The Kill: A Hunt Country Suspense Novel

Hunt Country Suspense #3

by Jan Neuharth

Award finalist in the mystery/suspense category of USA Book News Best Books 2010 award.

When word reaches her in war-torn Afghanistan that her beloved Uncle Richard has been brutally murdered, globe-trotting photojournalist Abigale Portmann reluctantly abandons her assignment and returns to the rolling hills and rocky relationships of her past in the picturesque equestrian community of Middleburg, Virginia; a place she has painstakingly avoided for 17 years. While the sheriff thinks the murder is a random robbery gone bad, Abigale soon becomes convinced her uncle was slain by someone he knew. Suspicion swirls among colorful characters in the tweedy, foxhunting crowd, including a superficial nouveau riche social climber, the lazy heir to an old-money fortune, and, most painfully to Abigale, her former childhood sweetheart. As the gripping plot unfolds, friends become suspects and family ties are tested, until events spin out of control and the riveting tale races to a terrifying finish.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

339 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Jan Neuharth, an attorney and horse lover, is a graduate of the University of Florida and Vanderbilt Law School. She practiced law in Los Angeles before moving to the Virginia Hunt Country in 1985 to establish Paper Chase Farms, one of the premier equestrian facilities of its kind. She lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with her husband, who is a former Master of the Hunt, and their children. The third novel in her Hunt Country Suspense Series, "The Kill," was released May 27, 2010.

Reviews

[Batch Batchelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, easy reading murder-mystery. 3 of 5 stars.

Cons: I am boggled/frustrated by some authors' (Neuharth included) compulsion to add explicit physical intimacy descriptions that don't add to the story. I get and appreciate that real, romantic connection between characters adds to a story. I don't get why I need to know any details of their doing the deed to make the story more compelling. I need to figure out how to filter out the "contains cheesy romance crap" from the Amazon Kindle daily deals murder mysteries.

Pros:
I liked the story being told in the context of fox hunting & hounds - brought back pleasant childhood memories. Good character development; great, page-turning conclusion.

Format: Kindle via Special Offers ($0.99)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice book. Had some slow moments especially at the beginning but was a very interesting murder. I was not able to figure out who the killer was till just about the very end when it was told in the book who the killer was. I like mystery's like that because if you know who did it before hand then well you loose interest in the story sometimes. It was also interesting to learn about foxhunting. I like reading about new things that I don't hear much about in general. So it gave a fresh interest in the story as well. You can really relate to the characters in the book and that always helps with a story. The is a great read and a great mystery.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for the Amazon Kindle daily deal. Emphasis on the sucker. Sometimes it works out, this time it did not. If this book were a movie, I would have walked out so I don't know why I felt compelled to finish it. But I did, see....sucker. I didn't care about the characters and the mystery itself was predictable and boring. Thankfully it was a quick read... Especially when you skim over the overly descriptive horsey parts (sorry horse lovers).

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light entertaining read. It was interesting to read a story that takes place in my neighborhood and seeing so many familiar names. While I enjoy horses and hunting, I wonder if people who are not in the equestrian world would get lost with the many horse terms. (There is a glossary of terms). While I understand that there needs to be some description details to paint the picture, the story occasionally got bogged down in the details and needed to be spurred on.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was captivated for the most part. I thought the characters felt real, and relationships were interesting. I also enjoyed learning about the strange ways of the fox hunting community. My disappointment mainly came from the climax and resolution. Although a realistic ending with Thompson being the killer, I guess I wished for something grander, a conspiracy perhaps.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series The Hunt, earlier in the year and really liked it. So, when I saw this book as the Kindle Daily Deal a couple of weeks ago, I went ahead and got it. I enjoyed this one as well. I really like the fussy details of the fox hunting, and the story was also good. I hadn't read the middle book in the series, but that did not diminish this book in any way.

[Ellen Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her best book yet. Infused with a great deal of warmth and charm -- plus her obvious insider knowledge about the world of fox hunting -- THE KILL is good storytelling; a keep-you-up-late-at-night book.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was probably predisposed to like this book because of its foxhunting setting, but I really did enjoy it. Good pacing, decent characterizations; the whodunit became fairly obvious long before the denouement, but I had a good time reading it anyway. I'd definitely pick up more in this series.

[Kirstin Crossland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up when it was a Kindle daily deal. I figured out who the killer was about a quarter of the way into the book but I still enjoyed reading it. The details on fox hunting, horses and the Virginia country side were interesting and I was eager to keep reading.

[Dick Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a so-so who-dunnit set in the horse country of Middleburg VA. The eventual perp was a mild surprise, but this is not of much interest to a non-horse lover such as me. I give this only a 4 out of 10.

[Laura Morrison-Westphal · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun little suspense/mystery novel.

[Therese]

$.99

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent enough fairly obvious mystery. Good story. I enjoyed learning a little about fox hunting.

[Faye Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. If you like Dick Francis you'll like this. I'll be reading more of these Hunt Club mysteries.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I had just the right amount of mystery to keep me interested but didn't drag. I would be interested to try another book by Jan Neuharth.

[Balthazar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow. Took too long to develop. Lots of unnecessary filler.

[Louise Sumner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series, mainly because of the fox hunting element, but this one was very interesting and probably stronger than the previous book in the series.

[Cynthia Gonzalez]

Great story

First of hers I've read highly recommend, manning was a good character and how all was just wish there had been more information about Richard his uncle