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Sister Jane Books in Order

Part ofRita Mae Brown Books in Order

This page shows the Sister Jane books by Rita Mae Brown in order, with quick summaries, foxhunting background, and simple starting points.

Last updated: July 4, 2026

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Sister Jane books in publication order

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17 books

1

Outfoxed

by Rita Mae Brown

2000

When a body is found posed on the foxhunting grounds, Master of Foxhounds Sister Jane Arnold starts asking hard questions. The first book sets the pattern for a series steeped in Virginia hunt country.

2

Hotspur

by Rita Mae Brown

2002

Sister Jane Arnold faces another killing in Virginia hunt country, where long memory and sharp pride can be just as dangerous as open malice. Brown leans into the world she knows best.

3

Full Cry

by Rita Mae Brown

2003

A murder shakes the Jefferson Hunt Club, and Sister Jane Arnold tracks the truth through a world ruled by land, status, and old custom. Horses, hounds, and foxes help widen the field of view.

4

The Hunt Ball

by Rita Mae Brown

2005

The rituals of the hunt season and one of its grandest social evenings form the backdrop to murder. Sister Jane Arnold has to read manners, memory, and motive with the same care she reads a field.

5

The Hounds and the Fury

by Rita Mae Brown

2006

Murder and mounting strain ripple through Virginia hunt country as Sister Jane Arnold tries to protect both her club and her friends. It is a broad, atmospheric mystery full of animals and social fault lines.

6

The Tell-tale Horse

by Rita Mae Brown

2007

Sister Jane Arnold follows a murder case in which horses and hunt-country instincts matter as much as formal evidence. Old loyalties, quiet grudges, and close observation drive the story.

7

Hounded to Death

by Rita Mae Brown

2008

A killing hits Sister Jane Arnold's hunt community and threatens the order she works hard to maintain. Brown builds the mystery through kennels, stables, country lanes, and the lies people tell themselves.

8

Fox Tracks

by Rita Mae Brown

2012

A string of bizarre murders sweeps the East Coast, and Sister Jane Arnold joins forces with her animal allies to find the link. The case reaches beyond one hunt club without losing its Virginia footing.

9

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

by Rita Mae Brown

2014

A blackmailer stalks wealthy people in Sister Jane Arnold's world, forcing hunters into the role of hunted. Sister reads both people and animals closely as reputation, money, and fear begin to unravel.

10

Crazy Like a Fox

by Rita Mae Brown

2017

A hunting horn vanishes from the Museum of Hounds and Hunting, and a strange video seems to speak from the dead. Sister Jane Arnold traces the puzzle back to the Jefferson Hunt Club and its past.

11

Homeward Hound

by Rita Mae Brown

2018

Sister Jane Arnold follows a fresh trail of murder through the familiar world of barns, kennels, and guarded local loyalties. Brown keeps the focus on hunt-country manners and the secrets beneath them.

12

Scarlet Fever

by Rita Mae Brown

2019

Missing artwork, money, and wounded pride spiral toward murder in Sister Jane Arnold's circle. The case lets Brown bring foxhunting ritual, class tension, and sharp animal observation together.

13

Out of Hounds

by Rita Mae Brown

2021

A blackmailer targets wealthy members of Sister Jane Arnold's hunt club, turning hunters into prey. Sister must protect friends who may also be hiding things, before scandal turns fully murderous.

14

Thrill of the Hunt

by Rita Mae Brown

2022

Another hunting season brings another death for Sister Jane Arnold to untangle. Brown once again mixes horses, hounds, old rivalries, and the tightly woven social codes of Virginia hunt country.

15

Lost & Hound

by Rita Mae Brown

2023

A body is laid out on Sister Jane Arnold's foxhunting grounds, and cryptic signs suggest more trouble is coming. She must untangle murder, theft, and hunt-club loyalties before another warning becomes a funeral.

16

Time Will Tell

by Rita Mae Brown

2024

While helping round up escaped cattle and leading another foxhunting season, Sister Jane Arnold finds an expensive watch and a fresh mystery. The trail leads through old relationships and quiet country secrets.

17

Fox and Furious

by Rita Mae Brown

2025

Two brothers feud over an inheritance and a beagle kennel until one of them winds up dead. Sister Jane Arnold hunts for the truth in a case driven by family resentment and small-town memory.

Sister Jane books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Outfoxed"

    Outfoxed

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2000Sister Jane, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Hotspur"

    Hotspur

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2002Sister Jane, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Full Cry"

    Full Cry

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2003Sister Jane, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Hunt Ball"

    The Hunt Ball

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2005Sister Jane, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Hounds and the Fury"

    The Hounds and the Fury

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2006Sister Jane, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Tell-tale Horse"

    The Tell-tale Horse

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2007Sister Jane, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Hounded to Death"

    Hounded to Death

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2008Sister Jane, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Fox Tracks"

    Fox Tracks

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2012Sister Jane, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"

    Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2014Sister Jane, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Crazy Like a Fox"

    Crazy Like a Fox

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2017Sister Jane, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Homeward Hound"

    Homeward Hound

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2018Sister Jane, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Scarlet Fever"

    Scarlet Fever

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2019Sister Jane, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Out of Hounds"

    Out of Hounds

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2021Sister Jane, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Thrill of the Hunt"

    Thrill of the Hunt

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2022Sister Jane, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Lost & Hound"

    Lost & Hound

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2023Sister Jane, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Time Will Tell"

    Time Will Tell

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2024Sister Jane, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Fox and Furious"

    Fox and Furious

    by Rita Mae Brown

    2025Sister Jane, Book 17

Series background & context

The Sister Jane books are Rita Mae Brown's foxhunting mysteries, centered on Jane Arnold, the formidable Master of Foxhounds at the Jefferson Hunt Club in Virginia. Sister is not a nun. It is the nickname she carries through a world that respects competence, memory, and nerve.

These stories live in the details of hunt country. Dawn rides, muddy lanes, stables, kennels, clipped talk at club gatherings, and the constant reading of weather and terrain all shape what happens. Brown knows the world firsthand, and that gives the series a worked-in, practical feel. You do not just hear about foxhunting. You feel how it organizes a community.

The mysteries usually begin with an upset in that community. A body on hunt land. A theft. A blackmailer. An inheritance fight. A missing painting. Something that looks small until it opens into older grudges and newer greed. Sister Jane is a natural investigator because she understands both the public rituals and the private feuds of the people around her.

The animals matter here as much as the humans.

Hounds, horses, foxes, and house pets observe, judge, and sometimes grasp the truth before people do. Their conversations give the series wit without turning it into farce. Brown uses them to widen the point of view and to remind readers that the land is shared, watched, and remembered.

If you want a place to begin, Outfoxed is the obvious start. Later books build on the same pleasures: intricate social ties, Virginia history, and a heroine who balances authority with curiosity. Sister Jane is not a cozy amateur in the usual sense. She leads, manages, and reads a field, and that changes how she reads a crime.

These are strong picks for readers who like mysteries with a real sense of labor, custom, and place. The series is less about flashy twists than about how a whole countryside reacts when something goes wrong, and who has the steadiness to follow the trail to the end.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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