Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing--should have waited for the paperback!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the early Bloodhound books, but the last two have been disappointing. I am very tired of the Attitude from Jo Beth, and the dialog seems stilted. I couldn't imagine people speaking those words and sentences! And there's no reason a woman with integrity has to be a lecturing jerk. The bloodhound stories are fascinating--if Jo Beth can get her personality in order!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing addition to the series
Review: I thought this was easily the least engaging book in this series. The mystery, such as it was, had very little meat to it. I found Jo Beth more ornery and self-righteous than ever before. She alienates everyone, always getting on her high horse and lecturing both friends and newly-met acquaintances. A very disappointing read...
Rating: 
Summary: Love the stories, disappointed in this one. Next time. . .
Review: I truly enjoy the stories of the bloodhounds and the detail about mantrailing that comes with these stories. I confess that this time I was (1) disturbed by the dreadful editting. I would gladly proofread for the editor at Harper/Collins who is SUPPOSED to be editting this copy. I would be embarrassed if I were that editor. There are so many errors that I resorted to my little red pen (I'm an English teacher) and went to work. Please tell me that editor is looking for a job and that you have someone capable this time? Otherwise, Jo Beth does need to get some distance between her and her past. Maybe, with Bubba gone to that big house in the great beyond, she can get on with living. She has so much that many of us wish we had that she really should get some help so she can see it! The dogs are great and I wish to see more of the mantrailing information. It's fascinating! Virginia Lanier obviously has a lot to say and I hope she will continue to say it!
Rating:
Summary: A polemic on the joys of raising bloodhounds
Review: It started well enough with the murder of crabby billionairess Concannon. The set-up was fairly cliched, but still, the story had potential. Then the author veered off in tangents which included lenghthy explanations of bloodhound lore (more than you'll ever want to know), and an even lenghthier foray into the swamp which had nothing to do with the main plotline but which provided the author with yet another opportunity to vent. The author wastes too much time proving just what a fiesty good ol' southern gal Jo Beth is. It's too much. Jo Beth in this book comes off as a complete jerk with a serious problem with relationships, trust, and authority figures...
Rating: 
Summary: Typical bloodhound, fast read that keeps your attention.
Review: Jo Beth is her usually cocky self and maybe she will loose a little of her acidity as her life changes but she still doesn't fail to keep your attention with her searches and life changes. As usual, I read this book cover to cover in less than 48 hr. and sent it on to my daughter who was not disappointed. We are eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Series
Review: Jo Beth is starting to get on my nerves -- she doesn't seem to realise just how closely her own surface personality resembles that of the rich old lady she doesn't like (but whose cat she finds, anyway). I have enjoyed this series up till now, and i liked this one enough to go on to the next one (assuming there is one), but some things just don't wear well -- the way in which all the Good Ole Boys Jo Beth has to work with look upon her as rather amusing, somewhat uppity and a little dim when she tries to enlighten them (while undoubtedly true-to-life everywhere, and more so in the backwoods South -- and check my hometown before you send me "What do you know about it?" e-mails) is starting to sound like a broken record. Jo Beth's running inability to relate easily with those around her -- even those she loves and respects -- is also getting old, and comes to a head in this book that almost had me ready to quit reading the series. As usual, the "main" storyline is anything but -- the murder of the old lady is the book's selling point, but it's really secondary to the other storylines, crises and general hugger-mugger Jo Beth's life seems to abound with. Among the more interesting elements are a couple of searches for types of things Jo Beth has never asked her dogs to find before, some rather intense interaction with the denizens of the swamps, and a few nicely-drawn vignettes of the dogs in action. But the unmasking of the old lady's murderer is both by-the-numbers drudge work not at all involving the dogs and not very interesting. Add in a deus-ex-machina last-minute solution to major plot elements that comes out of left field, and you get the weakest entry in the series. But still worth reading, if only for the bloodhounds, and for watching Jo Beth shoot down a couple of overbearing authority figures -- and because there *are* elements in this story that will forever change the future of Jo Beth, a couple of the other recurring characters and of the series overall. I note at least one other reviewer complains about the copy-editing; i'd guess this book was proofed by spell-checker, because several places words in the text, while perfectly spelt, are simply the wrong words -- one that sticks in my head is "purpose" where "propose" is clearly meant. And someone who doesn't understand the rules of useage is responsible for putting "Jasmine and I" in at least one place where "Jasmine and me" would be correct. Another complaint i have (which applies to the whole series) is that while Lanier lives in the South, she still misses subtlties of Southern speech -- several times, she has characters who say "you-all" (or however she's spelling it) when speaking to a single person. Not the way it usually works. There are a couple of other places where the speech patterns grate a bit. All of that aside, this is a book that devotees of the series will want to read, no matter what, as it contains things they need to know. For people who haven't read any of the series, start at the beginning.
Rating: 
Summary: My Least Favourite So Far
Review: Jo Beth is starting to get on my nerves -- she doesn't seem to realise just how closely her own surface personality resembles that of the rich old lady she doesn't like (but whose cat she finds, anyway). I have enjoyed this series up till now, and i liked this one enough to go on to the next one (assuming there is one), but some things just don't wear well -- the way in which all the Good Ole Boys Jo Beth has to work with look upon her as rather amusing, somewhat uppity and a little dim when she tries to enlighten them (while undoubtedly true-to-life everywhere, and more so in the backwoods South -- and check my hometown before you send me "What do you know about it?" e-mails) is starting to sound like a broken record. Jo Beth's running inability to relate easily with those around her -- even those she loves and respects -- is also getting old, and comes to a head in this book that almost had me ready to quit reading the series. As usual, the "main" storyline is anything but -- the murder of the old lady is the book's selling point, but it's really secondary to the other storylines, crises and general hugger-mugger Jo Beth's life seems to abound with. Among the more interesting elements are a couple of searches for types of things Jo Beth has never asked her dogs to find before, some rather intense interaction with the denizens of the swamps, and a few nicely-drawn vignettes of the dogs in action. But the unmasking of the old lady's murderer is both by-the-numbers drudge work not at all involving the dogs and not very interesting. Add in a deus-ex-machina last-minute solution to major plot elements that comes out of left field, and you get the weakest entry in the series. But still worth reading, if only for the bloodhounds, and for watching Jo Beth shoot down a couple of overbearing authority figures -- and because there *are* elements in this story that will forever change the future of Jo Beth, a couple of the other recurring characters and of the series overall. I note at least one other reviewer complains about the copy-editing; i'd guess this book was proofed by spell-checker, because several places words in the text, while perfectly spelt, are simply the wrong words -- one that sticks in my head is "purpose" where "propose" is clearly meant. And someone who doesn't understand the rules of useage is responsible for putting "Jasmine and I" in at least one place where "Jasmine and me" would be correct. Another complaint i have (which applies to the whole series) is that while Lanier lives in the South, she still misses subtlties of Southern speech -- several times, she has characters who say "you-all" (or however she's spelling it) when speaking to a single person. Not the way it usually works. There are a couple of other places where the speech patterns grate a bit. All of that aside, this is a book that devotees of the series will want to read, no matter what, as it contains things they need to know. For people who haven't read any of the series, start at the beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Love the Hounds
Review: JoBeth I have problems with. I would be more interested after this book to hear more about the training of the hounds and less about the main character. The book seemed to ramble and had JoBeth losing it over nothing. Especially when the person she lost it with was one of her best friends. I know this character is "prickly", but I was pretty bored with her. It's time she loosened up a bit and saved these temper fits for the bad guys.
Rating:
Summary: She's done it again!!!!
Review: Lanier has given us another winner. Her character is sassy, down-to-earth, and an exciting read. She is very under-rated as a writer and should be taken very seriously in the mystery- fiction field.. Her trials and tribulations with her bloodhounds are sooo accurate.
Rating:
Summary: Despite Some Errors, A Very Enjoyable Read
Review: Ms. Lanier is a very good story teller. She weaves several plot lines through this story and makes it work. I like the main character, Jo Beth Sidden. She is tough and prickly on the outside and mush on the inside. She rubs a lot of people the wrong way but stands up and accepts the consequences. The dogs, however, are the true stars in this series and Ms. Lanier is at her best when writing about them. This book would have benefited from a better proof reading. There were quite a few errors throughout the book, but they really didn't detract from the story. Actually, it became rather fun looking for them. Like a treasure hunt. I enjoyed reading this book very much and look forward to the next installment in this series.
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