It’s my stop today on the blog tour for Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp. Many thanks to Lori of Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the invite.
Title: Canter with a Killer (Horse Rescue Mystery #1)
Author: Amber Camp
Published on: 8 November 2022
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Canter with the Killer is the first book in Amber Camp’s Horse Rescue Mystery series.
Mallory Martin left her marriage and unfulfilling job and moved to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, to start a horse rescue. It’s everything she’s been missing, with paddocks of happy horses and one very quirky donkey. But when her cantankerous neighbor and longtime critic, Albert Cunningham, is found murdered in his fancy show barn, Mallory becomes suspect number one. Since Sheriff Grady Sullivan is ignoring all good sense and focusing only on Mallory, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
With the help of her best friend Lanie and rescue volunteer Tanner, Mallory starts investigating Albert’s murder. After all, she has to clear her name before the whole town starts calling her a murderer. But things aren’t as easy as they seem. As Mal starts to investigate, rumors start to spread and more fingers point at her.
The suspects list is not long, though. However, Mal has a hard time questioning them – they are downright nasty and rude. Could their temper have gotten the better of them and they killed Albert in a fit of rage? Does that mean they wouldn’t think twice before harming Mallory too?
What a fantastic series and author debut! Absolutely LOVED every bit of this fantabulous cozy mystery. Excellent storytelling. Likeable characters. A mystery to keep one guessing till the end. A perfect blend of series-plot setting, character introduction and a murder mystery.
The story follows Mallory’s amateur sleuthing adventures. She didn’t want to interfere in an active police investigation but it does look like the local sheriff has his eyes set on Mallory – to prove her guilty, of course. Apart from rescue horses, Mallory owns a dog named Banjo and a donkey named Biscuit. I haven’t read a cozy series before that features a donkey. Pet piggy, yes. But donkey, well that’s a new. I too want a donkey as a pet. As long as they are not as territorial and possessive as felines…
I digress.
Moving on, the mystery behind the neighbor’s murder kept me guessing till the end. Red herrings were plenty so I left it to my new favorite amateur sleuth Mallory Martin to play detective and catch the killer before she becomes the next victim. We also have a splash of romance, adding oodles of charm to the intriguing mystery. I was betting for it to be a love triangle so that Mallory can choose the best. *wink*
Mallory’s sleuthing gets her into trouble. She’s angry with local sheriff Grady for not trusting her. He has to do his job alright but treating her as main suspect is not something one would expect from a childhood friend. Nope!
Things get murkier in the second half of the story. Rumors start to spread that Mallory is a murderer. The locals keep their distance from her and this is bad for Mallory and her rescue. If she has no revenue, she might have to close the rescue.
We have a twist at the end – a light-bulb moment for Mallory when she feels a certain clue feels so ‘familiar.’ Thank goodness for quick thinking and some ‘kick-ass’ moves, she managed to save herself from trouble. Phew!
If you are looking for an engrossing and highly entertaining cozy mystery featuring rescued animals (horses and a donkey), you might want to give Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp a try.
There’s a giveaway for this tour. Enter the giveaway here.
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