Mallory Martin is living her dream as a horse rescue in Hillspring, Arkansas. She is divorced with a daughter in college. She has happy horses, an awesome donkey and two young volunteers. She has an upsetting phone call with her neighbor. The next morning she sees police cars at the neighbor. The neighbor is found dead and Mallory is the prime suspect.

I really enjoyed this mystery. An older 🙄 amateur sleuth and a fun cast of characters. I'm excited to read the next in the series.

Canter with a Killer is a good cozy mystery by Amber Camp. I recommend this novel and know there is a second one on the way. I look forward to the next novel..

Book one in the series, but sadly I read book two first so I knew who the killer was from the start. Still though, enjoyed this book and series of Mallory and her horse rescue. Good cozy mystery.

The is a well written debut to a series. The characters are in need a a little more character development but that is what you expect with a debut series. This allow the character to grow throughout the series. Mallory is determined to make her rescue a success but is seems like her neighbor won’t make this easy for her. She is relatable and likable but at time she seems a little to trusting/naive. The mystery was well plotted with plenty of twist to keep you guessing. I recommend this books to cozy mystery fans.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been influenced by anyone.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

I loved this book! The story was wonderfully written and I loved that the main animals were horses. The characters had so much charm and the dialogue they had was wonderfully written. I can't wait for the next book.

Canter with a Killer, the first book in Amber Camp’s Horse Rescue Mystery series is delightful, charming, and highly recommended.

Following her divorce, Mallory Martin has moved back to Hillspring, AR, to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse rescue. But when she decides to give riding lessons to supplement the income from the rescue, she meets with opposition from her nearest neighbor, Albert Cunningham, who operates a fancy quarter horse training and breeding farm. Albert views her rescue as an eyesore that decreases his property values, and he tells her so, angrily and vehemently in a phone conversation. Shortly thereafter, he is murdered, and based on their argument, Mallory is one of the prime suspects. The pressure is on for Mallory to clear her name and that of the rescue before the killer strikes again.

Canter with a Killer is pretty fantastic for a debut novel. The mystery is handled deftly and suspensefully, with a large cast of suspects and a variety of clues to keep you guessing along the way. Although I had discerned the perpetrator before the reveal, it in no way detracted from enjoying the entire journey. Mallory is a strong character, compassionate and logical. I found her relationship with her ex, Ethan, to have the ring of authenticity. Even though it is complicated, it is clear the love was (and to some extent still is) there. Her young volunteers, Tanner and Ashley, as well as her best friend, Lanie, prove themselves both capable and supportive companions. Even a resident donkey, Biscuit, adds to the charm. And the horse rescue setting is unique and perfect for a cozy mystery series.

One thing that especially struck me is that Mallory immediately “lawyers up,” once it is clear she is a suspect. So many of these amateur sleuths fail to do so (or worse, ignore the advice of their lawyer) and end up in even more trouble. Here, attorney Andy Hannigan, is on hand to offer both prescient advice and a friendly face. What’s more, Mallory actually listens to him.

It should be noted that there is also an audio version as well. Narrator Colleen Marlo does an excellent job of bringing this novel to life.

If you like horses and cozy mysteries, Canter with a Killer is a must-read. I look forward to enjoying the next book in the series, Trotting into Trouble, which should be available later this year.

Note: I received an ARC of Canter with a Killer from NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books. The above is my honest review.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest opinion

Great concept for cozy. Farm settings are always my favorite when it comes to cozy mysteries and this one took the cake for sure.

Canter With a Killer is the first novel in a new series by Amber Camp set at a horse rescue in Arkansas.

Mallory Martin has left an unsatisfying career and is finally living her dream running a horse rescue in her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas. But when a neighbor is found murder and Mallory becomes a suspect, she decides to get to the bottom of the mystery herself.

First of all, I love any story that includes horses so I was delighted to find a cozy mystery series that features a horse rescue.
Mallory is a fairly likeable protagonist, although she often made decisions I found frustrating. Primarily her flirtation with the victim’s son, her old high school classmate Braydon. Her feelings for him seem to fluctuate between smitten and disinterested, so the romantic element felt forced.
The appearance of her ex-husband felt realistic and added to the character’s growth, but there were a few moments with her lawyer that might be hinting at a future friendship but felt slightly uneven to me.

What I loved: The horses, and a scene stealing donkey named Biscuit.
I also enjoyed her young employees working at the rescue, especially the big loveable Tanner.
It also felt as if Mallory was in real danger of being arrested for the crime which added to the level of suspense throughout the book.

