Mares and Murder

Merry Wrath Mysteries #39

by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a hilarious mystery on a dude ranch full of surprises!

Hold your horses!

The end of summer still holds surprises when ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath Ferguson gets an offer to take her troop of girls to a dude ranch in Colorado! Demon’s Point Dude Ranch is owned by a college friend who wants Merry’s troop to test the staff and trail ride. The girls are gung ho, rounding out the troop with goth girl Draconia and Future Espionage Agents of America member Ardith.

You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth…

The troop is really champing at the bit to go on the remote, three-day trail ride through the Rockies and find the abandoned gold mining camp hidden there, until disaster happens and they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world. When the only person who knows another way back ends up murdered, the group has to change horses in midstream to figure out how to get back to the ranch. Merry needs her horse sense to find the killer before Happy Trails turns into Murder Trails!

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's

"I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza... what could possibly go wrong?"
~ Fresh Fiction

"The Merry Wrath Mystery series has so much to love, and it is so different from other cozy mysteries that you can't help but be drawn to it."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense."
~ Chicago Tribune

"Langtry gets the fun started from page one."
~ Publisher's Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

195 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Leslie Langtry is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the Merry Wrath Mysteries and the Bombay Family of Assassins Greatest Hits series. She lives in the Midwest with her family and is an active Girl Scout volunteer. Her dream is to someday invent calorie free cake.

Reviews

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. The girls on a Dude ranch it simply does not get any better than that. What a great add to the fantastic series. I can always count on the Merry Wrath series to brighten my day.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think this is best book of the series

This series with Jana Deleon Miss fortune series are my all time favorite. A dude ranch camping trip that has bases for horror movie . old abounded mine haunted a natural disaster blocking pass back to ranch a body or two. Someone on trail ride is a killer . Then Betty acting like talking like cartoon cowboy lol...

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly do not know how authors do it .... Leslie Langtry is the author of the Merry Wrath Mystery series and Mares and Murder is the THIRTY-NINTH book in the series !! What is there to say about a book or series when there are that many books ???

The Merry Wrath Mystery series is a very special and unique series, it has a lot of different things within it to make readers huge fans.

You have the main character Merry along with her best friend Kelly running a Girl Scout troop with a group of girls since they were in kindergarten. They are now in middle school and more grown up than either troop leader would like. Betty, one of the girls, is the Mayor of Who's There and has been since she was eleven. There are four girls names Kaitlyn, they look alike and will be major soccer players eventually. They have Ava who will run businesses in the future, Lauren who talks to all the animals and Inez who is just off the charts crazy. And recently they have added two additional girls to the group who may end up in the troop, Draconia (who is all about goth) and Ardith (who is a member of Betty's Future Espionage Agents of America club) if they can survive their latest debacle .....

In Mare and Murder the group is invited to Demon's Point Dude Ranch. The ranch is owned by Merry's old friend from college, Jodie, and she invited them to come experience the ranch before it actually opens so they can work out any problems.

And boy will there be problems !!! When the group goes on a trail ride for a few days, they find out a landslide took out the path they were to return on and then the woman that nobody liked on the ranch is found stabbed, they find themselves in a little bit of a pickle ..... with more things happened that make Merry and Kelly question their insanity and if they can get the troop out safely.

With thirty-nine books in this series, you know there are fans out there and if you aren't a fan yet, you have enough books to keep you going for a while. There are so many things I love within this series but I think the thing I like the most is Lauren's ability to talk to the animals and how no one seems to question that .... so fun !!!

[Vicki Tibbitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yippy kaiyu kaiyay

Another misadventure for my favorite girl scout troop. I don't know how long these adventures will continue, but I'm in til the end!

[Cathy Gilleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite

I have read all of the Merry Wrath Mysteries and this is my favorite so far.
Betty and Lauren always add an unexpected twist to the story. I like that the troop was involved all the way thru this story. The two new girls, Ardeth and Draconia, are great additions opening new story lines for the troop. I can't wait for the next book in the series. Just wondering when Kelly's little girl and her troop will join up with the girls for an adventure.

[Nicole Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeps getting better

This was book 39 in the series and takes place in Colorado. The troop plus 2 (Ardith and Draconia) go to a dude ranch. Several staff members end up dead, the troop gets stranded when there is an explosion on the trail. So exciting! Definitely recommend this one!

[Carole Craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry, Kelly and the girls are totally amazing, and this book in the series reminds me of just how awesome, and smart, they really are. Be Prepared: Survival techniques while stranded in the wilderness with a murderer! (Is there a badge for this?) The troop heads to Colorado where Merry's friend has a Dude Ranch and wants to test out a trial run with them before hosting more scouts. Little did they know there was a murderer amongst them when they set out on the main trail on horseback for a camping excursion. After a landslide blocks the way back, they have to take another trail but the only one that knows the way was found murdered, with Merry's knife! Lauren's animal communication skills really play a role in this one, and it includes the most adorable mountain lion who is afraid of bears that befriends the group! Two new members of the troop from the previous book, Draconia and Ardith, join the group for this trip. I found this book to be thrilling, funny, and entertaining.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mares and Murders is an amazing trail ride gone amok! Murder, a landslide, a missing sat phone, panning for gold and no cell signal are just some of the things Merry, Kelly and the scouts have to contend with on their trail ride! Of course, this group is the one I want to be shipwrecked with as they are extremely resourceful. Everyone calls on unique skills to find some gold and the way back to the ranch. This is a very worth edition to a fantastic series that keeps me laughing and never guessing the murderer. I really enjoyed the bear fearing, mountain lion.

[Tracy Condie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book number 39 is every bit as good as the 38 that came before. Do not worry if this is the first time you’ve heard about Merry Wrath, former CIA operative who was forced into early retirement and returned to her hometown of Who’s There, Iowa. So, what is a former alphabet agent to do with her free time? Well, she gets convinced by her life-long BFF, Kelly, to help co-lead a girl scout troop. Still sounds pretty tame right? Let’s just say that the scouts are not the usual cookie selling, badge earning, girl group. Nope, these girls could take over a small country without anyone even realizing and turning it into a highly successful and lovely place to live. You will be highly impressed before you make it to chapter three.

Usually, the mysteries are local but this time, the troop has an opportunity to help Merry’s old college friend Jodie, by being the first guests at the Demon’s Point Dude Ranch located in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Girl scout middle schooler Betty sees no reason why a ranch needs to be labeled with the word dude; she doesn’t even like the word dudette. She has a good point, since the only male found onsite is the co-owner/cook, Jodie’s brother, Tyler. All four ranch hands are female, even the horses are female. Speaking of the horses, girl scout Lauren, the Dr. Doolittle of the troop informs Jodie that not all of the horses are happy with their names, but they do like the ranch and the ranch hands. Well, they like all of the ranch hands except for Marlene. Apparently, Marlene “came” with the property, which belonged to her family before Jodie and Kyle purchased it. So, we know right away who is going to end up on Boot Hill, but I wasn’t expecting the extra challenging circumstances. I couldn’t imagine which of the suspects was most suspect, the four ladies were all smart, sweet, congenial ranch hands, and Merry just couldn’t imagine that Kyle had changed that much since she had last seen him. Alas, it was obvious that Marlene was not responsible for her own demise. In addition to not being able to pick a suspect, I also was coming up short on the motive. In fact, I was way off when it came to motive.

The amount of humor and mystery with a touch of thriller was as well put together as a gourmet s’more. The story layers made sense, even the silly ones. Yes, there are a few silly items, but it is all in good fun. From Lauren talking to the horses about their names to “seeing” Betty fashion a knife from paper and then successfully throwing it into a wall. I believe that Merry summed it up best by noting that they had bickering birds, booby-trapping squirrels, and a deranged mountain lion named Percy.” I was thoroughly entertained, as always, and cannot wait for the next installment.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that I think this was my favorite book in the "Merry Wrath" series. In this one, we had just the Girl Scouts (plus two) and Merry and Kelly. Even without the others, this was still full of action, adventure, and mystery. I will admit that I would love to have Inez and Betty handle my paperwork and "stuff". But Betty does scare me! LOL
In this one, an old friend of Merry's is starting up a Dude Ranch in Colorado and asks Merry and her girls to be their first guests for a trial run before they open. The staff (all women except the cook) and they plan to take the girls on a trail ride. One member of the staff--the trail leader and the only one who knows the trails--is hated by all and ends up dead. And because of a landslide, they cannot turn around and go back the way they came. Unfortunately, nobody else knows the way back to the camp so they are stranded in the mountains.
But that's no problem for Merry's girls. They set up camp, pan for gold in a stream (and find a bundle!), talk to a deranged mountain lion who acts like a big cat, while Merry quietly investigates the murder. She has five suspects - and no clues. At least, not until they finally get a sat phone that works and can get word out about what has happened.
My favorite quote was near the end when Merry asks one of the new girls if she'd like to continue with the group. The girl's answer: "If my first outing with you guys," Draconia began, "included murder, sabotage, theft, gold nuggets, and kidnapping that ends in a knife fight...I'm in."
LOL - This is just one of many "nuggets" in the story.
Best Merry Wrath story yet!

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two weeks before school starts and Merry proposes a Colorado trip to a dude ranch a college friend of hers is opening. Knowing the girls love of horses it's sure to be a successful trip. In addition to the troop, they invited recently befriended Ardith (Future Espionage Agents of America member) and the goth girl, Draconia.
A Horseback trip in the Rockies, a perfect adventure to cap off the summer before school starts. It will be a trip the troop would never forget... unfortunately not in the way Merry and Kelly had hoped!
What a wild experience for everyone. Even a master spy like Merry couldn't imagine how things would really develop.
Another fabulous book about Merry Wrath and the amazing girl scouts. Tension, amazement, disbelief, a new level of understanding and cooperation with Betty, and trust between everyone made this book stand out from the others! Fast paced but never rushed, it is definitely one of the best in the series.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fun whodunit, this is the book for you. Besides the expected dead body, you get a fun story, well-developed characters, and pure entertainment that makes the book hard to put down. The story is set at a dude ranch in Colorado, and the setting adds even more dimension. A trail ride turned gone sideways will keep you turning the pages in this most recent installment of the Merry Wrath Mysteries (or the Adventures of Betty and the Gang)! One other HUGE detail: Can be read as a standalone, but you'll certainly want to go back and read others if you haven't already. Don't delay, you'll be missing out!

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former CIA agent Merry Wrath (now retired and a girl scout leader) received an invitation from her old friend to visit her new dude ranch to test the staff and rate the experience. They also invite two new girls to go with them, hoping they will join the troop. They are especially interested in the three-day trail ride. Things start to go awry when one of the staff is missing. Unfortunately, she is the only staff member who knows the trail. When she is found deceased, they have a lot of regrouping to do to find their way back to the ranch. You can read it as a stand-alone, but I have read the entire series and have enjoyed each one.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another wonderful, zany Merry Wrath book! It definitely kept my attention. There was sooooo much going on! Problems cropped up one after another that kept Merry and Kelly on their toes. And of course, the girls were involved in all of it (or, at least as much as they could get away with). I didn’t even figure out the “bad guy” until the Big Reveal! I may have to read this one again to make sure I didn’t miss anything! Ms. Langtry never disappoints!

[M.A.SPRIGGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure

I love this series. A fun and wacky murder mystery with a talented girl scout troupe who have a unique set of skills that makes solving it entertaining. Always an enjoyable read.

[Andrea Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The story kept me guessing and I liked the new location with the familiar cast of characters. I especially liked that the ending was a different way of resolving the mystery for this series.

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting