Julia Thom is new to the small town of Horse, but she’s not new to trouble. When reclusive watchmaker James Hunter is beaten, but has no memory of the event, Julia vows to find the culprits. Even if Hunter hadn’t saved Julia herself from being assaulted, she would still be on the case; meddling helps keep her focus off her own complicated life. Julia is fast becoming a thorn in Police Constable Jack Merrick’s side and he flounders as he tries to figure out how to deal with such a headstrong woman.
When the attackers strike again and the violence escalates, Julia’s determination redoubles, putting herself in more danger than anyone could have anticipated. While Julia and Merrick grapple with finding unknown assailants, they must also find a way to come to terms with one another.
Horse With No Name is the second in a series of cozy historical mystery novels. If you like mysteries with a strong female lead, that put you on the edge of your seat, and focus on the relationships as much as the plot, then you’ll love Alexandra Amor’s heartfelt examination of life in frontier British Columbia.
This story takes place in frontier British Columbia in the very small town of Horse. Appealing and amusing characters make this exploration of the self and what people are willing and able to give up in order to be their true selves an enjoyable absorbing read.
A brilliant and beautifully written story of the perseverance of justice and truth but what it uncovers is unexpected. The mysteries happening in Horse are as captivating as the characters, enthralling, thought provoking and triumphant.
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you. My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it. If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give. Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away. Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
I think the author tried with this book but it just wasn't very good. The main character makes a lot of stupid decisions with basically zero consequences, the romance is goofy, and the mystery felt boring. It's set in frontier-era British Columbia with no mention of indigenous people at all, which feels like an oversight considering the rest of the content. The inclusion of the Chinese and transgender characters seemed well-meaning but was written very clumsily and mostly falls flat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Great story with strong characters, mystery and a touch of current issues. The people, town and animals seem real. A story that also touches your heart with its many life lessons. Thank you, Alexandra Amor.
As the author noted people are what they are. I kinda figured out the "big secret" shortly before it was revealed. The overall story was okay. I probably will not pursue any more of the series.
I just love good clean mystery with good characters! This is set in frontier British Columbia when females very rarely took off on their own. Julia is spunky and independent. Sometimes she steps on the toes of the sheriff to solve cases. Good reading!
A different kind of story about finding your place in the world. I didn't like the premise that it starts on, but the story was solid and the characters were very well rounded, nor did it seem to be written in hatred. The subject matter grew into an philosophical argument on what you are willing to do or go through in order to be " you". It is well worth the read.
What a great read, historical fiction with a modern twist! As a lover of historical fiction, a good mystery where I really don't know how it's going to turn out and strong character development, this book had it all! Can't wait to read the next book in this series!
Talk about touching all the bases. A little mystery, drama, unexpected happenings that are part of our lives today and the reflections that help all of us understand human nature. Truly enjoyed reading this Horse book and look forward to the next one.
An interesting first into Victorian era colonial settlement in Canada. Characters are well developed and complex. 21st century sexual identity issue seems out of place in A Town Called Horse.