DIVORCE, BETRAYAL, MURDER – Avery Wilson knew starting over would be hard, but she never expected to be in an all-out war with her ex. What was he planning next? Her goal of equine rehabilitation for wounded veterans on her Alabama horse ranch was slipping from her grasp, and her precious horses were in danger.Dirks Hanna had what should have been a simple mission – evaluate Summer Valley Ranch … Valley Ranch for federal funding. But something deadly was happening in Summer Valley. The beautiful – and headstrong – equestrian was targeted for harm with danger in every direction. And, intertwined with that danger, was a multi-faceted black cat who somehow appeared at the scene of every disaster.
Trouble had arrived at the ranch anticipating bitter human emotions to run high, but the black cat finds his paws more than full with murder and two very stubborn humans who refuse to see they are meant for each other.
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For those of us who actually live in the world of horses, this is a great book because all of the equine details are completely accurate. Susan Tanner knows her stuff around horses–and around mysteries and romance. This is the perfect blend of taut mystery and tender romance, all off set by the whimsical–and superior–observations of Trouble, the black cat detective.
I love Trouble! The cat that is, he seems to follow his instincts wherever they lead him and Tammy Lynn his human is totally okay with this. In this tale, an email from Tammy Lynn’s friend Avery has him traveling, not too far away to Summer Valley Ranch and into a very interesting situation.
Avery’s ex-husband is angry and deeply in debt. He lost his court case and has threatened her. She has retained sole ownership of her ranch and her horses, much to his dismay. Not that he had any right to it to begin with.
Dirks has arrived on the scene to evaluate the ranch for therapeutic horse therapy for veterans. This is a contract Avery has been working very hard to get. But there is more to this than meets the eye.
Avery’s step-daughter is a big part of what the ranch is today. This is also something that annoys her ex.
Dirks and Avery arrive at the ranch, together, after Avery’s car is trashed by ‘vandals’. What they find is unexpected and disturbing.
There is much to do and little time to accomplish things as more chaos ensues.
Dirks finds himself in an awkward position as he finds himself not only attracted to Avery, but convinced she has nothing to do with fraud.
Fast-paced and suspenseful, this tale unfolds with many twists and turns and Trouble is right in the middle of it all, helping to find the right clues.
I really can’t wait to read the next installment in this wonderful multi-author series.
Trouble is a clever black cat who solves crimes. This book is another great addition to this series. Trouble is once again in the middle of a mystery and has to help the humans figure things out. The book had twists and turns, was fast paced and a has nice balance between the mystery and romance. Even though this is a book series, you do not need to read the previous stories in order.
I love Trouble in Summer Valley! This book is well written. It is interesting, exciting and has so many twists and turns that keep you guessing right to the end. The characters are interesting and detailed. I just love trouble! He is so wonderful. I love the setting on the horse ranch and all that the characters do on the ranch. The book is a perfect mix of mystery, suspense and romance. I highly recommend this book!
Trouble is going country…
Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y Tanner has the right amount of mystery, suspense and romance, not to mention Trouble and horses make it a brilliant read.
Avery/Ms. Gorgeous
Our female lead is Avery or Ms. Gorgeous as Trouble calls her. She is the owner and operator of the Summer Valley Ranch. I will tell you more about the ranch later. Avery is recently divorced, and when I say recently, I mean at the very beginning of the story. Avery has these grand plans for the ranch and now that her ex, Craig is finally gone things can move forward. Well, that is what you would think.
Avery is beautiful on the inside and the outside. She has such a huge heart and wants to help as many people and horses as she can. I love her compassion and the care that Avery takes with rescue horses. Oh, and what a hard worker, she even has a sound business plan. She is smart, responsible, and slightly vulnerable. The one thing that I think bothered me, not a dislike, is that at times she doesn’t trust her friends completely to take care of the horses. I do understand that they are her responsibility.
Dirks/Mr. Military
Our male lead is Dirks also known to Trouble as Mr. Military. Dirks has been assigned a desk job as he was recently wounded for the second time. Now he is trying to figure out how to do his new position. Dirks seeks Avery out to decide if her facility will be accepted to work with disabled veterans. Well, that is what he says at first.
Dirks still has his military mindset, and he is immediately attracted to Avery. However, he is trying to remain professional with the task that he has been assigned to him. I like the character Dirks; he is strong, physically and mentally, athletic, caring, he is good at investigations and has excellent contacts.
The one thing that I disliked about him was that he didn’t just come out and ask Avery if she did what he was investigating. I know then he wouldn’t know if she was lying or not.
Trouble
Trouble was magnificent. He came to help Avery because she is Tammy Lynn’s friend and Tammy Lynn is worried about her. He is so finicky about food.
Oh, and did you know that cats don’t understand/communicate with horses? Nope, that was not happening.
Mystery
The mystery is wonderful. There is a lot of suspense and some exciting parts. The culprit was sly and very good acting. Thank goodness for Trouble.
Equine Therapy
Summer Valley Ranch takes in rescue horses and then use them for equine therapy. I have seen this once in California, not at the level of Summer Valley Ranch though.
Definition: Equine-assisted psychotherapy, also called equestrian therapy or horse therapy, is a type of experiential mental health treatment that involves a person in therapy interacting with horses. Designed for people of all ages, equine therapy has been shown to treat a wide range of mental health issues, addressing both physical and psychological concerns associated with a diagnosis.
Individuals seeking help typically work with both a psychotherapist who specializes in equine therapy and a horse trainer who is familiar with their therapeutic application—though both roles may be filled by the same person.
(definition from https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/equine-assisted-therapy)
I think this is a wonderful way to connect with autistic children or help wounded veterans learn to deal with their injuries. If you are interested in equine therapy, search Google for ‘equine therapy near me’ or check out https://americanhippotherapyassociation.org/find-a-facility/.
5 Stars for Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y. Tanner
My rating Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y. Tanner is five stars. I loved this story; it is perfect. Seriously, Trouble, love, mystery, horses, and summer in Alabama.
Have you read any of these books? Well, if you like cats, mystery and romance these books are for you. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next book Small Town Trouble by Laura Benedict. Check out my reviews of the other Familiar Legacy books throughout the month of March.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Trouble in Summer Valley by Susan Y. Tanner.
Anyways, until next time, enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Trouble in Summery Valley by Susan Y. Tanner was an enjoyable additon to the Familiar Legacy series.
Trouble goes to Summer Valley Ranch to help Tammy Lynn’s friend, Avery Wilson. She’s just gone through a nasty divorce, her ex-husband has threatened her and more threats appear. Dirks Hanna has come to Summer Valley to investigate for the Verterans Administration as Avery had applied to them to be considered for a veteran rehabilitation program. Avery is smart, independent and cool under pressure; but she’s worn out when Dirks shows up. He decides to stay because he needs answers to fraudulent claims. As for Trouble, he is on the case and Avery learns early to pay attention to him as the threats escalate against Avery and her horses. I do love Trouble’s adventures. He’s definitely Familiar’s son when it comes to sniffing out clues, alerting “bipeds” of danger and solving perplexing cases. The story was quickly paced and there were enough twists that I was quite surprised at the reveal as to who was behind it all. I’m eager to see where he travels to next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.