The next thrilling Ham-Hill Murder Mystery from bestselling cosy crime author Frances Evesham.
A winning horse. A fierce rivalry. A sudden death.
Belinda Sandford thrills to the cheers of the crowd as her beautiful grey racehorse, ‘Butterfly Charm’, thunders past the finishing post first at Wincanton Racecourse. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world.
But joy soon turns to despair as a stewards’ enquiry overturns the result and awards the race to her long-time rival, Alexandra Deacon.
When Alex is found dead in suspicious circumstances, a host of accusing eyes turn to Belinda and her distraught mother begs Adam Hennessy, her neighbour, retired police officer and publican, to help clear her daughter’s name.
As Adam, and local hotelier Imogen Bishop, dig deep into the murky and powerful undercurrents of the horse racing world, they lay bare the lives and loves of local jockeys, grooms, trainers and owners.
They soon uncover a web of secrets hidden within the spectacular Somerset countryside as they strive to find the killer in time to prevent more murders.
A brand new cosy mystery series from the bestselling author of A Village Murder, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Betty Rowlands and M.C. Beaton.
It is years since I last read a book concerning shenanigans revolving around race course events and I’m so glad that I jumped at the opportunity to read this one, it is such a great read!
Belinda Sandford is riding ‘Butterfly Charm’ in her first professional race as a jockey and is overjoyed when she is first past the finishing post. Her joy, however, doesn’t last long as her arch rival, Alexandra Deacon, is awarded the win after a stewards’ enquiry. Shortly after Alexandra’s body is found and Belinda is suspected of murdering her. Belinda’s mum asks retired police officer, Adam Hennessy, to prove her daughter is innocent. As Adam, now a publican, and local hotelier Imogen Bishop join forces to investigate they never anticipated uncovering so many secrets but they need to work together to untangle the webs of lies and deception to help prevent any further murders.
This is an intriguing mystery, with great characters and so many potential suspects! The syndicates of horse owners, together with the staff at the local racing stables all involve so many secret relationships that it is difficult to uncover who is telling the truth or lying. There are potential romances, secret affairs and misleading suggestions, too, adding to the mix. It is a well written, engaging and suspense filled read, with a great twist at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will definitely look out for more by this author in future, including previous one in this series!
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
Frances Evesham is the bestelling author of the hugely successful Exham-on-Sea murder mysteries set in her home county of Somerset, and the Ham-Hill cosy crime series set in South Somerset.
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