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Gail McCarthy Mystery #8
Forged
"I was cleaning the gun. An accident."
Horse veterinarian Gail McCarthy doesn't particularly like her horseshoer, Dominic Castillo. For one thing, he was always late for a job. Worse, given the slightest pleasant word or look from one of his female clients, he'd jump into his act of irresisitible lover. There was no doubt, though, that Dominic Castillo was by far the best shoer in the area, and if brushing off Dominic was the additional price for shoeing her three beloved horses, Gail was ready.
On this day, when she got home from her daily round of ailing horses, she found that Dominic was nowhere to be seen. First angry, then puzzled to find one of her horses with three new shoes but nothing on his fourth foot, she started searching the premises - and came upon him lying on the barn floor bleeding and barely able to talk. Finally, he opened his eyes and said weakly, "I was cleaning the gun. An accident."
Not until the ambulance takes the injured man to the hospital and the police start pulling everything apart in the barn and surroundings does Gail get her scattered wits together and ponder the injured man's "last words." Also, that it makes no sense that he would shoe three of her horse's feet and then go off to the barn to clean his gun. When Blue, her current and quite probably permanent lover, comes home from work, she's come to think that the cops suspect she shot the man - possibly because he was forcing his attentions on her.
Dominic Castillo had many enemies, and Gail's worry was that the killer would think the horseshoer had pointed out her to his killer, even though the detective, Matt Johnson, saw her as a suspect in the man's murder. As events seemed more and more to prove that this, indeed, was the danger she was in, Gail felt that the only way to protect herself was to find the person who had shot Castillo.
Laura Crum has combined a delightful heroine, a glimpse at her unusual career, and her crime solving talent with another fond look at the horses who do more than run races and the people who love them.
Horse veterinarian Gail McCarthy doesn't particularly like her horseshoer, Dominic Castillo. For one thing, he was always late for a job. Worse, given the slightest pleasant word or look from one of his female clients, he'd jump into his act of irresisitible lover. There was no doubt, though, that Dominic Castillo was by far the best shoer in the area, and if brushing off Dominic was the additional price for shoeing her three beloved horses, Gail was ready.
On this day, when she got home from her daily round of ailing horses, she found that Dominic was nowhere to be seen. First angry, then puzzled to find one of her horses with three new shoes but nothing on his fourth foot, she started searching the premises - and came upon him lying on the barn floor bleeding and barely able to talk. Finally, he opened his eyes and said weakly, "I was cleaning the gun. An accident."
Not until the ambulance takes the injured man to the hospital and the police start pulling everything apart in the barn and surroundings does Gail get her scattered wits together and ponder the injured man's "last words." Also, that it makes no sense that he would shoe three of her horse's feet and then go off to the barn to clean his gun. When Blue, her current and quite probably permanent lover, comes home from work, she's come to think that the cops suspect she shot the man - possibly because he was forcing his attentions on her.
Dominic Castillo had many enemies, and Gail's worry was that the killer would think the horseshoer had pointed out her to his killer, even though the detective, Matt Johnson, saw her as a suspect in the man's murder. As events seemed more and more to prove that this, indeed, was the danger she was in, Gail felt that the only way to protect herself was to find the person who had shot Castillo.
Laura Crum has combined a delightful heroine, a glimpse at her unusual career, and her crime solving talent with another fond look at the horses who do more than run races and the people who love them.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2004
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Laura Crum
12 books19 followersLaura Crum has spent over twenty years training and showing western cowhorses, and her mystery series, featuring equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy, reflects her knowledge and love of horses. The twelve book series is available both in print and as ebooks. Laura still owns horses and rides regularly. She lives in the hills near California's Monterey Bay with her husband and son and a large menagerie of horses, dogs, cats and chickens. She be emailed and visited at lauracrum.com and blogs at equestrianink blogspot.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 6, 2019
A short, quality entertainment.
The author has created a murder mystery that is set in the unfamiliar, to this reviewer, context of the world of horse owners and associated persons. The protagonist is a horse vet; the unlucky deceased is a horse shoer.
The plot contains an over-abundance of suspects each with a seemingly strong motive for murder. The plethora of potential shooters reduces the number of rating stars as it seems as if the author deliberately muddies the water, so-to-speak, to befuddle the reader and make the solution harder to fathom. And of course it is true. A fictional mystery is deliberately contrived by definition. Almost all work in this genre suffers from the same deficiency and it takes a special author indeed to imbue his or her work with that rare ingredient: realism.
At first, I thought I had made a mistake in choosing a novel with an equine context. Quite the opposite is true. The most realistic passages are those which expose the author's obvious familiarity and insight into this interesting and specialized world.
While the denouement disappoints, remember that this reviewer looks more for believable villains rather than the too clever use of red herrings and logical contortions. The writing is good, the story moves along briskly, the protagonist is well-drawn and likable. One looking for a light read with the added benefit of learning about the equine milieu could do worse.
The author has created a murder mystery that is set in the unfamiliar, to this reviewer, context of the world of horse owners and associated persons. The protagonist is a horse vet; the unlucky deceased is a horse shoer.
The plot contains an over-abundance of suspects each with a seemingly strong motive for murder. The plethora of potential shooters reduces the number of rating stars as it seems as if the author deliberately muddies the water, so-to-speak, to befuddle the reader and make the solution harder to fathom. And of course it is true. A fictional mystery is deliberately contrived by definition. Almost all work in this genre suffers from the same deficiency and it takes a special author indeed to imbue his or her work with that rare ingredient: realism.
At first, I thought I had made a mistake in choosing a novel with an equine context. Quite the opposite is true. The most realistic passages are those which expose the author's obvious familiarity and insight into this interesting and specialized world.
While the denouement disappoints, remember that this reviewer looks more for believable villains rather than the too clever use of red herrings and logical contortions. The writing is good, the story moves along briskly, the protagonist is well-drawn and likable. One looking for a light read with the added benefit of learning about the equine milieu could do worse.
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June 13, 2025First comes love in the last book, now comes marriage; could a baby be next? Gail sets off finding out why she was set up and winds up being almost killed if not for the horses. Great book, very riveting!
August 4, 2019
3.5 stars. Nothing earth shattering here but kept me turning pages and it was a fast read. It’ll be a good addition to my little free library.
September 16, 2019
Quick read
Fast read. Not a long book. Decent storyline. Good characters. Didn't get into backs to much. Will read other books by this author.
Fast read. Not a long book. Decent storyline. Good characters. Didn't get into backs to much. Will read other books by this author.
August 30, 2023
Another good Gail McCarthy mystery. Crum's books are entertaining, with just enough suspense, and lots of accurately portrayed horse and veterinary scenarios. I have a good time with the California horse community atmosphere as well, it's refreshing to learn how horses are kept and enjoyed in another part of the country.
November 6, 2008
Excellent book for horselovers and mystery lovers, a real page turner.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews