Reining in Murder
By Leigh Hearon

Kensington Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date: March 27, 2016

Review

Leigh Hearon possesses an amazing empathy for animals.  Her experience and understanding shine throughout Reining in Murder.  When you add in a thrilling plot involving multiple murders and a missing suspect, you have a winning novel.  Even those who aren't into horses will enjoy this well crafted mystery.

Annie Carson is a horse trainer active in the rehabilitation and rescue of horses.  When there is an emergency involving horses, the sheriff's department calls on her for assistance.  Reining in Murder begins with a tragic road accident that leaves the truck driver dead and a beautiful thoroughbred lucky to be alive.  Upon attempting to return the horse to his owner, Annie discovers the body of Hilda Colbert, a wealthy and unpleasant woman.  Her husband is the immediate suspect, but Annie disagrees feeling more investigation is needed.  Complicating matters is the arrival of Annie's flighty younger sister.

I'm not very comfortable around horses, due to an unpleasant experience with an untrained stallion.  Leigh Hearon made me see horses in a different light.  I found the explanations of behavior and the ways Annie trained fascinating.  While the animals in this book are animals, they clearly play an important and much loved role.  Leigh Hearon is a talented author and Reining in Murder is a mystery that is not to be missed.

5/5

I received a copy of Reining in Murder from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Description

When horse trainer Annie Carson rescues a beautiful thoroughbred from a roadside rollover, she knows the horse is lucky to be alive…unlike the driver. After rehabilitating the injured animal at her Carson Stables ranch, Annie delivers the horse to Hilda Colbert--the thoroughbred's neurotic and controlling owner--only to find she's been permanently put out to pasture. Two deaths in three days is unheard of in the small Olympic Peninsula county, and Annie decides to start sniffing around. She's confident she can track down a killer…but she may not know how ruthless this killer really is...