Title: White Horse (A Jess Bridges Mystery #2)
Author: Joss Stirling
Published on: 30 October 2020
Genre: Mystery and Thrillers
White Horse is the second book in the Jess Bridges Mystery series by Joss Stirling.
Having read the first book in this series – Black River – I was eagerly waiting to read the second book. I ain’t disappointed. Uh-huh. Wacky, quirky and crack-a-lacking, White Horse has also made its way into the best reads of this year.
In Black River, we saw Jess discover a dead body naked. (Jess and the victim were naked; And no, they weren’t up to naughty business when the man died.)
The story starts with DI Leo George being called to a scene of crime. A young woman’s body is dumped on White Horse, a place of historical importance. The villagers talk about a sex-cult whose members reside in a vintage manor. The robe of the above-mentioned cult is found near the victim.
Meanwhile, Jess and Michael (her ex) are attending an award ceremony in Germany. Jess meets Tanglewood, a famous author. Tanglewood asks Jess to help find her daughter. The twenty-something daughter wanted to find her biological daughter and ended up being a part of a cult. Yes, yes, the same cult whose members are now suspects in a murder case.
White Horse by Joss Stirling is another fantastic addition to the Jess Bridges series. Did I not mention this is my favourite series? Jess is quirky, wacky and good at investigating. Let’s not talk about her love life for now. In the previous book we saw four men (and the killer) being drawn to Jess – she has a very attractive personality, what can you say? Drew – the ex and Jago – the rebound guy – do not make an appearance in this story. Thank goodness! I mean, when Leo is around, I don’t think Jess needs more options!
Michael, Jess’ ex(again!) is a paraplegic. He misses her but they both know they wouldn’t get along well as a couple. Having said that, Michael and Jess are very good friends. In the previous book, when Michael fell sick, Jess nursed him back to normal. In this book, we see the duo go to Germany to attend an award ceremony. Also, Michael and Jess “stage a fight” so that Father Oak – the leader of the cult – takes her in as a member.
But the cult is not as raunchy as Jess imagined it to be. Just nuns and monks wearing kaftans and calling each other brother and sister – hmm, no fun in that for our Jess! But she’s here for a case. Tanglewood, a renowned author, wants Jess to pass on a message to her daughter Lisette – a member of the cult. Leo comes over to interview the members and is shocked to see Jess. As the duo discuss the case, Leo understands Jess can be his inside-man.
A little low on the quirk when compared to the first book but this was an entertaining read. Well-developed characters and an unexpected twist are the best parts of this story. We also see Leo drawn to Jess and vice versa – woo-hoo, love is in the air! Michael tells Jess he misses being with her – now, this is what we call a possible-love-triangle…
The mystery keeps you guessing till the end. As usual, our Jess is a pro when it comes to killing two birds (or three) with one stone. The writing is crisp and precise, with a tinge of wacky. We also have a surprise-surprise at the end and this twist is going to be explored in the next book. (Not a cliffhanger.)
Another highly recommended read from me. White Horse by Joss Stirling is an entertaining, engrossing and wackalicious mystery.
I received an ARC from One More Chapter and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
The Book Decoder 
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