Catch Handle

by Alison O'Mara

Winner of the 2020 AudiobookReviewer Best Mystery Award and Finalist for the 2020 Indies Today Award, Catch Handle is an enticing cozy mystery.

Arabian horses are admired for their strength, grace, and athleticism. They are beautiful, intelligent, and remarkable animals.

As a newly minted veterinarian, Vivian Anderson knows and loves horses better than most. With an important horse show on the line and the search for a full-time vet job fast-approaching, Vivian is fully occupied at her Aunt’s Arabian horse ranch and her equine medical externship.

Vivian’s world is abruptly shaken by a shocking murder that casts suspicion on the people she thought she knew best. Stolen medications, fatal “accidents,” unsavory horse handling, and a handsome newcomer have Vivian reeling. She cannot shake the feeling that the seemingly random events are all part of the same puzzle, but who can she trust?

Vivian is about to learn just how dangerous her world of horses can be.

Genres: Mystery, Horses, Fiction

222 pages, ebook

Published July 25, 2020

About the author

An avid animal lover, Alison O'Mara grew up in the rolling foothills of Northern California surrounded by horses, particularly Arabians. She found a way to combine her love of both the murder mystery genre and all things equine in her first novel, Catch Handle. After taking a chaotic and wonderful dive into motherhood, she has completed her second novel, First Comes Baby. When not at her day job, Alison plots future stories and spends her time with her growing family, palomino mare, and precocious cats.

Reviews

[Karen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written whodunit that is centered in the horse world. For anyone that loves mysteries and animals!

[Caren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I much preferred the last half of the book to the first half. And, while the author knew about horses, she didn't appear to know much about horse shows. Still, I enjoyed the book, and was drawn into the story.

[Meredith Boas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really happy to read "Catch Handle", a new, independently published cozy mystery from author Alison O'Mara. I give this novel 5 stars! This cozy is excellently edited and checks off all my boxes for a good read. We're introduced to main sleuth Vivian who by all accounts is an unassuming veterinarian patiently working with her clients and their horses. Then things start to go horribly wrong around the horse shows she attends and people in her social circle are turning up murdered. Everyone has a motive, but no one has a clue and when Vivian cracks the case wide open it's a fight for her life.

This cozy has a slow but necessary build up to the first murder as we're introduced to nearly a dozen characters that make up the inner circle of the local horse community. Vivian also develops not one but two love interests! But the time of the murder virtually everyone is a suspect and the red herrings are abundant - which I love. Up until the final chapters I was genuinely unsure who the real culprit could be. The whole story wraps up in a very tidy and satisfying way - there are no loose threads!

And you know what's really refreshing? By the time we're at the end of the book we don't just learn who the culprit is and the story is over - we actually go beyond that and get a run down of how the remaining characters are doing and where everyone stands. O'Mara doesn't rush to just end things - for which I feel very grateful.

I genuinely would read a second book if this becomes a cozy series and I recommend this book especially to animal lovers and folks familiar in any way with the horse community. On a personal note for me - my little sister rides and trains horses - so I could easily picture her as the Vivian character.

The only folks I might not recommend this series to are my fellow vegans who will have an especially hard time learning about the darker side of horse breeding and training. But many of us didn't grow up vegan and are still able to keep a detached emotion, especially when we know we're reading fiction. Regardless of personal vegan feelings - I still really enjoyed this book!

**I was sent a free Kindle version of this book by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Vivian Anderson
Best friend/Sidekicks: None, although she's close with her Aunt Abby
Physical Description: White female with Auburn hair
Age: Unknown, but likely mid-twenties based on the context
Location: Northern California
Time of Year: Midsummer
Business: Veterinarian with a focus on large animals, mainly horses (aunt owns Silver Tree Arabians, a horse farm)
Pet: Scamp, a rescue cat, and her aunt's dogs, Jeff, a Boston terrier, and Mutt, a golden retriever
Love Interest: Nate Campbell and Colin Jennings
Family: Abby (her aunt), parents are deceased
Cussing? No, there was like one Sh*t at a moment that made sense.
Diversity? Yes! While most main characters appear to be white Caucasian there are good characters like Ramon and Miguel who are Hispanic and Alcott who is British and described as a "fit, handsome black man in his forties". These characters definitely appear in a number of scenes throughout the novel and they're are not portrayed in a stereotypical way, so they are very authentic.

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

You have got to be kidding me !! Why ? Why ? Why ? That is the question you will be asking when you finish reading Catch Handle by Alison O'Mara. Why would she do that to us readers ?

Catch Handle is a cozy mystery that will have readers shocked at the ending !! Your mind will be completely blown !!

In Catch Handle Vivian Anderson lives with her aunt Abby who runs a horse ranch and Vivian is starting her new full-time job as a large animal veterinarian. Vivian works with David at his veterinary clinic and they do a lot of house calls to take care of local animals. Vivian and Abby are participating in a horse show and that's where everything starts.....

Vivian is staying on the grounds during the weekend of the show so that she is there during the night to check in on the horses if the need arises. Unfortunately during the second night Vivian's dog, Mutt wakes her up and insists on going for a walk and on that walk she comes across the body of Zepner. Zepner is the hired help for a local ranch where the owner, Pamela, is horrible !! Also Zepner has been know to cheat at the shows. Of course there is a long list of likely candidates that wouldn't cry over Zepner's death but Vivian still doesn't like to think that someone close to them could have done the deed.

Vivian has her hands full with her job, helping her aunt at the ranch and she is dating two guys. Colin she has known pretty much her entire life and he is trying to take their relationship out of the friendship zone while Nate is the step-son of one of the other local ranches and is a lawyer and he would like to get to know Vivian better. Vivian takes to dating both of them which as we read, we see that she has a lot of difficulty managing that.....but she sure sounds like she's having fun with it !!

Vivian cannot stop her brain from seeing Zepner's body and trying to find out who killed him and why. And then when someone else is found dead, her brain kicks into overdrive.....

Readers will be SHOCKED when the murderer is revealed !! There is no way to have seen that coming, this person would not have been on our radar. And we know that Vivian would not have suspected this person either !! Readers will love the storyline and the relationships among everyone. O'Mara knows how to write the story allowing the readers imagination to open up and readers will feel like there are right there next to Vivian throughout the story. And when you get to a certain part in the book, you will have to keep reading until you get to the end..... I know I had to know the end !!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this (audio)book because of the topic of a veterinarian working with horses, two special interests of mine lately. am not an expert on either topic, and that is why I wanted to read this. The story is full of authentic-sounding horse and veterinary details that make this come off as researched and knowledgable.

As for the story itself, I was a little disappointed in the pacing. In a lot of murder mysteries, the murder happens first and then we meet the characters through suspect interviews. This was a little different in that we meet the ensemble first, and it's so large that it takes a while to get to the murder. I was a little bored about that and wondered if the summary was misleading.

I promise you, reader, that a murder does happen. Two, in fact! Other reviewers mentioned how it was the last person you'd think to do the crime, and I don't know if I'd agree with that. But, like any good mystery, several people do look guilty, so there are some good red herrings in there.

As I write this review, it's been a few days since I finished the story, and the narrator's performance isn't that memorable. That's not the same as saying it was bad, because I don't think it was. I remember bad performances that annoy me. This performance did what it was supposed to do and served the story without drawing attention to itself.

So while not exactly the dark story I was expecting (this borders more on cozy territory), this works and has insight into a world that hasn't been overdone yet. A good solid read. Recommended.

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books with horses. I'm not sure that I've ever readca murder mystery set in the world of show horses.

A lot of times, when an author writes a murder mystery, they get so involved in keeping you off kilter that they don't put any work into character development. Alison O'Mara wrote a book that has richly developed characters and a murder mystery.

