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The Merry Abbot Carriage Driving Mystery #1
The Cart Before the Corpse
Merry Abbott knows carriages and horses, not murder. But once she arrives in Mossy Creek to settle the estate of her estranged and outrageous father, she can't ignore the suspicions of local mystery maven, Peggy Caldwell, who's convinced that murder has indeed been done. Now Merry has an estate and a score to settle.
Before Merry can so much as snap a buggy rein, a handsome and annoying GBI investigator, Geoff Madison, is on her case. Then there's the troublesome donkey: Don Qui. Short for Don Quixote. And the fact that Hiram was teaching all of Mossy Creek's lonely women how to - ahem - drive his carriage.
Can Merry rein in the truth? What kind of horse play was her rakish dad involved in, and why would someone want to giddy-yup him into an early grave?
Stay tuned for the answers in this first episode of, "As the Carriage Wheel Turns."
Hitch your imagination to an intriguing new mystery series set in the world of competitive carriage driving - an elegant yet cut-throat realm in which gorgeously costumed drivers and their magnificently harnessed horses vie for championships in the challenging obstacle course of the show ring.
Jane Austen, meet Mad Max.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
23 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn McSparren
45 books13 followersCarolyn McSparren started writing when she was a teenager, and always planned to be a professional writer and a college professor. That is, until she fell madly in love, dropped out of graduate school, and became a wife supporting a burgeoning opera singer husband. That led to a three-month trip to Germany that stretched into five years.
She wound up living in Germany, France, Italy, and came home with a different husband and a 14-year-old stepdaughter. The writing got put on the back burner while she produced a daughter of her own and went back to graduate school at the University of Memphis to finish her Master’s degree in English. At that point she discovered that a graduate degree in English wouldn’t buy a cup of coffee in a diner.
She became a program coordinator at the executive center of the University of Memphis, where she designed management training, wrote brochures and press releases, designed and laid out brochures, and did everything from pour coffee to transport dignitaries.
On the home front, she and her family moved to the country to breed and train hunter-jumper horses. About the time they moved, her daughter decided she preferred a social life to cleaning out the barn and left Carolyn with the whole operation. With 18 horses, a full-time job, a husband and family, four cats, and three dogs, there wasn’t much time left for writing.
Finally, Martha Shields, who is now a Silhouette author, dragged Carolyn to the meeting of the River City Romance Writers, and thence into a critique group. Suddenly the time seemed right to get on with what she’d longed to do all her life.
That fall, Carolyn won a Maggie Award for an unpublished manuscript (which has still not been published, by the way), and three years later she took early retirement from the university to write full-time. By that time, only three horses remained — none of which Carolyn had ridden for much too long.
The day that Harlequin called with an offer to buy The Only Child, the editor said, "We want the book but... " Guess which were the only words Carolyn heard? She didn’t even tell her best friend about the offer for three weeks.
Now, with seven Harlequin Superromances under her belt, and another couple in the works, she’s finally living in what southerners call "hog heaven." She rides horses, writes books, works with the local chapter of RWA and with Sisters in Crime, is a member of Mystery Writers of America, and just so that she’ll stay balanced, is a member of the Delta Dressage Association—the local horse training group.
She loves speaking to aspiring writers and adores book signings. Finally, years after she first wanted to be a writer, she’s managed to achieve her goal. Now, if she can just manage to stay on her horse, everything should be great.
She wound up living in Germany, France, Italy, and came home with a different husband and a 14-year-old stepdaughter. The writing got put on the back burner while she produced a daughter of her own and went back to graduate school at the University of Memphis to finish her Master’s degree in English. At that point she discovered that a graduate degree in English wouldn’t buy a cup of coffee in a diner.
She became a program coordinator at the executive center of the University of Memphis, where she designed management training, wrote brochures and press releases, designed and laid out brochures, and did everything from pour coffee to transport dignitaries.
On the home front, she and her family moved to the country to breed and train hunter-jumper horses. About the time they moved, her daughter decided she preferred a social life to cleaning out the barn and left Carolyn with the whole operation. With 18 horses, a full-time job, a husband and family, four cats, and three dogs, there wasn’t much time left for writing.