Overall, I felt it was a solid start to a series and I hope it will continue.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.

Mallory has fulfilled a lifelong dream of operating a horse rescue—and one donkey who acts as her alarm system when anyone arrives. It’s not exactly solvent so the next step is to add riding lessons, an idea not met with enthusiasm by her nearest neighbor, Albert Cunningham.

When Albert turns up dead in his stables, Mallory is a suspect since he’d called her the day before in a screaming tantrum. Given his personality, or lack of one, there were bound to be any number of suspects. However, the local police focus on her because of a threat Albert issued during their call—one she swears she never heard.

The Sheriff is an old friend, but you couldn’t tell it from the way he keeps after her about her statements, her motives, and her lack of an alibi. Townspeople, she thought would believe her, are now the biggest gossips about her guilt. There’s nothing to do but investigate on her own.

It’s lucky she has a few supporters like Lanie, her best friend, and surprisingly, her ex-husband, Ethan. Albert’s son is sure of her innocence and even escorts her to Albert’s memorial service to prove it.

Phillip is a troublemaker, a sneak who files lawsuits he never wins, and spreads gossip. Mallory would love for him to be the culprit. Or maybe the woman who was living with Albert or the owner of the organic farm who complained the horses contaminated the water sources and hurt her business. Mallory is fortunate to find a local lawyer who’s willing to protect her rights in the investigation. Will he be able to protect her when the threats are closer to home?

This is the first in a new series. Mallory is a great character although she does take risks she shouldn’t. Her volunteers, Tyler and Ashley, are a great addition to the story as well as her BFF, Lanie. Biscuit, the donkey, steals every scene he can, being an attention hog and funny as well. Banjo, her dog, only feels the need to do minimal dog things, like one bark to announce a visitor.

With twists and turns, red herrings, and cleverly subtle clues, this is a great beginning to a new series. I look forward to book two and beyond.

I read a lot of books in the Cozy Mystery genre. There are a few broad categories that the writing style, regardless of the content, falls under. I am not going to go into all of them (maybe someday I will), and this particular adventure comes under the small-town umbrella, where we are involved in the central character's life but in a more serious presentation. The writing may be a reflection of the slightly older and responsible lifestyle of our lead protagonist.
Our leading lady in this first book in a series has started the business she has always wanted. She works with horses and lives in her childhood home. She has a reasonably amicable relationship with her ex (there will be some ups and downs there) and a daughter away from home.
She is troubled by her neighbour, whose standards are quite high for what he deems as appropriate neighbourly behaviour. This is the man who is found dead, and the last conversation he has puts Mallory in the cross-hairs of local law enforcement. The investigation on her part is more defensive than actually figuring out the culprit.
The events unfold more along the timeline of the more tame thrillers, with people (and horses) depending on Mallory for change in their lives while she is being targetted both by the possible killer and law enforcement simultaneously. The romantic angle was much more obvious to me than to Mallory, but kind of simple by the end of the book without too much fanfare. To that end, if the danger had been more in focus or more pronounced (or the cover/marketing slightly different), the air of unrest could have actually pushed this book into a different genre altogether.
Many cozy mysteries do have a level of danger that the leading ladies face towards the end, but there was a recurring feeling of unrest that the author managed to convey here that has me mentioning that angle more than once.
I am wondering what the next book will do with the plotline (if there is one). I would recommend this to readers of this genre and anyone interested in a quick semi-thriller.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Not happy in her marriage or her job Mallory Martin divorces her spouse and moves back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas to take care of her ailing father and open up a horse rescue. Her obsession with horses goes way back as does wanting to make a difference in the world so opening up a rescue on the family farm was an easy choice. But money is not rolling in so Mallory decides to add riding lessons to the rescue. This angers her neighbor Albert Cummings, who owns Champion Performance Horses, a horse breeding and training farm uphill from Mallory's rescue. He called to voice his displeasure the day before he was killed and found in his fourteen-stall show barn. A witness to the conversation and Mallory's iffy alibi make her the prime suspect.

Sheriff Grady Sullivan has known Mallory forever so you would think he would know she couldn't be responsible for the crime but he still is going all out to prove her guilty. Heck, she can think of several others with more motive and even Albert's son believes she is innocent.  So with a little help from her friends, she is bound and determined to find the real killer.

______

Mallory Martin is a strong woman intent on making her dreams come true but she is a bit gruff at times. She tries to use her knowledge learned as a forensic nurse to ferret out the killer but at times she leaps into action before thinking things through and that just gives the sheriff more ammunition against her. He clearly had tunnel vision when it came to Mallory. He also had a problem in his department he failed to address. I was not a fan.

Mallory has two college-age volunteers to help her take care of her rescues. Tanner and Ashley are knowledgeable about horses and love their jobs. They can't believe their "boss" is even considered a suspect. With her daughter away at college these kids help her deal with her empty nest feelings. Her friend Lanie along with her husband Bill truly have Mallory's back and fully support her throughout the whole ordeal. I loved the way Bill stepped up when a supplier was treating Mallory so poorly. It gave her the strength to take the man on too. Mallory's lawyer Andy was great too.

I loved the unique setting of a horse farm with rescues. The horses and a crazy lovable donkey tugged at my heart. Mallory also has a wonderful blue heeler. We have a loveable red heeler and they are great dogs.

The mystery was filled with some nice twists. There were some clear suspects and a couple more that I added to my personal list. I was focused on the wrong person for quite a while so I was surprised when the actual culprit was revealed. I was not sure how Mallory was going to save herself but then her rescuer took care of it in an awesome way.

Canter with a Killer was a strong debut and a very enjoyable read. A fine mystery with a brisk pace and a smashing ending that was very entertaining. I look forward to getting to know these characters better as the series continues.

Mallory Martin moved back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, and started a horse rescue. But when her neighbor and longtime critic, Albert Cunningham, is found murdered in his show barn, Mallory becomes a suspect, and decides to take matters into her own hands, and investigate. With her horse rescue on the line, can Mallory find the truth before she loses everything?
This cozy mystery was very interesting. The characters were well written and appealing. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me interested. And, the setting was different, I never read about a horse rescue mystery. But I felt that the story was too long, and it took too long to finish. I also guessed the perpetrator from the second chapter. I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

A great start to a new series, "Canter with a Killer" blends horse rescue and murder to create a unique mystery. Mallory is immediately a relatable character. She's starting over in her life after the loss of her marriage and putting everything she has into following her dreams. This second chance is where were find her and this passion she has for her rescue creates the drive to prove herself innocent when she's accused of murdering her neighbor. This serves as a great introduction to the characters and this world with a delightful setting (for someone like me who is from Arkansas it's even more delightful) that will make you want to come back for another mystery. Highly recommended!

First off, I have to admit I am a sucker for stories featuring animals and this debut cozy about a horse rescue is a doozie. Intelligent with a plot that rings true and peopled by a strong cast of folks you want to know. And hope to meet again soon. Mallory Martin is all for second chances...for her childhood dream of creating a rescue for horses and for the animals who deserve to live without fear of brutality and starvation. After a fairly amicable divorce she returns home to create that haven. Her unpaid volunteers/assistants are young, responsible and addicted to horses. Each with a vibrancy and enough depth that they could have a future plot formed around them. Mallory has a enough of a nurse forensics background to augument her her natural curiosity. One point I didnt care for is her overstepping into questioning others. However at least she showed some guilt for some actions. Overall she's strong and resourceful while fighting off suspicions of murdering her unlikable neighbor. Strong debut.

A great mystery - Mallory has moved back to her hometown of Hillspring. She decides after leaving her marriage and an unfulfilling job she is going to start a horse rescue business. However, things go very wrong when she becomes the number one suspect in the death of Albert Cunningham.

Canter with a Killer is a must-read filled with well-crafted characters and an enjoyable storyline.

This was a fun first in series! Although I'm too knowledgeable on the subject of horses I still found this to be a well planned mystery with great characters and interesting details relating to the main character's horse rescue. I will definitely check out the next book by this author.

I thought this was a great beginning to a new cozy mystery series, and I really liked the setting! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I was impressed with this debut mystery from Camp. The plotted mystery is pretty good as the murder seemed reasonable considering the circumstances. I usually do not like the heroine and amateur sleuth going off on her own, making mistakes and incriminating herself with evidence toward conviction. In this novel, however, Mallory is well characterized as desperate to prove herself innocent. And rightly so as it seems the sheriff, though a longtime friend, is by no means her advocate.

I liked this cozy mystery. There is the setting of horse farms, a well developed heroine, suspects galore, a suspenseful end and an unusual hero in the end. The villain might not be a surprise to some readers as there were clues but the mystery was well plotted. There is a hint of romance too, well done.

I liked this debut effort and will be watching for more from Camp.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Mallory’s neighbor is killed and she becomes the prime suspect. Believing that the police are only focused on her, she begins her own investigation to find the real killer. She also has to find ways to keep her rescue running while the case is being worked. Looking forward to a second book with these characters.
Goodreads