The protag of the story is Vivian, a vet assistant. So she knows people in every aspect of showing horses. She knows the breeders, the owners, the stable hands, and even the family of some of those people. So we get to look around and see who the players are and who could be the culprit.

I am terrible at picking out the right person, and I was 99% sure from very early on. That made me question it. Maybe the author was setting it up to make you think it was this character when it was really someone else. It made me play out the possible stories in my head.

What I didn't expect was the knockout fight for her life that Vivian went through once the murderer was revealed. I thought it would be more a ha! And arrest and happily ever after. I think the book actually picked up steam once the murderer was outed. Vivian was not going down quietly. I really like that aspect. She fought, fought, and fought some more.

I also really appreciate how the deaths and made it throughs were picked out. It didn't leave a terrible taste in my mouth. Does this author always write like this? I think I better check out her books!

[Dan Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not lightly that I dont finish a book

By 60% of the way through, it felt as if little of consequence had happened. I didn't feel gripped, hopeful, anxious, allured or even particularly curious about the plot. In the end, I couldn't finish reading it.

The story begins with a lot of detailed scene setting and character back stories. I think much of this detail could have been omitted at no detriment. The back stories thin out once the characters are all introduced but the stiff, formal prose and dialogue continue throughout (or at least, until 60% of the way through).

Maybe in the last 40% everything comes together in such a white-knuckled finale that all the detail is justified but this seems unlikely and in any case took too much laborious reading for me to get to.

In its favour, there's a lot of potentially interesting information in the book about horse breeding and competitions (if it's accurate, I didn't research). That's ok as far as it goes but it wasn't the mystery, suspense and drama I was looking for when I bought the book and I could no doubt find the information online or in some text book about horses written expressly for that purpose. I don't think it really added to the story.

All in all, I found it too much of a tedious read to get through.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catch handle is a fictional contemporary story about beautiful Arabian horses and Vivian, a new veterinarian’s journey working with them at her aunt’s ranch.

What I find fascinating, admire, and love most in life is the connection humans have with animals. In this case, horses are the most in-depth animals I have known, and their characters, behaviors, and personality traits are the sweetest. The author managed to beautifully embody this bond and relativity into the story.
Alongside this beautiful connection, the story also had a thrilling mystery nature to it. The protagonist, Vivian, is a smart woman who has studied medicine and is very familiar with horses. As a vet, she suspects foul play after a few incidents of accidents happens. This added mystery and intensified the story. Unexplained murders add up to be through provoking.

A particular note worth mentioning was that you also got to know more about the darker side of horse breeding and training by reading the story. I believe this matter hit closer to my heart than I expected.

I appreciated a woman being the lead character for this contemporary fiction. The added female perspective and touch enriched the story altogether.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves books about horses, breeding, and murder mysteries.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catch Handle is written by the author Alison O’Mara. As she lived her entire life surrounded by horses her knowledge of these imposing animals is reflected in this captivating story.
This masterpiece is focused on Vivian Anderson, a veterinarian who gets involved in a murder. Everything in her busy life is about to change; she faces a terrible danger and in the path, she has to discover who she can really trust.
It is a fast-paced, heart-thumping thriller. Right from the first page, weaves suspense and mystery themes, pulling you into the book. Few books have all the elements in place as this one does. While it is a long book (257 pages), you should definitely check it out. It is a clear and very well narrated reading; it is easy and quick to read and the story catches your attention as soon as you open it. You just want to know what the next chapter will bring you.
Alison has crafted an excellent story, with no contrived or unbelievable scenes. Set aside some time for this one. If you’re like me, you won’t want to put it down until the last page. I will certainly buy more of her books in the future.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don´t hesitate and read this convincing novel.

Some writers have the magic to catch my attention just by looking at the cover, it has happened with this book. I love books about animals. “Catch Handle” is a fascinating piece of work written by Alison O´Mara. As a lover of horses and mysteries, she was able to combine her passions in a great book.
The plot revolves around Vivian Anderson, an equine vet who starts looking after her Aunt´s Arabian horse. Being immersed in the equine´s world, unintentionally, she realizes that behind this world, there are unfaithful and cruel people.
When it comes to the author´s writing style, I dare say that it is excellent. The way she writes made me feel that I was inside the story, with the protagonist and the horses. There are some dangers around horses´ world; I found the plot well-drawn and full of suspense. What I liked the most about this book, is that I learned new vocabulary connected to this great animal, the horse. I truly believe that avid readers will love this novel!

[Amber Daulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been getting more into mysteries lately, and when I saw that this book revolves around horses, I was all in. Our protagonist, Vivian, is working on her equine internship at her aunt’s ranch where she provides veterinary care for some Arabian horses. These animals are so gorgeous and majestic. Vivian’s definitely has a my dream job (or at least when I was a child). Anyway, a murder happens, and all clues point to the ranch. Vivian begins to wonder who can she trusts.
This was a compelling story but also lighthearted and fun with a bit of romance thrown in. The pacing was a little slow at times, but I enjoyed the mystery as well as Vivian as a strong, independent female character. What I didn’t like were all the flashbacks. I’m not a fan of flashbacks anyway, but these were included in the main narrative and set to italics to differentiate them from the rest of the text. These passages were difficult to read.
Readers of mysteries and those who love horses should enjoy this book.

[Santiago Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I saw the cover, I was immediately attracted. I like horses very much, they are smart, remarkable animals. This read called Catch Handle is written by A. O’Mara, an avid animal lover, as me.
The story is focused on Vivian Anderson, a vet who works with Arabian horses at her aunt’s ranch. Her life is suddenly shaken by some tremendous events that show her this world of horses is a dangerous one.
The story develops along twenty-six chapters that captured my attention from beginning to end. The story is suspenseful and after finishing a chapter I was eager to keep on reading the next one.
Five well deserved stars go for this equestrian and suspenseful read. I surely recommend reading this, especially to those like me who love these animals and a good novel which has twists and turns.

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catch Handle is a great book for horse lovers who like a good mystery. Arabian horses are unique
in both their beauty and intelligence. Those who raise them have a fierce devotion to the breed and are most competitive.

Vivian Anderson is a new veterinarian who is doing her equine externship while living at her Aunt’s Arabian horse ranch. When she goes to a horse show and there is a shocking murder, she realizes just how dangerous this new world can be. All the people she thought she trusted become suspects and her world is turned upside down . No one is who they seem to be and Vivian finds herself in danger.

I received this Ebook from Goodreads in exchange he for an honest review. It was a real page turner with a surprising ending. I enjoyed learning about Arabian horses and how they are raised.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivian’s only calling was to work with horses, and she was doing that daily. The whole thing takes the reader into the world of horses, which is an interesting learning experience for a city-dweller. Of course, knowing nothing about horses, I couldn’t fully comprehend all the details. Still, horses are like dogs, and who doesn’t like dogs? But fatal “accidents” have been happening at the stables, and Vivian doesn’t know who she can trust.

This certainly sounded like an interesting mystery. The writing was good with lengthy prose at times. It doesn’t start to pick up until sinister things start happening. Scenes are very descriptive. Perhaps a few too many characters that can make it a little confusing sometimes. It had nice drama and a good mystery; a nice tale for horse lovers.

[Darrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catch Handle is a fantastic murder mystery novel. The story follows Vivian Anderson, a new vet with a charming personality. She is surrounded by a great cast of characters that range from a bubbly ranch hand and a British heartthrob to a witch of a woman that you secretly hope is the next one offed. She is also surrounded by animals with adorable personalities. I actually started chuckling when Scamp the cat got a back story.

The plot keeps the reader guessing. I can honestly say I was not expecting some of the twists and turns or the identity of the murderer.

