Saddled Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Item: Saddled Up 4 Murder
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted May 18, 2022 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 1 Comment

Saddled Up 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Series: Sophie Kimball Mystery #9
Series Rating:

Published by Beyond the Page Publishing on March 15, 2022
Genres: Cozy Animal Mystery
Pages: 206
Format: Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Molded 4 Murder , Dressed Up 4 Murder, Broadcast 4 Murder, Railroaded 4 Murder, Grilled 4 Murder, Strike Out 4 Murder, Revved Up 4 Murder

With a killer on the loose and horse thieves plaguing the area, it’s up to Sophie “Phee” Kimball to corral the clues and bring an outlaw to justice . . .

Spring is in the air as Sun City West gears up for its annual Bye Bye Birdie festivities, when residents bid a fond farewell to the snowbirds and happily reclaim the town for themselves. But planning comes to a screeching halt when the town curmudgeon plummets to her death from the library bell tower and sheriff’s deputies suspect foul play. With the celebration on hold—and Phee’s mother worried that she won’t get her moment in the spotlight on a local TV show slated to cover the event—Phee is thrust into the role of sleuth once again to find the killer.

As Phee soon discovers, there’s no love lost between the town and the unfortunate victim, and with the clock ticking and virtually everyone a potential suspect, she’s got her work cut out for her. Then a passel of horseflesh goes missing, and Phee starts to think the two crimes might be connected. With the town on edge and high noon approaching, she’ll have to wrangle with a band of daring desperados and lasso a lawbreaker who’s dead set on sending her to boot hill . . .

Saddled Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is a modern take on the ole’ horse stealing criminals, and Phee steps right in the middle of it all. Streetman saves the day.

What do a bell tower, stolen horses, and a Chiweenie have in common?

That sounds like the beginning of a joke, but honestly, you have to read this one. I love the whole Sun City West group, from the crazy book club ladies to the pinnacle-playing guys and their crazy pets. It seems that Streetman has some hidden talents. Oh, and don’t forget Aunt Ina, connections.

The Mysteries

Nate and Marshall head out of town to investigate a series of horse thefts. This leaves Phee available to investigate the death of the deli-witch Billie. Billie was into so many bad things. Hello, just the topics of books she borrows from the library tell that tale. Oh, and their library has a bell tower which allows the patrons to use the stairs for their cardio fitness. The first part of that sentence is cool, but the second part makes me wonder about the library’s liability.

Harriet, of course, is the mastermind behind getting Phee to go sleuthing. But I do believe that Phee is starting to like this investigating thing. Although, if Phee doesn’t figure this out so that Harriet can be on Sonora Living, Phee may need to move far away from Sun City West.

Augusta

Augusta is the receptionist at Williams Investigations. She is from the midwest transplanted for the weather, but she doesn’t understand the whole of Harriett’s world. Augusta cracks me up. I never know what is going to come out of her mouth. Sometimes it’s good advice. I can’t help but laugh and shake my head. I don’t know how Phee keeps her inner voice so quiet. I am sure that mine would slip out once in a while. Although it seems that is ok, seriously, the book club ladies say what is on their minds.

For the next four or five minutes, while Augusta made our coffees, I babbled on nonstop, giving new meaning to William James’s definition of “stream of consciousness.” Augusta took it all in with a deadpan expression that didn’t change.

“I’m not sure if what you want to do is called leverage or quid pro quo, but trust me, it didn’t work for the politicians and I’m not sure it will work for you, she said.

“All I want is to find out what animal gave Billie those wounds. It could be the answer to her death.

“I doubt the animal was the one she wrestled with at the top of the tower.”

“No, but it might be the reason for the altercation. The way I see it, I’m in possession of evidence and I tracked down a suspect the deputies completely ignored.”

“You’re lucky Ranston and Bowman don’t arrest you for interfering with a crime investigation. Unless of course you intend to have your newfound acquaintance cast a spell on them.”

“Very funny. What I do intend to do is call Deputy Ranston as soon as I get into my office. He wants to expedite this investigation as much as I do.”

Five Stars

I always enjoy picking up one of these mysteries. I never know what Phee, Harriett, and Streetman will get into. Saddled Up 4 Murder is no different than the others. I like the introduction of Wicca, and the horse thefts combined with the antics of Streetman the Chiweenie make the story humorous and plausible. My rating for Saddled Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is five stars. If you haven’t read a book from this series, grab one and give it a shot. I highly recommend this series.

The Sophie Kimball Mystery Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Saddled Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.

Until the next time,

About J.C. Eaton

J.C. Eaton is the pen name for the collaborative writing team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp. Together they juggle three unique series of cozy mysteries, all with quirky characters and a zillion twists and turns. Learn more on their website – https://www.jceatonmysteries.com

From analytical Sophie “Phee” Kimball to impulsive Norrie Ellington and sassy Marcie Rayner, they’ve got a sleuth for all tastes!

While Ann is a seasoned author in her own right, having eight published YA time travel mysteries to her credit, James, a former winery tasting room manager, has focused on non-fiction with informative blurbs on the wine industry. This unlikely author duo found common ground when they moved to Arizona and realized that the community they were living in was the perfect background for murder mysteries.

Ann admits that she’s definitely “the detail person” while James is more comfortable with plotline and the big ideas. Running the dialogue is their favorite pastime in this venture.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: