A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

My first foray into the Annie Carson mysteries and am definitely not disappointed. I love that she is a competitive jumper and the adventure and mystery were perfectly done!

As much as I love the other books in A Carson Stable Mystery series this one fell short for me.

Leigh Hearon was very thorough with the terms and how a dressage event is handled, but between the dressage terms and numerous characters, I felt the mystery feel to the background, that along with Annie’s complicated relationship with Marcus. Annie is also different in this book,, she is not open minded nor does she seem as friendly as she did before. Needless to say, I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as the others.

While this is book 4 in the series, I don't think you don't really need to read the others first.
Annie Carson is a western rider running a small ranch in the Pacific Northwest. Two friends, a rider and trainer of Dressage are going to a show to find homes for horses they have rescued. They've invited Anne along who knows nothing about Dressage. In this book we get a lot of Dressage information during Anne's hunt for the murderer who has killed a rider and a judge.. Can be slow reading in parts, with some not so nice characters (but really need to have those in a mystery otherwise who would be the killer or the victim) , Anne and Marcus are having a bit of difficulty. However, if you like horses it is one of the few being written about them

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Runaway Murder by Leigh Hearon is the fourth book in A Carson Stables Mystery series. Annie Carson has an opportunity to attend a dressage event in Southern California. It will give Patricia Winters and Annie an opportunity to sell some of Hilda’s horses for Marcus Colbert. After acquiring appropriate clothing with the help of her friends, Annie heads to the estate of Hollis and Miriam Darby where the dressage event is being held. Annie and Patricia meet with potential buyer, Betsy Gilchrist and then head off for the evening cocktail hour. Annie is enjoying her martini when an officer arrives to inform them that Ms. Gilchrist is dead. They will have to wait for the autopsy to see if foul play was involved. Annie is introduced to the other guests who enjoy baiting each other with barbs. Someone even steals one of the rider’s good luck beads. The dressage event has barely begun when Judge Jean Bennett collapses. Despite the medic’s quick arrival, she does not survive. Annie deduces that Jean was poisoned and begins nosing around for the killer. Are Betsy and Jean’s deaths connected? Which of the guests disliked the victims enough to kill them? Annie intends to find out in Runaway Murder.

Runaway Murder is my least favorite book in A Carson Stables Mystery series. While it was nicely written, I found it dissatisfying. Annie did not seem like herself in this installment. She lacked friendliness and an open mind (at least in the beginning). Her attitude towards dressage did a complete turnaround by the end of the novel. Runaway Murder is dominated by horses and information about dressage (the pace was glacial). It was interesting to learn the history behind dressage. I wish, though, that the author had found a way to explain dressage in layman’s terms (like Laurien Berenson when she describes dog show events and judging). The mystery took a backseat for the majority of the book. In the latter half of the book, Annie starts taking an active role in searching for the killer. However, by that time, I had already identified the guilty party (it was a cinch). Plus, I did not understand her working against the police and Annie removing evidence (which messes with the chain of custody). I did like the method of murder and how it was achieved (unique). The maliciousness of the women got on my nerves after a couple of chapters (this was not a relaxing book). I found the author’s word choices incongruous with the story. It is not that I did not know the words and their meaning. It is that they disrupted the flow of the story. Some examples were quotidian, ersatz, contretemps, in situ, ebullient, and mien. I wondered if the author had swallowed a dictionary or had a calendar where you learn a new word each day. Annie had some romantic troubles with Marcus. Personally, I do not know what Annie sees in Marcus. The disagreements between them along with the women’s bickering was unpleasant. I do like that A Carson Stables Mystery series has a mature main character (she is 44), how they encourage rescuing unwanted horses, and I liked the addition of Chef Gustav. Chef Gustav was a lively character and the best part of Runaway Murder. If you are unfamiliar with the series, I recommend starting with Reining in Murder.

Normally found on the Olympic Peninsula, Carson Stables owner Annie Carson attends a dressage event in Southern California. If the mystery contains horses, I'm interested. I've previously enjoyed a couple of the books in the Carson Stables series and this is the fourth title. The stable facilities we see initially near Annie's home are not just warmer than usual in Washington state, they're a lot swankier. In a wonderful gesture, the center is going to be a rescue home for both horses and troubled kids. Both equestrian trainers and skilled counselors will be on site. The aim is to rehabilitate boys away from crime. Travis Latham is the man responsible with the help of Annie's new boyfriend Marcus Colbert.
RUNAWAY MURDER then brings Annie down to California where, as a Western horse trainer, she knows she is out of her depth. Her pals Patricia Winter and Liz Faraday, keen riders and horse dealers, invite her down for a weekend of luxury and networking. Two former movie stars own a dressage stable with the utmost in modern facilities -- solar panels to run the air conditioning -- and regularly put up groups of equestrians during competitions. But Annie isn't long on the premises (feeling out of place), when tragedy strikes. The police are called to a car accident and someone who was riding a horse recently has been killed. They suspect foul play. I have to say the death upsets me, and I'd barely met the victim. Some people's deaths seem to elicit no sympathy and others make the reader want to find out what happened, personally if necessary.
If you can tell a Hanoverian from an Andalusian and a Friesian, you'll feel right at home here, as I did, as poor Annie didn't. She's never even seen a double bridle or a half-halt. All the horses are classically trained and each is described as a distinct personality, as are the good folks, from chefs to snobs, populating the sports complex. Along with a little history we find rivalries, nastiness, gossiping, and unpleasant treatment. Some odd events occur -- small perhaps but they add up, especially after Marcus Colbert arrives. And the killer isn't finished yet.
This book absolutely gripped me from start to finish. I could visualize every stride, piece of tack, and riding aid. The author Leigh Hearon credits dressage instructors Rebecca Parker Clarke, Janet Grumbok, and Charlotte Dujardin, as well as other riders, for her information. This is definitely the best book featuring horses you'll read all year, and by far one of the best-plotted mysteries too. RUNAWAY MURDER moves the Carson Stables up into a whole new league.

