I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Canter With a Killer
by Amber Camp
Series: Horse Rescue Mystery #1
Series Rating:
Published by Crooked Lane Books on October 11, 2022
Setting: Arkansas
Genres: Cozy Animal Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
Goodreads
Bookhype
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, IndieBound, Google, Hudson Booksellers, Target, Walmart, Audible, BookShop.org, Penquin Random House
Also in this series: Trotting into Trouble
Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Mollie Cox Bryan, Amber Camp’s debut novel will have you galloping through the pages, as a horse rescue owner races to find a killer and clear her name.
Mallory Martin left her marriage and her unfulfilling job to move back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, and 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.
Aided by her best friend, Lanie, and rescue volunteer Tanner, Mallory races headlong into the investigation in search of the real killer. But horses and murder aren’t the only thing on her mind when she meets Albert’s handsome son, Braydon. Sparks fly, and soon she’s got a new boyfriend. But there’s a case to be solved, and she redoubles her efforts to learn the truth.
The suspects mount quickly. There’s Albert’s girlfriend, Kathleen, who was on the farm when he was murdered; organic farmer Heather Rogers, who accused Albert of contaminating her creek; and Philip Atwood, who’d been trying for a right-of-way across Albert’s farm. None of the evidence is holding up though, and Mallory learns that she'll need to take the reins on this investigation if she's going to clear her own name.
Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp is a new cozy animal mystery that features Mallory Martin, an owner of a horse rescue farm in a small town in Arkansas.
Can Mallory steer the police in the right direction?
Mallory Martin
Mallory Martin is a 42-year-old woman who has been living her dream of owning a horse rescue (since she was a little girl) for a bit. She has a college-bound daughter who wants to be a vet and an ex-husband who might still like Mallory. Mal sounds like a fantastic character, and she brings a lot more oomph to a sleuth than some of the others I’ve had the opportunity to read. I love how she does her murder board and how, despite everything mounting against her, Mallory still wants to prove herself innocent.
The Mystery
Mallory argues over the phone with her next-door neighbor, who ends up getting murdered, and the police are looking at her as their only suspect. Everyone else seems to have pretty much good alibis while she doesn’t. So much goes on from the story’s beginning to right when Mallory confronts the killer. I have to say sadly that I fell for a red herring, but that red herring was a pretty good suspect.
Five Stars
Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp is getting five stars, and a recommendation to anyone that loves horses to give this story a try. It also has a pet donkey named Biscuit. Biscuit is awesome! Ms. Camp has written a great first story for a new series.
Giveaway
Prize: An author signed copy of Canter with a Killer, a handmade (by me) bookmark, stickers, and a PopSocket featuring my book’s cover art.
Tour Organized by:
To find all the tour information, click the banner at the top of the page.
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Amber Camp
Amber has lived in Northwest Arkansas for twenty+ years, working as an RN at a rural hospital in the area. She has a menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and what has been described as the Mule from Hell, which may or may not be a slight exaggeration. Writing has always been a focus in Amber’s life, something she describes as “food for my soul.” An avid reader since grade school, she enjoys multiple genres and is always looking for new authors to add to her favorites. Amber is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2023 Beachcombers Mystery RC
- 2023 Cloak and Dagger
- 2023 Craving the Cozies
- 2023 Cruisin' thru the Cozies
- 2023 Goodreads RC
- 2023 Medical Examiner RC
Awesome book!