LOST & HOUND

A weird murder poses a puzzle for an eclectic group of fox-hunting friends.

Jane “Sister” Arnold is Master of Foxhounds for central Virginia’s Jefferson Hunt. Although fox hunting is thought of as an elitist sport, Jefferson has members ranging from the very rich to those that just love horses, dogs and other critters, including the wily foxes whom the hounds never catch. Sister, in her 70s, is a bruising rider and a good friend to club members, some of them people of color and/or members of the LBGTQ community. All this matters not at all to Sister as long as they respect animals and the country they hunt over. An early hunt is so foggy that not until the next day does Sister’s brother-in-law, Sam, spot a dead body tied to a chair along its route. No one in the club knows the dead man, who’s finally identified as an importer-exporter with no apparent connection to the hunt. After their hunts, the group gathers for food, drink, and often long philosophical discussions on religion, politics, improving the environment and other topical issues. Now they’re struggling to come up with fundraising ideas to support the hunt. When one member is attacked and another’s stamps are stolen, they must consider possible connections between the dead man and the hunt club. Figuring out those connections will be the key to solving the murder. The animals may not be able to voice their concerns, but they try to nudge the humans in the right direction.

A meager mystery but a wonderful primer on fox hunting from the varied viewpoints of human and animal participants.