Chasing Cans

February 11, 2008
Crum’s agreeable 10th Gail McCarthy equestrian adventure (after 2006’s Moonblind
) finds the amateur sleuth adjusting happily enough to life as a stay-at-home mom with toddler Mac, though she misses the total freedom and control she once enjoyed as Santa Cruz County’s top veterinarian. Enter a nasty new neighbor, Lindee Stone, who ruffles feathers wherever she goes and sets her sights on a corral where Gail keeps two horses. When Gail goes to confront Lindee about her unsavory business practices, Gail witnesses the expert horsewoman’s death during a barrel-racing exercise. After a second “horse wreck” occurs a few days later, Gail is sure they weren’t accidents and sets out to prove it. While this slim mystery is full of the customary horse facts and well-rounded characters, Gail’s musings on motherhood can be a bit heavy-handed at times. She remains, however, a likable heroine readers—horse lovers or not—will continue to seek out.

February 1, 2008
The tenth entry (after "Moonblind") in Crum's equine mysteries finds horse vet Gail a stay-at-home mom, but an irate call from a neighboring barrel-racing trainer forces her to become involved with her former clients. When Gail goes to confront the much-disliked neighbor, she witnesses the trainer killed in a mysterious riding accident. Gail is sure Lindee was unconscious before the horse fell on her, and she confides her suspicions to her friend, the sheriff. Shortly after, Gail witnesses another strange horse-related accident that injures another trainer. There are many who might have wished Lindee dead, herself included, but why the second woman? Crum's latest will appeal to her fans and readers who enjoy horsey mysteries. By the way, the term "chasing cans" is rodeo slang for barrel racing. Recommended for all public libraries.Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL

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