Horse of a Different Killer
A Call of the Wilde Mystery #3
By Laura Morrigan
ISBN#9780425257210
Author’s Website: lauramorrigan.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Animal behaviorist Grace Wilde’s psychic ability gives her insight into the minds of all kinds of creatures. If only humans were as easy to read…
Dead men may tell no tales, but they can screw up your life with a few phone calls. Grace’s abusive ex-brother-in-law, Anthony Ortega, needs her help—at least that’s what he said on the messages he left before his sudden death. Grace is inclined to let the matter rest in peace, but when her sister is named a suspect, Grace decides to get to the bottom of the cryptic calls.
Her only lead is Ortega’s fiancée, who believes that he had arranged to surprise her with the purchase of a Frisian gelding named Heart. The horse was being stabled at the R-n-R Ranch—but was taken in the middle of the night. Now, with her sister in trouble and a missing horse on her hands, Grace hopes the information harnessed from her psychic skills will be enough to rein in the killer… (Goodreads)
Review:
Grace Wilde is a veterinarian who works as an animal behaviorist. She is quite effective because she can telepathically communicate with the animals, but she keeps her ability a secret from all but a few close people. She is reserved and a little socially awkward with a quirky sense of humor and no fashion sense. She lives with her event planner sister Emma who is her polar opposite. Trouble arises when Emma is found over the dead body of her abusive ex-husband Tony and becomes the police’s prime suspect. The detective in charge of the case, Tammy Boyle, seems to be in bad cop mode and does not want to consider anyone other than Emma. Tony’s fiancé Jasmine seeks out Grace in hopes that she can find a missing horse that Jasmine thinks Tony was going to purchase for her as a surprise. Could Heart the horse have something to do with Tony’s death? Grace follows Heart’s trail by talking to myotonic (fainting) goats, a barn cat, a Papillion. With the help of her maybe-boyfriend Kai and Logan, a man with ties to the mob, she gets to the bottom of Tony’s death.
Horse of a Different Color is the third addition to the Call of the Wilde Mystery series. The mystery component is strong, and there is adventure and just enough romance to keep it interesting. The concept of the main character being able to talk to animals leaves a lot of opportunity for it to become cartoonish, but Laura Morrigan makes it work flawlessly, and it comes across as realistic and plausible. Though Grace is a bit awkward, she is appealing, and I get and enjoy her sense of humor. The supporting characters are varied and are important to the story. I love Grace’s wolf dog mix Moss and the kitten Voodoo. Their relationship and commitment to each other is sweet and entertaining.
My quibbles with this installment are minor. Grace’s interactions with her other animal clients are sprinkled throughout the book, but this time around I felt they were filler and did not contribute much to the story. I like that her relationship with Kai has progressed, but I fear there is a love triangle brewing with Logan. Please don’t go there, Ms. Morrigan.
I really enjoyed this book and the whole series and look forward to Grace’s future escapades. I highly recommend Horse of a Different Killer to most cozy fans, particularly those who like the inclusion of animals.
