After horse trainer and rancher Annie Carson visits a feedlot in eastern Washington, she is determined to save as many horses from slaughter as possible before hightailing it back home—until she discovers the sleazy owner seemingly trampled in his corral. With the fate of the feedlot herd in her hands, Annie must navigate unfamiliar territory while trying to track down a killer and solve an … increasingly tangled mystery. But unfortunately for Annie, returning to the Olympic Peninsula alive will be trickier than she ever imagined.
Praise for Leigh Hearon:
“Here’s a new heroine after my own heart. Plan to stay up all night with this one because this mystery is a winner right out of the gate!” —Fern Michaels, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Reining in Murder
“This strikingly polished first mystery is, quite simply, remarkable. Reining in Murder has it all: rounded characters, likeable protagonist, thrilling, perfectly paced plot and impeccable narrative style . . . Leigh Hearon masterfully maintains the suspense to the very finish line.” —Mystery Scene Magazine on Reining in Murder
“Leigh Hearon seems destined for high marks with what is shaping up to be a delightful new series in the mystery genre.” —Colorado Daily News on Reining in Murder
“This murder mystery will be enjoyed by anyone who likes chewing hay and wearing riding boots.” —Fresh Fiction on Reining in Murder
“The action-packed scenes are stellar, as well as the descriptions of the gorgeous and dangerous Washington wilderness. This third in the series presents a unique heroine, one whose devotion to horses is as admirable as her wit and intelligence.” —Kings River Life Magazine on Unbridled Murder
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Synopsis:
-A winner right out of the gate!- –Fern Michaels, #1 New York Times bestselling author
After horse trainer and rancher Annie Carson visits a feedlot in eastern Washington, she is determined to save as many horses from slaughter as possible before hightailing it back home–until she discovers the sleazy owner seemingly trampled in his corral. With the fate of the feedlot herd in her hands, Annie must navigate unfamiliar territory while trying to track down a killer and solve an increasingly tangled mystery. But unfortunately for Annie, returning to the Olympic Peninsula alive will be trickier than she ever imagined. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Annie is no-nonsense type of woman and you know where you stand with her. She knows a lot about horses, she loves horses and she is an advocate for horses. I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Annie and find out what is going on in her life. The secondary characters added a lot to the story.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. You can tell that the author has a lot of knowledge of horses, it come through in the pages that she writes.
The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through with a few twists and turns and red herrings thrown in to keep you on your toes.
The subject matter of this book was a little difficult to read about. It was heartbreaking at times to read about how the animals were treated. This was a grittier cozy than most, and at times I found it difficult to read about. I am sure this a real problem and something needs to be done about it, but I just was not expecting the cruelness to show up in my reading. That is only my opinion and others may not feel the same way.
I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys a well crafted mystery. I have read the other books in this series and enjoyed them and I will definitely read the next book when it is released. I just hope the subject matter is a little lighter.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
I honestly am not sure why I picked up Unbridled Murder by Leigh Hearon. It’s the third in the Carson Stables Mystery series, and I hadn’t read the first two in the series. I’m not a huge horse fan (I mean, they’re cool… from a distance). I live in the Pacific Northwest, where the book is set, so maybe that’s it. But no matter why I chose to read this book, I did enjoy it.
Annie is the main character. She’s on the board of a local non-profit looking to rescue a couple of horses for their program. They’ve found a feedlot across the state that has some potential horses, and she heads over to pick up a few they have her eye on. While there, she stumbles upon a body, and while she’s the prime suspect, Annie can’t help but try to solve the murder. As I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I can’t tell if she’s gotten better at solving or not, but there was a lot of trial and error here.
The real highlight of this book for me was the whole feedlot aspect. I didn’t know such things existed, and while I might not be a horse enthusiast, I can’t image these slaughterhouses. It was a huge eye-opener and totally tugged at my heartstrings. Ms. Hearon handled the whole situation admirably with a touch of a happy ending for at least this one fictional feedlot.
There were a few times I felt I was missing something by having not read the previous books. The relationships between Annie and her friends are already established, and there were a few times that I felt like I was missing back story. But the mystery itself stands alone quite well.
Unbridled Murder was an interesting mystery. I enjoyed the characters, and the plot was different from anything I’d read before. And it helped that it was in my neck of the woods in Eastern Washington. I can’t say that I’ll read more in the series, but I did enjoy the book. If you’re a horse lover, this mystery might just be for you.
My review originally posted at Novels Alive.
great characters, fun plot
I did enjoy this book, though I found it slow getting started. The characters were believable and the mystery was pretty basic and easily deduced.
If you love horses, this book is a must read. It was very sad in alot of places, because of my love of horses, but it had a page turner quality about it. Also how horse people always stick together. Great story. Loved it.
Love horses, enjoyed reading, author showed an ugly side to horse business but a view of those who care.
A well written and interesting book. It kept me involved and I appreciated the, unfortunately, accurate storyline.
she uses too big of words. I had to look up several words and I am a college grad that reads a lot.
Unbridled Murder by Leigh Heron
A Carson Stables Mystery #3
This series has it all: mystery, murder, great characters and romance.
I have been lucky enough to read the first two books in this series so was happy to find out book three had been written. I love that Annie Carson is in her forties and not a young thing that is perfect in every way. She is someone I can relate to and would like to have as a friend. Her romantic interest is worthy of her and worthy of anyone…I mean…gorgeous, wealthy and dedicated to making her happy…what’s not to like?
In this story the focus is again on horses and murder and solving “who done it”. Annie has recently lost a friend, Tony, when the story begins. Tony originally went to a feedlot to rescue some horses for an NGO program he, Annie and others had undertaken. When he was unable to pick up the horses Annie took up the responsibility and drove to the feedlot to do so. Little did she know going in that she would end up staying longer, be a suspect in a murder, have hoodlums disrupt her stay and become so immersed in the fate of over fifty horses that did not deserve the fate awaiting them.
There were characters easy to love.
There were characters easy to hate.
There was information imparted.
There was heartache for the lot of many horses and their fates.
There was joy for horses that are rescued from that fate.
There were new friends made.
There were old friends to catch up with.
There was a murderer to find.
There was romance.
And…there was a wish left for book four in the series to be written soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4.5 Stars