Do yourself a favor and read this novel! It’s an easy read and lots of fun.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catch Handle is an interesting story about Arabian horses, a veterinarian, and murder. It is clear that the author knows her subject matter and for those interested in Arabian horses, this will be a thoroughly enjoyable read. The story also has some romance, including an interesting love triangle. However those looking to read a murder mystery may be disappointed as the murder happens well into the book. I myself loved the book, but found it a bit disjointed.

The narrator is well suited to the book and does an excellent job.

"This book was given to me for free at my request, and I provided this voluntary review."

[Ski Croghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book!!!!

This is a sweet, horsey romance. Vivian has had a crush on Colin for years but he never seemed to return it. Then she meets Nate, Instant crush. Then the murders start! Who is killing people in the horse world? Suspicion falls on everyone. But what is the motive? How many will die before the real killer is revealed? First a trainer nobody liked, then an owner and who after that? Will this affect Vivian and Nate's romance and what about Colin's declaration of luv? More twists and turns than you will expect.Highly recommended.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this absolute delight up when I saw it recommended on Amazon, and I am thrilled that I did! This fast-paced murder mystery follows a young veterinarian and a fascinating cast of characters (human and animal) through a well-woven plot that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. O'Mara has a fun, light-hearted writing style while maintaining the suspenseful tone of a classic whodunit mystery. I highly recommend this be the next thriller on your list!

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Catch Handle, and I'm so sad it's over!... for now. I'm hopeful that O'Mara has started a series that is sure to keep me coming back for more! Great character development keeps this murder mystery moving swiftly, and all of the textures and tribulations of the horse world O'Mara presents had me hooked from the first chapter. Highly recommended for a fun dive into a mysteriously murderous romance! Five Stars.

[Meagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having grown up with Arabians, I wanted to read this so bad and couldn't get past the first few pages. It is a mess. Part is just randomly italicized, and then there's a paragraph in the middle of nowhere that is highlighted for no reason. As a person who edits documents for a living, it was too distracting. Would love to read it some time in the future, but the kindle unlimited version needs a thorough clean up.

[Yves Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horse world was wonderful, rich in detail, five stars. As a mystery and romance it was more of a three star for me, certainly competently written and engaging. I liked the characters well enough, but they didn't leap off the page for me. I'd call this more of a classic or traditional mystery in tone, less fluffy than what I think of as a cozy. It's an easy, entertaining read that's a must if you love horses.

[Lady Saga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book a lot. I liked how the author connected the past with the present in a simple and light way without overwhelming the reader with a boring detailed ‘this happened’ approach.

The only thing that bothered me a little was the ‘dating’ of two guys. Had it been just going out to get to know, I would have liked it. But kissing two guys in the same night is such a typical American notion of ‘misunderstanding while dating’ that makes the character look ‘easy, undecided and cheap’. In addition, unfortunately, it gave away ‘who had done it’.

Nonetheless, a well spun story and the animals’ description was funny and entertaining.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! The author brought the world of horses to life and made me feel right at home with the setting. The mystery aspect was intriguing and I had fun thinking about all the different characters and trying to guess who did it and why. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration as well.

[Eric Dorsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My partner grew up with horses and I wanted a taste of her youth - this book delivered as it’s definitely a love letter to horses with realistic descriptions of that lifestyle. The mystery aspect was engaging as well, kept me guessing, and was a good driver for the story. Recommend, especially for horse lovers!

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book--Murder and Arabians

I really enjoyed this book and will follow the author. I did learn more about showing horses, and when a good story also teaches me something, I am happy.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads win

My only big issue is that I figured out who the killer was sooner than I would have liked. Although the author did give us plenty of choices.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed the storyline and read

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love horses

I love horses so this book were right up my alley. It had a few questionable questions of who did it. This is a great horse lover book.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery. Horse aspect was interesting. Very enjoyable.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catch Handle

A mix of horses, romance and mystery. I liked the characters,and would definitely buy a second book if there was a series.