be closer than they first think.

While outside on Manhattan’s Midtown streets a fierce snowstorm rages, nothing can dampen the excitement inside the elegant ballroom of Manhattan’s Pierre Hotel. Hunt clubs from all over North America have gathered for their annual gala, and nobody is in higher spirits than “Sister” Jane, Master of the Jefferson Hunt in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Braving the foul weather, Sister and her young friend “Tootie” Harris pop out to purchase cigars for the celebration at a nearby tobacco shop, finding themselves regaled by the colorful stories of its eccentric proprietor, Adolfo Galdos.

Yet the trip’s festive mood goes to ground later with the grisly discovery of Adolfo’s corpse. The tobacconist was shot in the head but found, oddly enough, with a cigarette pack of American Smokes laid carefully over his heart.

When a similar murder occurs in Boston, Sister’s “horse sense” tells her there’s a nefarious plot afoot—one that seems to originate in the South’s aromatic tobacco farms. Meanwhile, Sister’s nemesis, Crawford Howard, will stop at nothing to subvert the Jefferson Hunt Club. There’s more than one shadowy scheme in the works in Albemarle County, and some conspirators are unafraid of taking shots at those evidencing too keen an interest in other people’s business. When Sister voices her suspicions, she, too, becomes a target. Fortunately for her, the Master of the Jefferson Hunt may rely upon the wits and wiles of her four-legged friends—including horses Lafayette and Matador, the powerful hound, Dragon, and even the clever old red fox, Uncle Yancy!

From Manhattan’s gritty streets to the pastoral beauty of Virginia horse country, Fox Tracks features the beloved characters from past Sister Jane novels in a fascinating new intrigue. This sly, fast-paced mystery gives chase from sizzling start to stunning finish!

In the third novel of her captivating foxhunting series, Rita Mae Brown welcomes readers back for a final tour of a world where most business is conducted on horseback-and stables are de rigueur for even the smallest of estates. Here, in the wealth-studded hills of Jefferson County, Virginia, even evil rides a mount.The all-important New Year's Hunt commences amid swirling light snow. It is the last formal hunt of the season; therefore, participation is required no matter how hungover riders are from toasting the midnight before. On this momentous occasion, "Sister" Jane Arnold, master of the foxhounds, announces her new joint master and the new president of the Jefferson Hunt. And her choices will prove to be no less than shocking.The day's festivities are quickly marred, though, by what appears on the surface to be an unrelated tragedy. Sam Lorillard, former shining star and Harvard Law School alum, lies dead of a stab wound on a baggage cart at the old train station, surrounded by the outcasts and vagabonds who composed his social circle at the end of life. No one can remember when Sam started drinking, but the downward spiral was swift-and seemingly deadly.Murder is followed by scandal when Sister Jane discovers dishonest hunting practices going on in a neighboring club. Unsure whether to turn a blind eye or report the infringement to the proper authority, Sister and her huntsman, Shaker Crown, decide to investigate a little further, with the help of their trusty hounds. But when they come a little too close to the staggering truth-and uncover an unforeseen connection to Lorillard's murder-they realize they might not survive to see the next New Year's Hunt.Intricate, witty, and full of the varied voices of creatures both great and small, Full Cry is an astute reminder that even those with the bluest of blood still bleed red.

A Sister Jane - 3, 4

**Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen is on the hunt for a killer with a deadly green thumb when a day in the garden turns fatal in this exciting new mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown.**

Spring arrives in northern Virginia, and as the ground thaws and the peonies begin to bloom a bright magenta, the women of St. Luke's Lutheran Church prepare for a Homecoming celebration like no other. In honor of the day, Harry, Susan Tucker, and their friends decide to remodel the gardens of the church based on the plants that would have grown in the time St. Luke's was built, and plan to visit the historically accurate gardens of Montpelier to find inspiration in Dolley Madison's climbing roses.

But the gardens have been visited by catastrophe --a patch near the back is torn up in the night, completely destroyed. Is this the work of a random vandal? Or was someone looking for something growing in that garden?

When Jeannie Cordle...

Beloved authors Rita Mae Brown

and her feline co-conspirator,

Sneaky Pie Brown, sow the

seeds of an all-new mystery

featuring Mary Minor "Harry"

Haristeen, sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and that

incorrigible corgi Tee Tucker.

This time around, the onset of

spring ushers in more than hay

fever as the animal friends must

come to the aid of an ailing Harry to sniff out the season's

first blossom of murder. Ah,

spring! The redbuds open, the

robins return, and the days

lengthen. People's spirits lift--as

do those of their animal companions. As a wave of tilling

and planting sweeps over

Crozet, Virginia, Harry is

especially excited: This year is

her first harvesting grapes to

sell. But then a health crisis sends her reeling into the

forbidding world of hospitals

and doctors, treatments and

procedures. Surviving this

journey will be tough, but Mrs.

Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker will do their best to steer Harry in

the right direction--as will her

ever-helpful husband, Fair.

Others will have worse luck: An

especially promising nurse's

lifeless body is discovered without a mark on her. Then

another hospital employee, who

had seemed in perfect health, is

also found dead. It's clear

there's a mystery afoot--and

that's one thing Harry and her menagerie can't keep their

noses out of.

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.

In her well-received novel Outfoxed, Rita Mae Brown vividly and deftly brought to life the genteel world of foxhunting, where hunters, horses, hounds, and foxes form a tightly knit community amidst old money and simmering conflicts. With Hotspur, we return to the Southern chase-and to a hunt on the trail of a murderer.Jane "Sister" Arnold may be in her seventies, but she shows no signs of losing her love for the Hunt. As Master of the prestigious Jefferson Hunt Club in a well-heeled Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain town, she is the most powerful and revered woman in the county. She can assess the true merits of a man or a horse with uncanny skill. In short, Sister Jane is not easily duped.When the skeleton of Nola Bancroft, still wearing an exquisite sapphire ring on her finger, is unearthed, it brings back a twenty-one year old mystery. Beautiful Nola was a girl who had more male admirers than her family had money, which was certainly quite a feat. In a world where a woman's ability to ride was considered one of her most important social graces, Nola was queen of the stable. She had a weakness for men, and her tastes often ventured towards the inappropriate, like the sheriff's striking son, Guy Ramy. But even Guy couldn't keep her eyes from wandering.When Nola and Guy disappeared on the Hunt's ceremonial first day of cubbing more than two decades ago, everyone assumed one of two things: Guy and Nola eloped to escape her family's disapproval; or Guy killed Nola in a jealous rage and vanished. But Sister Jane had never bought either of those theories.

Sister knows that all the players are probably still in place, the old feuds haven't died, and the sparks that led to a long-ago murder could flare up at any time.Hotspur brings all of Rita Mae Brown's storytelling gifts to the fore. It's a tale of Southern small-town manners and rituals, a compelling and intricate murder mystery, and a look at the human/animal relationship in all its complexity and charm.

“Sister” Jane Arnold, esteemed master of the Jefferson Hunt Club, has traveled to Kentucky for one of the biggest events of the season: the Mid-South Hound Show, where foxhounds, bassets, and beagles gather to strut their champion bloodline stuff. But the fun is squelched when, immediately after the competition, one of the contestants, Mo Schneider, turns up dead–facedown, stripped to the waist, and peppered with birdshot. Universally detested by his peers, Mo had no shortage of enemies, making the list of suspects as long as the line for homemade pecan pie at a church bake sale.Two weeks later, back in Virginia, Sister is rocked when her friend the popular veterinarian Hope Rogers dies from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sister refuses to believe that Hope killed herself and vows to sniff out the truth. But before she can make real headway, a wealthy pet food manufacturer vanishes during the granddaddy of all canine exhibitions, the Virginia Hound Show.

The chase is on in New York Times bestselling author Rita Mae Brown’s gripping new foxhunting mystery, featuring the irrepressible “Sister” Jane Arnold and the wily antics of her four-legged friends. In Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, a century-old crime reawakens bad will—and stirs up a scandal that chills Sister to the bone.Sister Jane and the Jefferson Hunt Club have traveled from Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to the Bluegrass State of Kentucky to ride with the members of the Woodford Hounds—in the teeth of foul weather. Sister knows better than anyone that an ill wind blows no good.After the hunt, Sister Jane and her boyfriend, Gray Lorillard, head to a sumptuous party on a nearby estate, also home to a historic equine graveyard. The revelry is interrupted by jarring news: The discovery of grisly remains in the cemetery that are decidedly not equine.Now Sister and her hounds are on the case, digging up clues to an old murder that links three well-connected Southern families. When mayhem follows the Jefferson Hunt back to Virginia, the deadly doings become all too real: A dear friend of Sister’s is found murdered. Sister and her animal friends must work fast to find a clever killer determined to keep deep-rooted secrets buried.A rollicking, riveting mystery, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is a masterly novel full of colorful characters, gorgeous country landscapes, and the breathtaking thrill of the hunt.

Mrs. Murphy digs into Virginia

history--and gets her paws on a

killer.

The most popular citizen of

Virginia has been dead for

nearly 170 years. That hasn't stopped the good people of tiny

Crozet, Virginia, from taking

pride in every aspect of Thomas

Jefferson's life. But when an

archaeological dig of the slave

quarters at Jefferson's home, Monticello, uncovers a shocking

secret, emotions in Crozet run

high--dangerously high.

The stunning discovery at

Monticello hints a hidden

passions and age-old scandals. As postmistress Mary Minor

"Harry" Haristeen and some of

Crozet's Very Best People try to

learn the identity of a centuries-

old skeleton--and the reason

behind the murder--Harry's tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her

canine and feline friends

attempt to sniff out a modern-

day killer. Mrs. Murphy and corgi

Tee Tucker will stick their paws

into the darker mysteries of human nature to solve murders

old and new--before curiosity

can kill the cat--and Harry

Haristeen.