A Racing Murder: A gripping cosy murder mystery from bestseller Frances Evesham

by Frances Evesham

The next thrilling Ham-Hill Murder Mystery from bestselling cosy crime author Frances Evesham.
A winning horse. A fierce rivalry. A sudden death.

Belinda Sandford thrills to the cheers of the crowd as her beautiful grey racehorse, ‘Butterfly Charm’, thunders past the finishing post first at Wincanton Racecourse. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world.

But joy soon turns to despair as a stewards’ enquiry overturns the result and awards the race to her long-time rival, Alexandra Deacon.

When Alex is found dead in suspicious circumstances, a host of accusing eyes turn to Belinda and her distraught mother begs Adam Hennessy, her neighbour, retired police officer and publican, to help clear her daughter’s name.

As Adam, and local hotelier Imogen Bishop, dig deep into the murky and powerful undercurrents of the horse racing world, they lay bare the lives and loves of local jockeys, grooms, trainers and owners.

They soon uncover a web of secrets hidden within the spectacular Somerset countryside as they strive to find the killer in time to prevent more murders.

A brand new cosy mystery series from the bestselling author of A Village Murder, perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Betty Rowlands and M.C. Beaton.

Other Books in the Ham Hill Murder Mystery series by Frances Evesham
A Village Murder
A Racing Murder
A Harvest Murder

Also by Frances Evesham - The Exham-on-Sea Murder Mystery Series
Murder at the Lighthouse
Murder on the Levels
Murder on the Tor
Murder at the Cathedral
Murder at the Bridge
Murder at the Castle
Murder at the Gorge
Murder at the Abbey

• ISBN10: 1800480725
• ISBN13: 9781800480728
• Publish Date: 15 June 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Boldwood Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 268
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Racing Murder is the second book in a murder cozy mystery series by Frances Evesham. Released 15th June 2021, it's 264 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a charming and quaint village cozy series. This installment shows some of the competitive underbelly of steeplechase, greed, money, and the hidden currents of village life. It's an ensemble cast including a publican who's a former police officer, a hotelier with a more-than-average inquisitive nature, and a nice group of supporting characters. The language is clean, there is no graphic sexual content (there's a little light romance, but not objectionably much), and the violence is off-scene and relatively restrained.

The buildup is well done and the denouement and resolution are satisfying. There were a few twists along the way which I didn't anticipate. Although it's the second book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.