The House on Bloodhound Lane

I have read all of Virginia Lanier's books (date of review 8/7/00). All five are full of excitement and suspense as well as romance and humor. Being a dog lover myself, I was fascinated by the nuances of caring for, training, and working with bloodhounds.I just finished her last book in the series and I will sorely miss Jo Beth and her adventures into the swamp with her magnificent dogs. I am eagerly awaiting the next one!

In this, the second of Virginia Lanier's suspenseful and entertaining series, we're treated to more adventures of Jo Beth Sidden, feminist, good ol' girl and woman of much guile. Her cleverness and resourcefulness rise to the occasion in a number of subplots, but the main mystery concerns the search for a man who's been buried alive. Old friends from "Death in Bloodhound Red" return, and we meet new ones, including a love interest for Jo Beth (a relationship that starts off most inauspiciously and hilariously). The real hero, however, is a blind-from-birth bloodhound puppy of exceptional brilliance named Bobby Lee. He's a truly lovable character, delightfully portrayed. Dog people and readers who like a Southern setting and/or a strong female protagonist should not miss this series.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs, the south, and fiesty heroines. This is the first Virginia Lanier book I've read, but it won't be the last! I'm going to buy the rest of her books as soon as I can find them. You'll fall in love with Bobby Lee and wish you had a bloodhound of your own.

I'm a (Southern, female) dog trainer who also loves mysteries. How could I resist? Yet I have been very disappointed in some other mystery books/series that featured dogs. Not with this one! Everything reads true - the dogs and the trainer's relationship with them, the language, the rural Southern culture and especially Jo Beth Siddons, the fiesty feminist heroine. The plot is compelling, with several mysteries, interesting relationships and Jo Beth's own brand of justice. But you don't need to like dogs to enjoy this book ... you just need to like a really well-written mystery.

I picked up this book at the grocery store because I was desperate[nothing to read!],what a pleasant surprise!Since I had never heard of the author or this series of 'bloodhound'books,I gambled 6 bucks and I won!The heroine,Jo Beth Sidden,has a bloodhound training complex with assorted interesting employees and different plot lines make the book interesting from beginning to end. I will be definitly be reading the rest of the books in this series! Kim Vei