Death in Bloodhound Red

A wonderful first book in the series about a southern gal who raises bloodhounds and hires out as a tracker. I love the character JoBeth.

This is an incredible first book of a series, that sadly is behind a couple years. The books are; 1996-Death in Bloodhound Red, 1997-The House on Bloodhound Lane, 1998- A Brace of Bloodhounds, 1999-Blind Bloodhound Justice, 2000-Ten Little Bloodhounds. I'm not sure why we don't have books for 2001 and 2002, but after you read the first book and then run out and buy the next four that continue without dropping the pace and excitement, you'll mourn the gap in the series. Especially using the recommendations, its not that infrequent I get a new author 'can't put me down'er. However this was one of those I read through as fast as I can because of the tension and mystery, and then start right over again to read for the wealth of information and the beauty of the text. I can't think of anything this book doesn't have. There is a strong female protaganist, and one that hard to work her way from the ground up as well (as I did) that I really appreciate. As a now breeder and trainer of bloodhounds, Jo Beth is a complex character with sometimes warring qualitis, but one that acts consistently within the defined pesonality. The tension with the maniacal ex husband catches you quickly, but the mystery picks up and holds you as you go on. Additionally I love a book that provides some other new knowlege and this book is rife with knowlege about 'The South', the Okenofree swamp, and Bloodhounds. I've checked some of what I learned here with a friend who has been in the swamp and the South and it's been checking out. As an animal lover as well, you really get to love the bloodhounds and the knowlege of scent tracking and bloodhounds in particular is wide and varied. Yet Virginia Lanier sneaks the information in without any long boring solioquies. She always manages to get the right amount in to help you appreciate the story and does it in a way that goes with the story, like say explaining something to a new person, and then drives back to the plot before you could get bored. And she makes it fascinating. As I said earlier I was interested enough to talk to people till I found one that had been in the okenofee swamp, and I've got bloodhound research on my list of things to look into as well. As far as the south in concerned, I feel she does a good job of showing the pros and cons, the beauty and surface graciousness on the surface, and the misogeny and the racism underneath.

I enjoyed this intricately plotted, suspenseful, atmospheric mystery very much. The people are vividly portrayed, especially our heroine, Jo Beth Sidden, a "staunch but not militant feminist" and Georgia good ol' girl. The descriptions, particularly of the perilous treks through the Okefenokee Swamp, capture the imagination and transport you directly to the Deep South. The bloodhounds come to life too: These dogs are real, not mere background props. The bloodhound lore -- history, training, how these amazing animals do their tracking, their gentle and affectionate disposition -- is fascinating. And cat fanciers will be delighted to find a feline among all the canines. There's a good chance fans of Sue Grafton, Margaret Maron, Sara Paretsky, Susan Conant, B.J. Oliphant/A.J. Orde, and Nevada Barr will like this book, which is followed by four sequels so far.

I love mysteries, adore dogs, and am somewhat of a feminist. In the past most animal centered mysteries were too cutesy for me, and lacked the depth of this one. I like our heroine's strength and ability to think fast and do what's needed, yet she has softness too. This book means business, and has me both wishing for a bloodhound of my own, and eager for the next book in the series.

As an avid reader of mysteries,an avid breeder/exhibitor of show dogs,and a southern woman,I began reading this book with the idea that I would have to overlook dogs behaving in an un-doglike manner and the usual "magnolia" approach toward writing a southern female protagonist. Was I ever surprised,charmed,and spellbound by Ms. Lanier's DEATH IN BLOODHOUND RED! Her main character,Jo Beth Sidden,is a marvelous blend of toughness and vunerability. She is quirky,independent and,at times,walks a very thin line between law and lawlessness. I,also,particularly enjoyed the collection of friends,enemies,and townspeople..each character was a three-dimensional,well thought-out personality. Her dogs and her relationship with them was very well-done and will tug sympathetic strings in any reader who loves dogs. The suspense of the plot with it's unexpected twists kept me turning pages long into the night. An engrossing read for any lover of a good mystery.