Finally, I’ve come up for air from several projects I’ve been working on and managed to get these reviews written for books I’ve read recently. First a couple of bargains, and then a first-in-series book that is currently on sale, but I think it is well worth the full price!

A Corpse at the Castle, A Highland Horse Whisperer Mystery, Book 1, by R.B. Marshall ~ FREE

Horses, the Scottish countryside, and Queen Elizabeth…what’s not to like in this cozy mystery?

Horse trainer (and I.T. geek) Izzy Paterson has landed the perfect job, in the stables of Lady Letham’s estate in the Scottish Highlands. But when she takes two of their brood mares to Balmoral, the Queen’s summer castle, to be bred with a prize stallion, things go awry. A body is found in the stall of the stallion, and Izzy must take on yet another role, that of amateur sleuth…to save both the horse and clear herself of suspicion.

The plot and the characters are well developed, and bits of humor and a touch of romance spice things up. There are 2 more books and a prequel in this series, plus 2 new releases due out in 2023.

I give A Corpse at the Castle four fingerprints.

Dead Before Dinner, A Maddie Swallows Mystery, Book 1, by Kat Bellemore ~ FREE

After her divorce, psychologist Maddie Swallows returns to her hometown  in New Mexico to start a therapy practice with her best friend. But before they can get their doors open, Maddie attends a New Year’s Eve Party that comes to an abrupt halt when a guest dies.

Since all the guests are prime suspects, Maddie and her friend, Trish, set out to investigate to clear her a name, with the unsolicited help of Maddie’s precocious teenagers and elderly mother.

I totally enjoyed this cozy mystery, with its quirky characters and small town charm, and of course, as a psychologist, I could relate to the main character. The plot has plenty of twists and turns and was so satisfying, I have already downloaded Book 2 on my kindle. (Book 3 is also out, and Book 4 is available for preorder.)

I give Dead Before Dinner four and a half fingerprints.

Deadly Solution, A Maeve Malloy Legal Thriller, Book 1, by Keenan Powell ~ $2.99 for the month of May, reg price is $4.99 (and I think it’s worth it)

The author brings her own legal background and knowledge of Alaska to bear in this fast-paced legal thriller starring a female defense attorney in Anchorage who is struggling with both her sobriety and the career she is trying to resuscitate.

Maeve Malloy takes on the case of an Aleut Indian accused of beating another homeless man to death. She and her investigator, Tom Sinclair, have little to go on, until they make the connection with several similar deaths.

I have read all three Maeve Malloy novels, and wish there were more. They are well written with interesting and realistic characters and plots that will keep you flipping pages. Currently I’m reading Book 1 in Ms. Powell’s new series, Implied Consent. It definitely lives up to Ms. Powell’s reputation.

I give Deadly Solution 5 fingerprints.

That’s it for this month. Happy Reading!