The Lost Ode

by Virginia Slachman

Literary scholar and amateur sleuth Julia has stumbled on a family secret . . . a secret steeped in the history of Kentucky’s thoroughbred country and linked to the descendants of poet John Keats and his brother George. When the owner of Brookfield Stud, Gray Burke, is arrested for homicide, Julia is left to solve the murder and prove his innocence while following the trail to the Keats’s lost fortune. Solving the murder may lead to love and treasure, but has Julia back the wrong horse in believing Gray Burke’s innocence?

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2013

About the author

Virginia Slachman spent many years as an award-winning poet and college professor before launching into a career as a novelist and writing coach. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, she traveled to Los Angeles and then Aspen following college to discover life outside her staid Midwest roots. Poetry led to Ph.D. studies at the University of Cincinnati and a long, successful career in the college classroom teaching literature and writing.

Virginia worked for years with Thoroughbred racehorses just off the track. Her love of murder mysteries, research, and horses combine in her latest 5-star Amazon rated novel, Blood in the Bluegrass, first in her mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Harper Hill and JD Cole, her long-ago lover who is suddenly back on the scene. The novel weaves together a behind-the-scenes look at breeding and racing Thoroughbreds in Kentucky Bluegrass Country with a race against time, as Harper must discover the real reason behind her sister’s death, find out who’s been killing her racehorses, and save her family stud farm--all before the culprit comes for her, too. "Action packed from the get-go and filled with unique characters, the book is hard to put down as it races headlong at full speed to the finish line" says
Barry Irwin, Founder & CEO of the international racing syndicate, Team Valor International.

Reviews

[Lauren Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful first novel. Slachman’s characters are people worth knowing—challenged, full of honesty, heart and wit, revolving in the murder and mayhem going on in this fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of thoroughbred horse racing and breeding.

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad I found this author

Having loved horses all my life, and being a voracious reader of mysteries, I'm glad to have found an author who writes interesting mystery novels set on horse breeding farms. Hope to read many more!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read! I'm not a fan of mysteries and this one hooked me from the beginning. I love a good story that I learn so much from. In this case, the Kentucky and Thoroughbred histories; the Keats and Audubon Kentucky connections, of which I had forgotten about. I really relished reading the Brookfield Stud Farm parts and the horses' histories. The Seelbach and Filson Club parts made me feel like I was standing there seeing it all. I liked her style of writing and I see and appreciate how much research went into the writing of this story. I really enjoyed reading this book. A page turner for me. ;o)