Rating: 
Summary: Rita Mae Brown is great at setting a scene...
Review: ...but she can't quite integrate those scenes into a truly satisfying mystery. I like Rita Mae Brown a lot. I can imagine helping her muck out stalls, riding cross country with her, sitting down to a cup of tea. But her books seem to be written for fifth graders, not adults.
"Full Cry" is packed with interesting watercolor vinettes of foxhunting, as written by an author with a deep love of the sport. It is a sport steeped in tradition, with a lot of beauty and a lot of mud, blood, and guts. Anyone remotely interested in why people foxhunt, and the history of the sport are well served by this book.
One might quibble about just how much the foxes enjoy it...or whether the fox is always allowed to get away without being torn to pieces. Rita Mae Brown's affectation of having many of the animals speak doesn't work as well in this book as in her other mysteries, as having created each animal as an individual, she is apparently reluctant to have natural consequences play out: not just foxes dying, but hounds being torn apart by raccoons or mountain lions, and housepets getting eaten by coyotes. Don't worry: these things just don't happen in her foxhunting universe.
Why harp on this? Because it's a mystery novel, ultimately, and the sharpness of the mystery is dulled by the cuteness of cat, hound, horse, coyote, mountain lion, great-horned owl, etc., working things out with a little bit of verbal sparring. Readers are asked to enter into the very frank and natural world of foxhunting, but there seems to be a real reluctance to treat any character with real depth, and therefore real seriousness. Although the main human character, Sister, is set up to be interesting, I find over the course of the book to have difficulty separating one human from another. (The animals are drawn a bit better.) Human conversations tend towards formulaic, plot twists are predictable, but then you arrive at yet another splendid description of waking up at dawn to prepare for a foxhunt in January. You can smell the snow on the air, hear the crunch of the horses' hooves, feel the fan of the hounds' sterns as they wave. So maybe the best way to read this book is to think of it as a series of foxhunting sketches strung together loosely by a little plot and not much mystery.
If you are a fan of Rita Mae Brown, or are interested in foxhunting, you will like this book. As a mystery, it's not very substantial.
Rating: 
Summary: What book did I read?
Review: After greatly enjoying the Mrs Murphy mysteries as well as "Outfoxed", I couldn't wait to read "Full Cry". It was a big disappointment. First, the blurb on the cover described a plot that had nothing to do with this book. So what book was it for? At least the blurb sounded interesting. Second, the book was supposed to be a mystery, instead it was either a primer for foxhunting or a romance - I never was sure which and wanted to read neither. The plot was rambling, mostly invisible and seemed like an afterthought, mostly ignored during the main part of the book. The book itself was far too preachy and devoid of many of the things that kept up interest in her other books. The animals were chatty, but either preachy or saying nothing. The foxhunting got overwhelming. How many hunts can you read about in which nothing happens to move the plot along? Unlike her other books, this one seemed to hang up on small details, like the color of Sister's makeup or how many pieces made up a glove. None of this moved the plot along or even contributed to it. It was a very disappointing book. Instead of buying this book, go visit your local library. That way you won't feel taken when the book turns out to be far from what it is represented to be.
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Summary: Horse and Dog Lovers Will Love This Book
Review: As a horse and dog lover as well as a big fan of Rita Mae Brown, I enjoyed this book. I have all the Sneaky Pie Brown books and the two preceeding foxhunting novels. I will say I liked it less than the first two in the series, but we all can't bat 100% all the time. The reviewers who didn't like said the author was rather preachy in parts and you could tell this in certain parts of the book, but as I hold some of the same opinions, it didn't bother me. You have to have some flexibility as the dogs, horses, and all the other animals know each other and have conversations with each other. You'd really have to be into dogs, especially foxhounds, and foxhunters to get the fullness of this novel. It's a good read nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: takes too long to unfold...
Review: As the other reviewers have already pointed out, the plot synopsis on the dustjacket flap is totally inaccurate, and the mystery subplot of "Full Cry" actually centers on the strange murders of a two homeless alcoholics in Jefferson County, Virginia. The all important New Year's Hunt is about to commence, and in the midst of seeing to it that the hunt takes place without a hitch, mediating between sparring neigbours, and making the all important decision as to who she will chose to be joint-master (and the new president) of the Jefferson Hunt, "Sister" Jane Arnold is resolved to discover who has murdered two drunk vagabonds (one of them being an old childhood friend) no matter what it takes... The problem with "Full Cry?" It just took too long to unfold and get started. "Hotspur" (the previous "Sister" Jane Arnold novel) also took a while to get started; but when it finally did, that book really took off. Whereas I found myself putting down "Full Cry" many times in order to get a few very mundane but necessary chores done. Much of the novel read like a nice long dinner chat between Sister and various other characters as they ruminated over the differences between the generations, genders, the North and the South (of the US), etc. And of course we were treated to pages on end of Sister (or Rita Mae Brown)'s notions on what was wrong with the world. I, probably, was not in the right frame of mind for "Full Cry." I wanted to unwind by reading an interesting mystery novel. What I got instead was pages and pages of chit-chat -- I mean I was halfway through the book and "Sister" hadn't even begun to initiate any kind of inquiry into the strange deaths! While character development and the description of the Virginian countryside were excellent (as usual), this did not amke up for the slow pace and lack of a tight plot. Fortunately for me this was a borrowed book, so I didn't have the added disappointment of having spent hard earned money on a so-so 2 1/2 star read.
Rating: 
Summary: misleading description
Review: But still a good book. Not as good as Hotspur but still good.
Rating:
Summary: Loyal reader to the end....regardless.
Review: Dittos on the huge fan of Rita Mae (and Sneaky Pie too!!!). I love this particular series having been in Charlottesville and seen the gorgeousness of all things Foxhunt. RMB is exceptional in her writing of it all, to the point where you can breathe deeply and smell... nay, TASTE the elements of the hunt. A singularly outstanding virtue of this book. However. (Guilt guilt guilt for saying that negative word!!!) This particular installment is indeed slow to unfold, its resolution seems almost an afterthought at the end, and most of the dialogue throughout this book tends more towards social discourse than the mystery itself. This in turn eliminates any tension, suspense, intrigue, and therefore unfortunately any... mystery? Most of the social discourse seems almost autobiographical, as if this book is more the author's thinly veiled attempt at an all-encompassing monologue on what she has finally come to judge about the world. I am not one to deny anyone this right to free speech; indeed, she is a sympathetic soul. I just don't expect to find it in lieu of a good book, especially compared to the standard of her previous works. Maybe next time.
Rating:
Summary: What book was I reading?
Review: Don't read the above publisher's blurb and expect it to describe the book! I am a Rita Mae Brown fan and love her books. The book was very good-her "usual animals are smarter than people" (and we just don't know it!), there to help save the day. But, as I read along in the book, it was nothing like the description. It was a great read, but if someone bought it expecting it to be the plot plot described on the fly, they would be surprised. Surprised, but not disapointed.
Rating:
Summary: only for foxers
Review: First I have to admit to a Rita Mae Brown bias; I love her work. However, this is just not up to par. The story, not really a mystery, barely a novel, goes off on far too many side excursions with fox hunt stories, hunt clothes, brand names to buy, hoof care for horses, etc. etc. A real yawn if you aren't a "Master" of the hunt.
As usual, Brown manages to work in a few things to annoy everyone (a fact that usually has me chuckling); i.e., animals are superior to people, biracial sexual encounters between senior citizens, her characters opinions on some people just being 'born bad'etc.)
Her editor was asleep a the wheel this time. With about 100 less pages this could have been a good book, As is, Brown's fans will be disappointed. Best advice: If you (like me) MUST read anything she writes, borrow it - don't buy. Save your money for saddle soap.
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Summary: In Footsteps of Dick Francis
Review: For those who enjoy books of the horsey kind, Rita Mae Brown's latest mystery set in Virginia fox hunting country is worthy of purchase. As a writer and a rider, I expecially enjoy her description of the weather, terrain and "going" that furnishes a certain flavor to the plot. As a woman of a certain age, it is a delight to have an older, but still vital woman as the protagonist. Ah, that I would be able to sail over a fallen tree at breakneck speed when I'm 70! This book is probably too beautiful and gentle for the tastes of menfolk, teens stoked on violent video games and those seeking depictions of kinky sex. That's OK ... perhaps the author knows her readership and, like Author Dick Francis, is aware we anxiously await each book and treasure them all.
Rating:
Summary: Not so great...
Review: I admit it: I'm a sucker for Rita Mae Brown's writing, even though at times it seems like she is just dashing off novels without a lot of time spent on craft or style. "Full Cry" is a perfect example. The first two novels in the series ("Outfoxed" and "Hotspur") were fairly tight, intriguing stories, with a good balance of character and plot development and the bonus of RMB's talking animals. Plot-wise, "Full Cry" doesn't compare, but I still read it with pleasure because I enjoy the playful banter between the animals and the earthy, simple descriptions of life in the country. It doesn't seem like she gave her latest book the time she devoted to the others, which is a shame because she has good characters to work with. I also noticed lots of typos and other errors throughout the book, which was quite odd, especially seeing how badly the publishers bungled the jacket description. It's like it wasn't given a final copy-editing read. Personally, I think Brown would be better off writing non-fiction essays and anecdotes about what she obviously loves best: animals, rural life, and human foibles. I don't think she should bother with fiction so much. Her plots are often thin and formulaic, if charming. I recommend "Full Cry" only to those who read RMB religiously (if guiltily) and indiscriminately, because it's just not on par with her other novels.
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