Finally, Martha Shields, who is now a Silhouette author, dragged Carolyn to the meeting of the River City Romance Writers, and thence into a critique group. Suddenly the time seemed right to get on with what she’d longed to do all her life.
That fall, Carolyn won a Maggie Award for an unpublished manuscript (which has still not been published, by the way), and three years later she took early retirement from the university to write full-time. By that time, only three horses remained — none of which Carolyn had ridden for much too long.
The day that Harlequin called with an offer to buy The Only Child, the editor said, "We want the book but... " Guess which were the only words Carolyn heard? She didn’t even tell her best friend about the offer for three weeks.
Now, with seven Harlequin Superromances under her belt, and another couple in the works, she’s finally living in what southerners call "hog heaven." She rides horses, writes books, works with the local chapter of RWA and with Sisters in Crime, is a member of Mystery Writers of America, and just so that she’ll stay balanced, is a member of the Delta Dressage Association—the local horse training group.
She loves speaking to aspiring writers and adores book signings. Finally, years after she first wanted to be a writer, she’s managed to achieve her goal. Now, if she can just manage to stay on her horse, everything should be great.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 31, 2021
The Cart Before The Corpse (The Merry Abbot Carriage-Driving Mystery)
By: Carolyn McSparren
Narrated by: Erin Novotny
This is a fine and unique mystery! Can't say I have read a mystery before that was based around a horse drawn carriage. Merry had recently been writing and trying to ease back into her father's life. He left her and her mother a long time ago but they had lately been back in touch. Merry then gets a notice that he died. When she gets there, the landlady thinks he was murdered. After explaining why she thinks so, Merry agrees. The cops don't want the a murder on their town or district record and won't pursue it. So both the landlady and Merry do.
It gets deadly, suspenseful, and intriguing! So many possibilities! So much happens! Very exciting! I really enjoyed the mystery! Edge of my seat kind of thrills!
The end was satisfying and I am glad I picked this up from freeaudiblecodes! Will probably follow this series.
By: Carolyn McSparren
Narrated by: Erin Novotny
This is a fine and unique mystery! Can't say I have read a mystery before that was based around a horse drawn carriage. Merry had recently been writing and trying to ease back into her father's life. He left her and her mother a long time ago but they had lately been back in touch. Merry then gets a notice that he died. When she gets there, the landlady thinks he was murdered. After explaining why she thinks so, Merry agrees. The cops don't want the a murder on their town or district record and won't pursue it. So both the landlady and Merry do.
It gets deadly, suspenseful, and intriguing! So many possibilities! So much happens! Very exciting! I really enjoyed the mystery! Edge of my seat kind of thrills!
The end was satisfying and I am glad I picked this up from freeaudiblecodes! Will probably follow this series.
March 25, 2012
I enjoyed the mystery quite a bit. That said, this book could really have used the services of an editor or a proofreader. Maybe it's just the kindle version, but there were a lot of small errors that take you out-of-world for a moment while you try to figure out what was meant - not spelling errors, but things like mixing up the names of characters or how many cats are in the room (and yes, the cat-count was actually relevant at that point.) The story sucked me in despite that, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 21, 2012
Kindle Freebie.
I had my doubts about this mystery, I must admit. I actually enjoyed this quite well. McSparren actually makes me want to learn how to drive. I know it's hard, but she makes it very interesting. Enjoyable characters and not kissy poo.
I had my doubts about this mystery, I must admit. I actually enjoyed this quite well. McSparren actually makes me want to learn how to drive. I know it's hard, but she makes it very interesting. Enjoyable characters and not kissy poo.
January 24, 2022
A visit back to Mossy Creek
A visit - kind of - A visit back to Mossy Creek told by a character introduced in the Mossy Creek series. Writing style a little less chapter like (or diary form as I called the Mossy Creek series) and maybe its because I'm only hearing the voice of one Author this time. It still brings in (very peripherally) some of the Mossy Creek characters which is what enticed me into buying this book but I grew up enthralled with horses (aren't most young girl's) and even spent a good time on them before marriage and other interests that come with those commitments and losing touch with my horse "owning and showing" friends. The language of this voice in the equestrian world, I suppose, called out to that magical time of youth in me. I would love to revisit that time in my life now that commitments like motherhood and jobs are behind me but I'm afraid these old joints of mine will have to be satisfied with just a visit by the written word. I'm slowly adapting to this new Author and her story telling style - and so far - as of now, lets say I'm intrigued and have bought the next book in the series to keep my nose in this new character and citizen of Mossy Creek but first I have to go back to an old love, Mary Alice Monroe, and am rereading books in an old series of hers. I have several a authors who write a lot about the low country that I turn to when my soul needs calming and I just want to be lost in the poetry of words, memory smells, and the need for revisiting my old "friends". I will, however, be returning to Merry and her exploits and apparently "who dun it" murder mysteries when my soul has been soothed and fed and ready to take up on something new again.
A visit - kind of - A visit back to Mossy Creek told by a character introduced in the Mossy Creek series. Writing style a little less chapter like (or diary form as I called the Mossy Creek series) and maybe its because I'm only hearing the voice of one Author this time. It still brings in (very peripherally) some of the Mossy Creek characters which is what enticed me into buying this book but I grew up enthralled with horses (aren't most young girl's) and even spent a good time on them before marriage and other interests that come with those commitments and losing touch with my horse "owning and showing" friends. The language of this voice in the equestrian world, I suppose, called out to that magical time of youth in me. I would love to revisit that time in my life now that commitments like motherhood and jobs are behind me but I'm afraid these old joints of mine will have to be satisfied with just a visit by the written word. I'm slowly adapting to this new Author and her story telling style - and so far - as of now, lets say I'm intrigued and have bought the next book in the series to keep my nose in this new character and citizen of Mossy Creek but first I have to go back to an old love, Mary Alice Monroe, and am rereading books in an old series of hers. I have several a authors who write a lot about the low country that I turn to when my soul needs calming and I just want to be lost in the poetry of words, memory smells, and the need for revisiting my old "friends". I will, however, be returning to Merry and her exploits and apparently "who dun it" murder mysteries when my soul has been soothed and fed and ready to take up on something new again.
June 28, 2022
Merry manages horse carriage shows, she trains carriage horses and she trains carriage drivers. She is introduced to the reader when she is heroic in saving a horse and human beings from disaster. I think this was introduced to the reader in order to show her courage and calm nature in the face of danger.
When she is informed that her father has died, she must drive to a small town in Georgia immediately to take care of things. She and her father had not been close for many years and they were just recently beginning to reconnect.
When she arrives, she steps in to one dangerous event after another. It turns out that her father did not die of natural causes nor was it an accident. Her father had been murdered in a particularly gruesome way.
Merry finds a good friend in Peggy. Peggy had been her father’s landlady and they had become good friends. The two women become close and Peggy supports Merry in every way she can.
As the story progresses, the murder and other dangerous events are being investigated by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective as well as a local sheriff. These men are stumped as to who could be putting Merry and Peggy in danger over and over.
I had some small issues with some editing errors. They were annoying but not enough to make me too upset. Over all the story was interesting, the characters drew me into the story and the mystery kept me guessing.
I liked Merry and Peggy and the secondary characters added a great deal to the book. I learned a great deal about carriages and driving carriages. And since I am a horse lover, every one of the equine characters made me smile.
When she is informed that her father has died, she must drive to a small town in Georgia immediately to take care of things. She and her father had not been close for many years and they were just recently beginning to reconnect.
When she arrives, she steps in to one dangerous event after another. It turns out that her father did not die of natural causes nor was it an accident. Her father had been murdered in a particularly gruesome way.
Merry finds a good friend in Peggy. Peggy had been her father’s landlady and they had become good friends. The two women become close and Peggy supports Merry in every way she can.
As the story progresses, the murder and other dangerous events are being investigated by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective as well as a local sheriff. These men are stumped as to who could be putting Merry and Peggy in danger over and over.
I had some small issues with some editing errors. They were annoying but not enough to make me too upset. Over all the story was interesting, the characters drew me into the story and the mystery kept me guessing.
I liked Merry and Peggy and the secondary characters added a great deal to the book. I learned a great deal about carriages and driving carriages. And since I am a horse lover, every one of the equine characters made me smile.
April 19, 2018
Great story!
If you love horses you will love this story! Merry and Peggy are great characters. Can’t wait to see them in the next book!
If you love horses you will love this story! Merry and Peggy are great characters. Can’t wait to see them in the next book!
February 10, 2022
Interesting character. Surprise ending
April 7, 2019
Excellent, loved it
January 7, 2012
Burying a parent is never easy. Burying a parent who died on the eve of a reconciliation that would have ended a decades-long estrangement is even harder. But doing this while playing hide-and-seek with the parent's murderer is just a bit too much, as Meredith (Merry) Abbott learns in The Cart Before The Corpse.
Merry arrives in town after her father's death to discover that she's been made sole heir and executrix of his estate, which includes a thriving horse ranch. Aided by her new friend Peggy Caldwell, four spoiled cats, and a miniature donkey with a bad attitude, she divides her time between running the ranch, planning the funeral, settling the estate -- and trying to avoid her father's murderer.
In the hands of a different writer, this book would have been a suspense-filled, edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-your-mouth page-turner. But as the rather whimsical title suggests, Carolyn McSparren took a different angle in this novel. While there were certainly enough plot twists and red herrings to keep me guessing, it was far from being the kind of heavy, intense, drama-filled story I would have expected, had I known the novel's premise before I started reading. Alternately silly and serious, the story was exactly what the title promises: an enjoyable afternoon's entertainment.
That said, however, it wasn't the most expertly-plotted mystery I've ever read. There were a few points that stretched the limits of credibility, in my view. The plot issues are the reason that I rated this novel as three stars instead of four.
But it was an enjoyable read, nonetheless.
Merry arrives in town after her father's death to discover that she's been made sole heir and executrix of his estate, which includes a thriving horse ranch. Aided by her new friend Peggy Caldwell, four spoiled cats, and a miniature donkey with a bad attitude, she divides her time between running the ranch, planning the funeral, settling the estate -- and trying to avoid her father's murderer.
In the hands of a different writer, this book would have been a suspense-filled, edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-your-mouth page-turner. But as the rather whimsical title suggests, Carolyn McSparren took a different angle in this novel. While there were certainly enough plot twists and red herrings to keep me guessing, it was far from being the kind of heavy, intense, drama-filled story I would have expected, had I known the novel's premise before I started reading. Alternately silly and serious, the story was exactly what the title promises: an enjoyable afternoon's entertainment.
That said, however, it wasn't the most expertly-plotted mystery I've ever read. There were a few points that stretched the limits of credibility, in my view. The plot issues are the reason that I rated this novel as three stars instead of four.
But it was an enjoyable read, nonetheless.
March 30, 2012
First of all, I liked the book. The reading was easy, the story was flowing, a nice, not too involved book for a rainy afternoon.
Sadly I have to say that the book could use some professional editing. Grammar errors, spelling errors, sentences where you clearly see the rewrite and the leftover words plus punctuation errors are kinda annoying.
The storyline is fairly clear, but the author put in little unnecessary tidbits, or unresolved things. For example, the felon stablehand said Hiram "owed him" - but in the whole book it's never resolved, why Hiram would owe him anything ...
For a whopping €8,13 or $10,79 for the kindle edition I would expect a book that is at least immaculately edited, boosts no grammar / spelling / punctuation errors whatsoever. The author claims to be an accomplished carriage driver and as such a horsewoman, but she couldn't even be bothered to do enough research to notice that the blond, white maned horses she insistently calls "Halflingers" are actually named Haflingers, after a little town / region in Italy. Things like these bother me.
I'm not sure I would have bought both books in the series if I had encountered all those errors before buying.
Sadly I have to say that the book could use some professional editing. Grammar errors, spelling errors, sentences where you clearly see the rewrite and the leftover words plus punctuation errors are kinda annoying.
The storyline is fairly clear, but the author put in little unnecessary tidbits, or unresolved things. For example, the felon stablehand said Hiram "owed him" - but in the whole book it's never resolved, why Hiram would owe him anything ...
For a whopping €8,13 or $10,79 for the kindle edition I would expect a book that is at least immaculately edited, boosts no grammar / spelling / punctuation errors whatsoever. The author claims to be an accomplished carriage driver and as such a horsewoman, but she couldn't even be bothered to do enough research to notice that the blond, white maned horses she insistently calls "Halflingers" are actually named Haflingers, after a little town / region in Italy. Things like these bother me.
I'm not sure I would have bought both books in the series if I had encountered all those errors before buying.
October 14, 2015
Merry Abbott knows about Horses and Carriage Driving. So when she gets the news her Estranged and Outrageous Father is dead, she goes to Mossy Creek to settle his estate, but Peggy Caldwell the local mystery maven is convinced Merry's Father was murdered! Now Merry has a score to settle. Before she can do anything she has Geoff Madison an annoying but handsome GBI Investigator on her case not to mention Don Qui the trouble some Donkey. It seems Hiram her Father was teaching all the lonely Women of Mossy Creek how to drive his Carriage. Can Merry find the truth? What was her Dad really involved in? Why would someone what to send him to an early grave?
November 15, 2011
This wasn't a bad book at all. I will admit though that it took a little work to get into it as others have mentioned. I'm not a horse person, so the carriage details were a bit much for me. I could have done with less.
Having said that, once things picked up, things got going with gusto. I liked all of the characters. Mossy Creek is quite the community. The Garden Club ladies pack quite a kick in their punch and don't mess with Don Qui.
The ending wasn't quite what I expected, which is a good thing. I'm glad I didn't entirely figure everything out.
Having said that, once things picked up, things got going with gusto. I liked all of the characters. Mossy Creek is quite the community. The Garden Club ladies pack quite a kick in their punch and don't mess with Don Qui.
The ending wasn't quite what I expected, which is a good thing. I'm glad I didn't entirely figure everything out.
February 1, 2013
I enjoyed this book. I liked the setting in the horse world, the characters, the way the plot unrolled. I was a little disappointed with the ending -- it felt somewhat rushed and, though I was entertained by the surprise, it didn't really feel like there had been adequate set-up for the outcome.
But overall, I'd place it in the top 10% of Kindle mysteries I've read. The writing style felt smooth and was easy to read. Whenever I got bored with some other book, I'd find myself coming back to this one for relaxation.
I recommend it and will probably get a copy for my mother.
But overall, I'd place it in the top 10% of Kindle mysteries I've read. The writing style felt smooth and was easy to read. Whenever I got bored with some other book, I'd find myself coming back to this one for relaxation.
I recommend it and will probably get a copy for my mother.
February 28, 2013
I was very much surprised by the book. Starting it, I didn't like it too much as it was quite boring, but it got a lot better. It is a nice crime-story, but not as "evolved" as the Agatha Christie novels. I very much like the fact that the "bad" person is not the one you would suppose to think committed the crime. Although I always like to play detective and find out the guilty party, in this novel I was very much astonished of whom was the actual killer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2013
I didn't know anything about carriage driving, so I found it interesting to read about. The murderer was a big surprise, and there were some intriguing twists along the way. There were also more errors than expected—I've come to expect that most books will have several errors, but there were enough to be distracting.
February 12, 2010
I don't read a lot of mystery but I'm so glad I got this one. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. The end was totally unexpected and awesome! This was a quick read, recommended for everyone.
February 24, 2012
A little more about carriage driving than I cared to know but the mystery of who killed Merry's father and why was well done. I'm mad at myself for missing one clue but it was still a fun read to the end guessing whodunnit! Mossy Creek, Georgia is the setting.
March 8, 2012
Not a bad book. Kept me smiling till the end. However, there were a LOT of typos & editing errors that should have been caught prior to publishing.
I would probably read another of her books, hoping the editing improves.....
I would probably read another of her books, hoping the editing improves.....
October 8, 2012
I really had a good time reading this book. Information about caring for a various assortment of animals was craftily woven into the murder mystery that the main character was attempting to solve. I loved the get-away towards the end! A wonderful female sleuth series in the making I hope.
March 12, 2013
Really enjoyed it, both as a fan of mysteries and an equestrian with several accomplished driving horses. My one "wish" would be that the who who done it was a more prominent part of the book earlier on.
June 5, 2012
A little whimsical throughout the book. The ending was not what I expected, so i liked it.
June 15, 2012
I liked this well enough that I would read another book by this author. The ending was a surprise...
June 21, 2012
For a free Kindle download this wasn't bad.
October 8, 2013
It didn't knock me off my feet, but I enjoyed it!
January 18, 2017
Loved the characters! can't wait to read next book in the series!!!
August 12, 2010
I really liked this book. I never figured out 'who done it' until the end!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews