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Call of the Wilde #3
Horse of a Different Killer
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…
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…
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
26 people are currently reading
420 people want to read
About the author
Laura Morrigan
8 books222 followersSpending the first years of her life on a Costa Rican coffee farm blessed Laura Morrigan with a fertile imagination and a love for all things wild. Later she became a volunteer at a Florida zoo, helping out with everything from “waste management” to teaching an elephant how to paint. Drawing from her years of experience with both wild and domestic animals and her passion for detective novels, Laura created the Call of the Wilde series. She lives in Florida with far too many cats, loves the Blue Angels, wearing flip flops in November, and thunderstorms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 6, 2017
I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries, even more so when they put animals (especially dogs) in them. So, this series is even more of a draw. The idea of being able to hear animals' thoughts is wonderful. Though, with some animals, you would think it would be quite repetitive.
Dog: squirrel! Kill squirrel!
Dog: food!
Dog: squirrel! Kill squirrel! Squirrel evil!
Dog: food!!
But this series is so much more than that. Many cozies can be quite superficial with little character development and no serious issues. Even the murder seems to just be just a plot device. I like these because there IS development from book to book and it covers animal abuse, smuggling, domestic violence. And they're great fun!
Dog: squirrel! Kill squirrel!
Dog: food!
Dog: squirrel! Kill squirrel! Squirrel evil!
Dog: food!!
But this series is so much more than that. Many cozies can be quite superficial with little character development and no serious issues. Even the murder seems to just be just a plot device. I like these because there IS development from book to book and it covers animal abuse, smuggling, domestic violence. And they're great fun!
March 18, 2015
What a wonderful read this was. I can always count on these books to help me forget about time and places. I’m always so deeply involved with the characters and story that everything else is forgotten. I loved the story plot and mystery for this book. Grace has a lot of problems to figure out during its run. Her first problem, involves her needing to find a missing horse, during this time, she discovers a missing goat that needs to found as well. For her second and more serious problem, she has to prove her sister didn’t kill her abusive ex husband. As the story unfolds, there are a lot of surprising and shocking moments that leads you to think, maybe Grace's sister isn't as innocent as we think.
The animals are my favorite characters in these books. Moss and his little kitten Voodoo, are adorable and add some funny moments here. There are a few newer animals, but, they were more secondary characters, not really in the middle of the story.
Even though this book didn't have an shocking ending as in the second book. The touching moment at the end, left me looking forward to the fourth book when it is released.
The animals are my favorite characters in these books. Moss and his little kitten Voodoo, are adorable and add some funny moments here. There are a few newer animals, but, they were more secondary characters, not really in the middle of the story.
Even though this book didn't have an shocking ending as in the second book. The touching moment at the end, left me looking forward to the fourth book when it is released.
February 4, 2018
I love these books and the characters so very much. This series is absolutely in my top 10, maybe even top 5 favorite series ever.
May 2, 2015
The first two books in this series were phenomenal, and this one lived up them!
I absolutely love these characters, just the fact that Grace is semi-socially awkward makes her seem so real. The animals are absolutely hilarious I want two goats that faint and a cute kitten now.
This book also did a great job with balancing the relationship and mystery. The relationship was a subplot and it never overtook the mystery, but at the same time it had a large part of the book.
Overall an amazing book. I hope this series continues for awhile!
I absolutely love these characters, just the fact that Grace is semi-socially awkward makes her seem so real. The animals are absolutely hilarious I want two goats that faint and a cute kitten now.
This book also did a great job with balancing the relationship and mystery. The relationship was a subplot and it never overtook the mystery, but at the same time it had a large part of the book.
Overall an amazing book. I hope this series continues for awhile!
July 3, 2017
Typical of my library, they only stock books 1 and 3 in this series. Either the second book was stolen or they simply never had it, I don't know. But I decided on a whim to visit to check out a few new releases I wanted to try but not buy, and saw this in the paperback section where you wait for service. I remembered the first book as a fun and animal themed cozy, and this one didn't disappoint.
Once more the characters and the animals are the major draw card. Seriously, who wouldn't want to communicate telepathically with animals and solve crimes in the process? This crime is personal, since Grace's sister is the one accused of murder, and it will take all of her gifts to solve the case.