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book 4 in the series.

This was not my favorite book in the series. Annie actually got on my nerves this time. I understand that she'd been on her own for a long time and was used to having to do everything herself, but she actually has help now. Help that she's paying to do the work, so when she got all snotty about having too much work to do to go on a working holiday, I got annoyed.

And her snobby attitude about dressage was obnoxious, especially since by the end of the book her attitude had done a complete 180.

That said, the mystery was interesting. This book was actually a bit more "cozy" than previous books, and I enjoyed learning a bit about dressage. For the most part, I still enjoyed this book, even if Annie's behavior did pull me out of the story on occasion.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley*

Another superb Annie Carson mystery! Moving locale from her Washington state horse and sheep farm to LA, Annie uncovers mystery and murder while learning about competitive dressage. The characters are well-drawn, complex and interesting. The mystery, while fair, is still surprising. An immensely enjoyable read and highly recommended!

I enjoyed most of the characters and the plot was involved. I know a bit about jumping and,like the main character, I enjoyed learning about dressage in a way that wasn’t boring. Dump Marcus 😄

This is the 4th book in the Carson Stable Mystery series and one of my favorites of the series. Each book can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend the entire series for everyone that loves horses and good mysteries.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.
Our protagonist Annie Carson is a Western rider from the Pacific Northwest, running a small ranch on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State . She is invited to attend a dressage show in Southern California. Annie is not at all knowledgeable about Dressage.

The dressage people she finds are extremely unpleasant for her. She finds they are involved in illegal abuse of a horse and the trainers of the horses are very mean to the horses. She manages to find homes for three rescued horses while at the show. which improves the trip for her but she is skeptical of the dressage people.
When a judge is murdered Annie steps up to investigate. What she finds is a long list of suspects among the dressage people and soon pieces together the mystery.

I love the horses, the description of the horse people ( spot on with dressage people) and the rescue aspect that is important to Annie. This is a well crafted mystery and I enjoyed the dialogue and fast pace.

I really enjoyed the first three books in the series but this one just didn’t do it for me. The mystery was really lacking and I got tired of the catty woman very quickly. I loved the horse part of the story and the author did a wonderful job blending knowledge of horses and dressage into the story but there was so much of it the mystery felt like it got sidelined in favor of that. The story was well written and moved along nicely. I liked the characters that were in this story. One thing that did bug me though was that the author likes to through obscure words into the story that always throw me off. Not because I don’t know them but because I’m reading along and I stop to ponder the word usage. That could just be me though. Overall it was an okay read and it won’t stop me from continuing on with the series.

Runaway Murder by Leigh Hearon
Carson Stables Mystery #4

Annie Carson is at the center of another murder mystery in this book. While at a fundraiser for a worthy cause she is asked to go to Southern California with some horses to see if new homes/buyers can be found for horses that need a home with dressage riders. She decides to meet up at a dressage event and see if there might be customers that would pair with the horses in question. Little did she realize that murder would follow her when she travelled.

As Annie meets the women being tested in the dressage event she finds more than one a bit to be spoiled nasty people that she would rather avoid. Thankfully the host and hostess of the event and a few others are not quite so obnoxious. With murders to solve, a missing person to find, people to meet, much to learn about dressage and the hope of seeing her friend Marcus while there she is kept very busy.

I enjoyed this book and learned quite a bit from it. I have watched dressage on television and found the events to be mesmerizing. The horses are strong athletic creatures being ridden by people that almost look like statues…but what wonderful performances they can produce! I was interested in the training, the equipment, and the levels of horsemanship The tidbits about the history of the sport when women entered the sport were unknown by me before.

I am eager to find out what Annie will get up to next and wonder if her next case will be closer to home. I also am curious about her relationship with Marcus and how that will eventually work itself out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

This is a great cozy mystery! Runaway Murder is the fourth novel in the Carson Stables series. I admit that I did read the first and did not really enjoy it, but I enjoyed Runaway Murder A LOT!

Annie is immersed in the world of dressage as she is whisked off to California to attend a dressage show and assist with selling some horses. A colourful cast of characters, murders, and horses - a book can't get much better than this! I really enjoyed the dash of French culture and the character of Chef Gustav - he was very fun! The mystery was well paced, and being a fan of horses, it is fantastic to find a cozy series with horses in it.

Great as a standalone or part of the series, you'll find Runaway Murder a great ride.... er, read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing Company for an ARC of this book in exchange for review.

This is the fourth book in the carson stables series . Annie Carson is attending a dressage show, where the competition will do anything to win . When two people are poisoned Annie starts looking into things.
I always enjoy catching up with Annie and her friends. This book took place in a different location so many of Annie friends weren't there. But I enjoyed the book just as much as the previous ones. I hope some of the characters stick around for future books.

Right up front I'll admit that I'm a fan of this series which blends cozy elements, a mature heroine, and, best of all for me, horses. Annie has always ridden Western so she's intrigued enough to travel down to Southern California with her friend Patricia for a dressage event. Hearon does a good job of making that arcane sport accessible- loved her descriptions- but it should be noted that Annie doesn't make the leap to doing it herself. The supporting characters here are a little stereotypical but they're amusing. The murder mystery isn't too twisty (a competition judge is the victim). Annie's great fun and the book is a romp. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You'll be fine reading this as a standalone!

Engaging and interesting cozy mystery. Not being particularly interested in horses I was surprised at how intriguing the basic information about dressage was. More details than I needed to know, but I was never bored. Some surprises, which always adds to the enjoyment of a mystery. Since I enjoyed Leigh Hearon's writing so much I am eager to read more in this series.

This is the first book I've read in the Carson Stables Mystery series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were realistic, and for the most part likeable. The mystery was beyond cozy, with taut suspense and harsh consequences. The setting in Southern California was inviting as movie making history is still evident in those environs. I actually didn't want this book to end as it so captured my interest. I am going to get the previous books in the series and enjoy more time with Annie Carson.

This was a fun and exciting book. I loved that the setting surrounded horse stables and the Ritzy California scene. The characters are so intriguing that they helped build great drama and twists in the mystery. A great book and I highly recommend it.

"Runaway Murder" is set in the world of dressage, and some of the characters are very much true to form. Stable owner Anne Carson attends a dressage show at a private, and very posh, barn in Southern California, a major change from her Western Washington home. She has several dressage horses to sell, and feels this is a good venue to have her horses tried out by prospective owners.

One horse is tried and accepted by a woman who promptly dies in a car accident as she's leaving the farm. This seems pretty unlikely, and Anne is looking at this incident to see why it could have occurred. She's one of a number of guests at the farm during the time of this show, but the rest are riders, and a strange lot at that. One believes in hanging gemstones all over her horse, calling them rhythm beads, in order to improve his dressage work. Another is using rollkur techniques, a strict and coercive method that forces the horse into uncomfortable and harmful postures, and that's why she's doing it in a private area of the stables.

The dressage show begins a couple of days later, and as the judge stands to acknowledge the salute of the first rider, she collapses in a death spasm. Now a major investigation is underway, as it looks as though poison killed both the dressage judge and the woman who died in the car accident. Who is tainting the drinks consumed by these women?

There is an adventurous chase as Anne figures out the guilty party and sets out in pursuit, riding a strange horse bareback over paddock fencing.
The story as a whole is not quite my "cup of tea" as it were. Some interpretations of dressage sport, training, and the rules just don't quite work in the context given. Though the author was assisted by knowledgeable horse people, a few odd things crept in that threw me off. For example, nobody dresses up in show attire to spectate. Only a trainer or competitor would do this. Other than professional horsemen, it simply isn't a likely thing. People can dress nicely, but often as not, they're in their everyday clothes. Things like this totally distracted me from the story as a whole.

This is the first book of the Carson Stables series I've read. That said, as a horse junky who spent years on the road competing on various national circuits, this was a great place to start!

In this installment, Annie finds herself in southern Cali, a little out of her element at a dressage show hosted at the private estate of Old Hollywood elite. There is, of course, a murder (or two), and Annie is compared to Jessica Fletcher, which I thought was hilarious, because everyone who reads cozy mysteries has to think at some point in time <i>how does murder follow this character wherever she goes? I mean, really.</i>

The characters are colorful, to say the least. Some of them may be *borderline* cliche (there is the shy girl that gets picked on, the mean girls, the wallflower...), but the story is good, the pace is fast, and the mystery is satisfying.

I tip my hat to Hearon - she does a wonderful job introducing readers to the world of competitive dressage without making it sound boring, and teaching readers a thing or two in the process.

I personally think Annie is a *little* narrow-minded. She spends a lot of time likening what she sees at the show to her own limited experience (I only ride/train/understand "Western" horses; I competed in 4-H) and finding fault with it because she doesn't know a lot about it. I found this a little annoying. For a grown woman to liken her childhood 4-H barrel racing experience to the competitive dressage circuit is like comparing apples to dragon fruit, and I found it off-putting. That said, I did like how Hearon depicted Annie learning about dressage, and gaining an appreciation for it. I would have LOVED to see her put Annie on the back of one of the dressage horses, so she could experience the discipline, not just observe it. But, alas...

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. Enough, even, to read the others in the series.