A Hiss Before Dying

A Hiss Before Dying by Rita Mae Brown (2017) 350 pages

Here is a mystery that alternates between 1786 and the present day in the same small community in Virginia. The characters in the modern day have found two dead bodies that don't appear to be related; one is a trucker who left his truck running and disappeared, later to be found dead, wedged under a boulder on a hillside, his face mangled. The other is an unidentified black man who is found on private property, a gunshot victim. He is wearing a metallic chit on a chain, which is something that slaves used to wear when they were off their property, doing business for their master. The stories from the two time periods intertwine in a fascinating way. Many of the 1786 characters are slaves and the metallic chits are used in their storyline. The relationships between the characters in 1786 are particularly well-developed.

I've enjoyed this author's works before, and like the point of view that the animals contribute. But when I opened this book and saw the 6-1/2 pages listing the cast of main characters, showing which characters are from which of the two time periods, I was almost ready to choose another book instead. Before long, though, I was completely sucked in and am glad I did not abandon the story.