The only problem in this was that a major character and events happened in book 2 and I missed them. The evolution of Logan and the connections there were missed for me, giving me some confusion over plot points. I moved past them and focused on the current story however, and will plan to read book 2 somehow.
A great cozy read for any fan of the genre. Five stars.
Once more the characters and the animals are the major draw card. Seriously, who wouldn't want to communicate telepathically with animals and solve crimes in the process? This crime is personal, since Grace's sister is the one accused of murder, and it will take all of her gifts to solve the case.
The only problem in this was that a major character and events happened in book 2 and I missed them. The evolution of Logan and the connections there were missed for me, giving me some confusion over plot points. I moved past them and focused on the current story however, and will plan to read book 2 somehow.
A great cozy read for any fan of the genre. Five stars.
May 18, 2015
This is probably a 4.5 star read, but I really just love this series, so am going to 5. I think this is my favorite cozy series right now. Great human characters, but the animal characters just steal the whole thing. Moss and Voodoo are such fun, along with the fringe animal characters. I find myself looking at my sweet dog and wondering what's going through his mind. The murder mystery here was well plotted. Grace's sister, Emma, is accused of the murder of her ex-husband. If ever there was a character that needed killing, he's it. Grace is out to prove her innocence but gets involved in a subplot that involves finding a missing horse. The 2 tales quickly come together as one. Great story line, even better characters and the promise of 2 good romances in the making! What's not to love! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
May 5, 2015
4.5 stars but I rounded up to 5 because this is the third book and she hasn't written a weak one yet. I liked A Tiger's Tale a tiny bit more because... Tigers. I also liked the way she took a non-traditional approach to a mystery plot in that book. But make no mistake, this one is just as good with just as clever and well-written a plot. I can't wait for the next book!
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/115716...
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/115716...
September 29, 2017
Liked this better than the last one, I need my own Moss and Voodoo
March 15, 2015
Really three and a half stars. I really like the author's writing and her characters. As soon as I finished this one, which is book three of a series, I went back and reread book 2. I think I just wanted to spend more time with those characters. Unfortunately, the books in this series always leave me wondering about loose ends, things that don't quite make sense, or unanswered questions. I'll still keep reading them, though.
March 29, 2015
Love this series! One of my absolute favorites!
August 3, 2017
Some days you are the windshield, some days you are the bug.
Grace is back in the third installment of A Call of the Wilde Mystery series. Her ex brother-in-law, Tony, is found dead with Grace's sister, Emma, standing over him. Grace knows that she must prove Emma's innocence. Tony's current girlfriend is distraught over the loss of a horse that Tony bought for her after a photo shoot in Morocco.
Grace is amazing character that uses her ability to talk to animals to solve crimes. In her search for the horse she chats with a barn cat and a goat. She rescues a dog that saw his owner murdered and locates a goat that ran away.
Grace's relationship with Kai is getting more serious although he still has reservations about her friendship with organized crime figure, Logan.
I enjoyed how the various mysteries all intertwined and kept Grace searching. The voices she hears from the animals make me smile. I love how kitten, VooDoo, is very quick to state what is "mine". I would like to have a dog like Moss.
This is an enjoyable series with quirky characters and good plots. I look forward to reading the next one.
Grace is back in the third installment of A Call of the Wilde Mystery series. Her ex brother-in-law, Tony, is found dead with Grace's sister, Emma, standing over him. Grace knows that she must prove Emma's innocence. Tony's current girlfriend is distraught over the loss of a horse that Tony bought for her after a photo shoot in Morocco.
Grace is amazing character that uses her ability to talk to animals to solve crimes. In her search for the horse she chats with a barn cat and a goat. She rescues a dog that saw his owner murdered and locates a goat that ran away.
Grace's relationship with Kai is getting more serious although he still has reservations about her friendship with organized crime figure, Logan.
I enjoyed how the various mysteries all intertwined and kept Grace searching. The voices she hears from the animals make me smile. I love how kitten, VooDoo, is very quick to state what is "mine". I would like to have a dog like Moss.
This is an enjoyable series with quirky characters and good plots. I look forward to reading the next one.
October 5, 2022
This is one of my favourite cozy series' and I enjoyed this one a lot.
The best thing about this series for me is that because of Grace's ability to telepathically communicate with animals, we get to hear parts of the story through the animals perspective. For anyone who loves animals, that is a very fun and cool feature because the author obviously also loves and appreciates animals. All kinds of animals, in fact, and one of the fun side moments is when Grace helps a stranded gator get of the highway and back to the swamp. It is fun to hear from the gator through Grace.
The murder, and why it happens is a bit difficult and there are some intense and possibly triggering scenes (related to domestic violence) but they are brief.
I also enjoy the supporting characters in this series and how they help Grace solve the murders she keeps (as all cozy heroines do) accidentally becoming involved with.
This is just a good, solid cozy series with the slightly paranormal feature of Grace being able to talk to and hear from animals. I enjoy it and will continue reading books in this series.
The best thing about this series for me is that because of Grace's ability to telepathically communicate with animals, we get to hear parts of the story through the animals perspective. For anyone who loves animals, that is a very fun and cool feature because the author obviously also loves and appreciates animals. All kinds of animals, in fact, and one of the fun side moments is when Grace helps a stranded gator get of the highway and back to the swamp. It is fun to hear from the gator through Grace.
The murder, and why it happens is a bit difficult and there are some intense and possibly triggering scenes (related to domestic violence) but they are brief.
I also enjoy the supporting characters in this series and how they help Grace solve the murders she keeps (as all cozy heroines do) accidentally becoming involved with.
This is just a good, solid cozy series with the slightly paranormal feature of Grace being able to talk to and hear from animals. I enjoy it and will continue reading books in this series.
December 27, 2017
I really love this series. I love the characters and the writing and the premise. I am over the moon about the narrator’s dog. I want to bring him home and love him and hug him and call him George. Anyway, back to this installment. My only issue with it was that the reveal seemed a bit messy - too much info just dumped in at the end. Also, there wasn’t as much connection with the title animal (in this case, a horse) as in the previous books. Still a comfy read, and I’m ready for the next one.
March 6, 2015
Horse of a Different Killer is the third book in A Call of the Wilde Mystery. Grace is an animal behaviorist who has the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. This ability she has shared with just a few people as she knows how skeptical some people will react to the information
Her sister Emma is found standing over her ex-husband who has been murdered. Grace is determined to erase all suspicion from her sister and find the killer. She also goes on a search for a missing horse named Heart. This has her trying to communicate with a cat who has laser attention on hunting a mouse. My favorite was Nelly the goat who would relate every weed she ate. Grace had to deal with Detective Boyle who like the previously mentioned cat had laser vision that Emma was guilty.
I really like the personalities of the two sisters-Grace and Emma. Emma is an event planner. She is outgoing, has excellent social skills and personal style. Grace is awkward in social situations and could really care less about style. She is more guarded and her interest is in the animal world. Grace is currently living with her sister. One can feel the love between the sisters. Both sisters have a great sense of humor. They complement each other well. I have chuckled in all three books that I have read. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I feel this will be a long running cozy series.
Her sister Emma is found standing over her ex-husband who has been murdered. Grace is determined to erase all suspicion from her sister and find the killer. She also goes on a search for a missing horse named Heart. This has her trying to communicate with a cat who has laser attention on hunting a mouse. My favorite was Nelly the goat who would relate every weed she ate. Grace had to deal with Detective Boyle who like the previously mentioned cat had laser vision that Emma was guilty.
I really like the personalities of the two sisters-Grace and Emma. Emma is an event planner. She is outgoing, has excellent social skills and personal style. Grace is awkward in social situations and could really care less about style. She is more guarded and her interest is in the animal world. Grace is currently living with her sister. One can feel the love between the sisters. Both sisters have a great sense of humor. They complement each other well. I have chuckled in all three books that I have read. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I feel this will be a long running cozy series.
June 26, 2015
This book was enjoyable but I didn't love it the way I loved the first two in the series, I think because there was less animal involvement and, thus, less animal mind reading in this one. The main animal character was missing in this book, so while Grace was trying to find him, there wasn't the same level of interaction that was in books 1 and 2. I'm still looking forward to the next in the series.
April 5, 2015
When I first started this series, I didn't know how I would like it. I LOVE THIS SERIES. These books are so much fun. I love all of the characters and Laura Morrigan does an amazing job of sucking into the story. I cannot wait for Grace's next adventure.
March 29, 2015
I really like this series and its human and animal characters! Grace's paranormal abilities make for a very interesting cozy mystery and book 3 continues the excellence!
