Bloodhound (novel)

Last updated
Bloodhound
Bloodhound cover.jpg
Author Tamora Pierce
Cover artist Jonathan Barkat
LanguageEnglish
Series Provost's Dog
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Random House
Publication date
April 14, 2009
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages560
ISBN 0-375-81469-8
Preceded by Terrier  
Followed by Mastiff  

Bloodhound, by Tamora Pierce, is the second novel in a fictional trilogy, Provost's Dog , about a young Provost guard-woman in a fantasy kingdom called Tortall. The first book was called Terrier , and the third is called Mastiff .

Contents

Bloodhound continues the story of how Beka Cooper manages to survive as a Provost Guard, or a Dog, in the Lower City slums of Tortall. In this book, she travels to Port Caynn to investigate a silver coin counterfeiting ring and faces many obstacles as she tries to root out and stop the crime.

Background

Bloodhound came out on April 14, 2009, in the United States as a hardback copy. Like the first novel, the narration of Bloodhound is written in a first-person point of view, from the perspective of the main character, Rebakah (Beka) Cooper.

Beka Cooper's series connects to the other Tortall books in that she is the six-times great-grandmother of George Cooper from Alanna: The First Adventure . Rosto the Piper, the Corus Rogue and Beka's close friend, builds the Dancing Dove as his Court. During his days as Rogue, George uses the inn as his Court, as well.

Plot summary

Beka's story continues when she gets sloppy with her reports to Ahuda, and she decides to practice again by starting a new journal.

Now a first year Dog, Beka works the Evening Watch with her loathsome partner, Silsbee. His attitude of letting Day Watch catch the criminals they see annoys Beka to no end. Silsbee eventually dumps her as a partner, and she is partnered with Clara Goodwin and Matthias Tunstall, her former trainers.

Beka learns of the existence of coles, or counterfeit coins, from her friend Tansy. As she and her partners investigate, they get word of a thin harvest, which bodes ill for the poor of the Lower City. Beka and Pounce—a speaking constellation in the form of a cat—find Achoo, a bloodhound, being hurt by her handler. When Beka steps in to stop the abuse, she takes Achoo as her scent-hound. Meanwhile, due to the thin harvest, bread prices go up and a riot starts in the city. Beka, Goodwin and Tunstall get caught up in the fight, and Tunstall gets both of his legs broken.

After the riot, Lord Gershom, the Lord Provost, sends Beka, Goodwin and Achoo to Port Caynn to further investigate the coles while Tunstall recovers. Pounce, for once, cannot go with her as he is actually a constellation and he must deal with some troublesome stars. They depart and on board the ship are reacquainted with Dale Rowan, a banker who helped them during the Bread Riot.

Together Goodwin and Beka make friends and try to pry information, pretending to be corrupt, or "loose." Beka's romance with Dale blossoms, and Goodwin too flirts playfully, though she never forgets her husband Tomlan back home. When Goodwin returns to Corus to deliver reports to Lord Gershom, Beka comes across several pieces of evidence that point to Pearl Skinner, the Port Caynn Rogue, as the colemonger. She goes to Sir Lionel of Trebond, the Deputy Provost, but Sir Lionel's fear of Pearl (who had previously threatened his family) prevents him from acting. Beka loses her temper with him, and Sir Lionel orders her sent to Rattery Prison. With the help of one of the loyal Dogs, Beka is able to escape and goes to Pearl for shelter.

Through use of a gift, flattery and an amusing tale degrading Sir Lionel, Beka is able to convince Pearl to let her stay for now. However, one of Lionel's men goes to Pearl and tells her that Beka has evidence that Pearl is the one behind the coles, and Beka is forced to flee once more.

This time, Beka goes to Nestor Haryse, Lord Gershom's younger cousin, and his transgender lover, Okha Soyan (Amber Orchid). With Nestor's help, Gershom is able to bring in a large squad of Dogs to arrest Pearl and her conspirators. Pearl and her bodyguards escape, but Beka follows them down into the city's sewers, where, with Achoo and Goodwin's help, she manages to arrest Pearl. They suffer numerous wounds, and when Beka wakes, she must face the sad reality that she and Dale must part; they live too far apart, and their jobs leave no time for each other.

When they return to Corus, Goodwin tells Beka that the Evening Watch Sergeant, Ahuda, was offered a position in Corus's Flash District, and that Goodwin was going to take Ahuda's place, leaving Beka with Tunstall as a partner. She says that she is tired of being a street dog, and that desk sergeant will be the perfect position for her. The novel ends at Beka and Goodwin's welcome home party, as Beka and Tunstall agree to stay partners. She gains a new nickname, Bloodhound, from the public and her friends.

Characters

Rebakah (Beka) Cooper
The main protagonist of the story, Beka narrates the novel from first-person perspective. A determined, strong young woman with ice blue eyes and the ability to hear ghosts, she struggles with shyness but breaks out of her shell as the series continues.
Pounce
Pounce, Beka's cat who has unusual purple eyes, is actually the constellation known as the Cat, which is missing when this story takes place. He can communicate with Beka and certain other people, if he chooses to.
Achoo Curlypaws
Achoo is a scent hound for the Provost's Guard in the Lower City. After Achoo's last handler left the Provost's Guard, she was passed along between handlers until Beka saw her being mistreated and took responsibility for Achoo. She proves to be a loyal scent hound later in the book, when she helps Beka nab the colemonger.
Rosto the Piper
The Rogue of the Lower City, Rosto is a close friend to Beka. Although the first book portrayed romantic hints between Beka and Rosto, the second book keeps them apart as Beka pursues other romantic interests. Rosto, however, continues to make it clear that he wants Beka as his lover.
Clara Goodwin
Partner of Matthias Tunstall, and one of Beka's former trainers in Terrier. Clary is fierce, strong, and an experienced Dog. Her husband is Tomlan Goodwin.
Matthias Tunstall
Mattes is the partner of Clara Goodwin. He is 6 feet, 3 inches tall. Beka describes him as having an owlish look; during the span of the novel, his lover is Sabine of Macayhill, a lady knight.
Silsbee
Silsbee is Beka's fourth partner, who asks for reassignment.
Hempstead
Achoo’s last handler before Beka finds her being abused by him.
Dale Rowan
Dale is the Courier for the Goldsmith's Guild; he first met Beka during the Bread Riot. He met Beka again on the way to Port Caynn and became her love interest. He is described as light haired and thin and muscled like an acrobat. When the story ends, he reveals that he only wanted a casual relationship.
Pearl Skinner
Pearl is the Rogue in Port Caynn; her greedy nature makes her start the colemongering (counterfeiting coins). Is hot-tempered and is more likely to strike first and ask questions later.

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamora Pierce</span> American writer

Tamora Pierce is an American writer of fantasy fiction for teenagers, known best for stories featuring young heroines. She made a name for herself with her first book series, The Song of the Lioness (1983–1988), which followed the main character Alanna through the trials and triumphs of training as a knight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labrador Retriever</span> British breed of retriever gun dog

The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from St. John's water dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony. It is among the most commonly kept dogs in several countries, particularly in the European world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystique (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Mystique is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, the character first appeared in Ms. Marvel #16. A member of a subspecies of humanity known as mutants who are born with superhuman abilities, Mystique is a shapeshifter who can perfectly mimic the appearance and voice of any person. Her natural appearance includes blue skin, red hair and yellow eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob (Twin Peaks)</span> Fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks

Bob is a fictional character in the ABC television series Twin Peaks, played by Frank Silva. He is an interdimensional entity who feeds on pain and sorrow. An inhabiting spirit, he possesses human beings and then commits acts of rape and murder in order to feast on the suffering of his victims. In the film Fire Walk With Me, this suffering is called "garmonbozia" and can manifest in the form of creamed corn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dogs in warfare</span>

Dogs have a very long history in warfare, starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as the scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.

<i>In the Hand of the Goddess</i> 1984 novel by Tamora Pierce

In the Hand of the Goddess is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the second in a series of four books, The Song of the Lioness. It details the squire- and knighthood of Alanna of Trebond, who has hidden her real sex in order to become a knight.

<i>The Woman Who Rides Like a Man</i> 1986 novel by Tamora Pierce

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the third in a series of four books, The Song of the Lioness. It details the knighthood of Alanna of Trebond as she lives in the Bazhir desert after becoming a knight.

The Provost's Dog trilogy is a series of young adult fantasy novels by best-selling author Tamora Pierce. The series is a prequel to Pierce's first quartet, The Song of the Lioness, and is set in the fictional kingdom of Tortall two hundred years earlier. It details the adventures of Beka Cooper, a sixteen-year-old recruit of the Lord Provost, originally from a lower city family and now in service to the Provost's Guard.

<i>Terrier</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Tamora Pierce

Terrier is a young adult fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the first book in the Provost's Dog trilogy and the fifteenth book set in the Tortall Universe. It tells the story of Rebakah "Beka" Cooper, the ancestor of George Cooper from Song of the Lioness and Alianne from Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen. It is set 200 years prior to the bulk of the Tortall novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail Davies</span> American singer-songwriter

Gail Davies is an American singer-songwriter and the first female record producer in country music. She is the daughter of country singer Tex Dickerson and the sister of songwriter Ron Davies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Dog affair</span> British political controversy, 1903–1910

The Brown Dog affair was a political controversy about vivisection that raged in Britain from 1903 until 1910. It involved the infiltration of University of London medical lectures by Swedish feminists, battles between medical students and the police, police protection for the statue of a dog, a libel trial at the Royal Courts of Justice, and the establishment of a Royal Commission to investigate the use of animals in experiments. The affair became a cause célèbre that divided the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehgan Heaney-Grier</span> American free-diver, fashion model, actress, conservationist and television personality

Mehgan Heaney-Grier is an American champion freediver, fashion model, actress, conservationist, and TV personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Versus the Seduction Impossible</span> 14th episode of the 4th season of Chuck

"Chuck Versus the Seduction Impossible" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired on February 7, 2011. This episode followed the intended season finale, "Chuck Versus the Push Mix", making it the first of an additional eleven episodes ordered. Chuck Bartowski, Sarah Walker, and John Casey are sent to Morocco to rescue old friend Roan Montgomery, while Morgan Grimes meets Alex Hugh's mother and Mary Elizabeth Bartowski tries to reconnect with her family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Force</span> UK law enforcement agency

Border Force (BF) is a British law enforcement command within the Home Office, responsible for frontline border control operations at air, sea and rail ports in the United Kingdom. The force was part of the now defunct UK Border Agency from its establishment in 2008 until Home Secretary Theresa May demerged it in March 2012 after severe criticism of the senior management.

<i>Mastiff</i> (novel) 2011 novel by Tamora Pierce

Mastiff is the third novel in Tamora Pierce's Provost's Dog trilogy, about a young Provost guard-woman in a fantasy kingdom called Tortall. The novel, as with all the Beka Cooper books, is written in first person diary form. The actual diary is said to be written in a mixture of Dog code and Beka's personal code.

<i>No Offence</i> British television drama, 2015–2018

No Offence is a British television police procedural drama on Channel 4, created by Paul Abbott. It follows a team of detectives from Friday Street police station, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police. The series stars Joanna Scanlan as the protagonist, Detective Inspector Viv Deering. The first series focuses on the team's investigation into the serial murders of young girls with Down syndrome. It was renewed for two further runs. The second series of seven episodes began broadcasting on 4 January 2017, and follows the investigation into Manchester crime boss Nora Attah. It was filmed on location in Manchester.

This is a list of works by American fantasy author Tamora Pierce.

Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures is an American animated children's television series that was broadcast on Disney Junior. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series is the successor to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Originally airing as Mickey and the Roadster Racers for its first two seasons, it debuted on its first two episodes consecutively on January 15, 2017.