August 1, 2015
This is fast becoming a favorite series and this installment did not let me down. Loved every minute of it! I hope the author can keep it up because she hasn't let me down yet.
October 12, 2025
Grace’s vile former brother-in-law, Anthony Ortega, has bid on and won her services as an animal behaviorist. Grace wants nothing to do with him; he was physically abusive to her sister, Emma, before their divorce. When Emma goes to visit Ortega to return his winning funds, she finds him dead. Since Emma was discovered hovering over Ortega’s body, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Not only is Grace desperate to clear Emma’s name, but Ortega’s fiancee, Jasmine, claims he bought a horse for her, a gorgeous Friesian named Heart, who has gone missing. She hires Grace to find the horse. Grace is convinced that Heart’s disappearance ties in with Ortega’s murder; thus, she takes the case. Soon Grace is following clues and leads...right into danger.
Intriguing, fast-paced story. I love Grace as a character. Despite being socially inept, she’s fierce and loyal and tenacious. I didn’t like that some things were never explained, such as why Ortega wanted to retain Grace’s services to begin with. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story, but I would have appreciated those loose ends being tied up.
Very good, five stars
Intriguing, fast-paced story. I love Grace as a character. Despite being socially inept, she’s fierce and loyal and tenacious. I didn’t like that some things were never explained, such as why Ortega wanted to retain Grace’s services to begin with. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story, but I would have appreciated those loose ends being tied up.
Very good, five stars
November 5, 2019
Best book in the series so far. Grace's motivation is there, because of her sister, and the story arc is tied to an important issue as a bonus. The mysterious Ghost figure, Logan, adds an exciting element. And because they're in an established relationship, Grace and Kai are no longer spouting poorly-written flirtation - the author is better at familiar banter. Which helps me finally feel like they're compatible rather than just attracted to each other.
Also, I feel like Morrigan is resorting less to overdone plot devices. Those were a big bother for me in the first two books.
The animals need no further mention. Very cute and endearing as always.
Also, I feel like Morrigan is resorting less to overdone plot devices. Those were a big bother for me in the first two books.
The animals need no further mention. Very cute and endearing as always.
December 17, 2018
Enjoyable cozy mystery with a better than average plot plus the fun twist that Grace Wilde is an animal behaviorist, helped by the fact that she is a psychic with the ability to converse with animals. It's not easy to find common ground communicating with the minds of various animals and trying to get them to help you solve a mystery is not as straightforward as you might think. Grace is semi-socially awkward and that makes her as engaging as is her love for animals. This is the third in the series and was such fun that I tracked down books one and two in the series.
November 1, 2018
I really like the book because the main character can read animal's like a whisperer but a little different. This one was a little hard to follow because it starts off with her sister's ex-husband being killed and her sister going to jail. When she talks to the new fiancé of the ex-husband she finds that she is missing her horse. So she tries to locate the horse but runs into various problems and thugs on the way. Ending did have an interesting twist.
September 26, 2018
The main character searches for a horse, using her ability to communicate with animals. This communication is handled well; the animals stay in character, reporting what they have seen from a point of view distinctly their own. The plot wanders a bit, and the settings (woods, barns, pastures) seem to blend together, but the story is appealing over-all.
June 16, 2025
I just love the mysteries this author comes up with. It’s a constant guessing game to me with slight twists. Just overall so well thought out. This one however did leave me with a little bit of a loose end in Bonnie the cop. I did not like this woman or how everything with her was handled. Other then that it was really enjoyable, yet again
November 12, 2024
another good one from the animal psychic
There were a few threads left untied at the end of this one, but I will be moving onto the fourth in this series about Grace Wilde, the animal psychic. As is always true, the stars are the animals: this time a goat and a papillon.
There were a few threads left untied at the end of this one, but I will be moving onto the fourth in this series about Grace Wilde, the animal psychic. As is always true, the stars are the animals: this time a goat and a papillon.
March 19, 2017
Even better than the first two. Love the way Grace communicates with the animals to help her unravel the mystery she's working on.
August 21, 2017
I'm enjoying this series so much! I can't wait to read the next installment.
August 23, 2017
I love these books. Such a quick read, but sometimes they surprise me with the plot.
October 11, 2017
Another awesome book from Laura Morrigan! I am hooked on this cozy mystery series!
November 18, 2017
Great series. A thoroughly enjoyable read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews