Reviews

Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp

dollycas's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious

5.0

Dollycas's Thoughts

Mallory Martin owns and operates a horse rescue and has received a call from Sheriff Grady Sullivan telling her there is a loose horse in the Deadwood Lake Wildlife Management Area and he needs her help to catch it. It is hunting season so she and her volunteer turned employee Tanner don their orange vests and head up the trail. They find the horse and further up the trail, they find a dead body, Douglas Griggs, Hillspring’s star basketball coach. His death appears to be a hunting accident.

The coach's wife wants nothing to do with the horse. She tells Mallory to keep it. She does want Mallory's help though. She is sure the sheriff is overlooking vital evidence. She wants Mallory to investigate to find out who killed her husband and why. Mallory's life is busy but Mr. Griggs was her favorite high school teacher, so she agrees not realizing the danger she is putting herself in.

____

I was happy to be back at Hillspring Horse Rescue to get caught up with Mallory, Tanner, Ashley, and resident donkey, Biscuit. Tanner is no longer a volunteer and has some exciting ideas to discuss with Mallory. Ashley is still a volunteer as college takes up most of her time. She makes her hours at the rescue count and has some ideas to discuss with Mallory as well. Mallory and attorney Andy Hannigan's relationship is moving along nicely but he doesn't like her putting her life in danger. Mallory and Lanie's friendship hits a big bump and Sheriff Grady has his hands full with the case and all the tangential incidents. I enjoy the way these characters are written. They feel true to life. Biscuit is quite the donkey and alarm system when anyone arrives on the farm or one of the horses needs help. It takes talent to make an animal character resonant and Ms. Camp does a great job.

Mallory's rescue is so important. She has several horses in residence. Some are used for riding lessons while others are recovering and will soon be ready for adoption. Before she went to look for the loose horse she and Tanner rescued a near skeletal mare that was found during an investigation into a meth lab. My heart just broke for this several hundred pounds underweight horse, found without any water or hay. By its state, it hadn't been fed in a long time. Then when it finally had food it came down with colic. The care Mallory and Tanner took of her was amazing. Ms. Camp's knowledge and love of animals shine throughout the story.

Coach Griggs was Mallory's favorite teacher but he had changed since she was in school. Rumors were circulating and he was pushing to make changes at the school that many were not in favor of, but did that warrant killing the man? Amber became more immersed in the case as she tried to help the deceased widow. She did inform Sheriff Grady of anything she learned or her thoughts about the case. I did my best to follow along and had what I thought was a good theory but when all was revealed I was only partially right. What Ms. Camp came up with was so much better than what I was thinking.

Trotting into Trouble is an entertaining cozy mystery with genuine characters and a mystery filled with twists and turns set in a close-knit small town in Arkansas. I do not see the next book in the series available yet for pre-order. I hope this is not the last we see of these characters. So many good things were yet to come.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent  

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

charleys_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp is the second book of A Horse Rescue Mystery, but it can be as a standalone; however, there are spoilers for what happened in book one. 

This murder mystery follows Mallory, who runs a horse rescue in their small town and has a propensity for getting involved in murder cases. This murder mystery was a cozy story that gave me the "Murder She Wrote" vibes I was looking for! Mallory is brought to catch a runaway horse and finds a dead body in the process. Mallory sensed that there was more to the story than beings poking around the murder for clues and found herself smacked down in the middle. 

I enjoyed Amber Camp's storytelling abilities, which worked on previous issues efficiently without feeling like I missed too much information. I loved the setting, the nosy guard donkey, and the characters. However, Mallory, the horse rescue's main character and owner, got on my nerves. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and recommend picking up Trotting into Trouble for yourself!

*I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

marcirenee1974's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read Book 1 to prepare for this ARC and I am so glad that I did! I have now found ANOTHER series that I love! These books were my 1st by Amber Camp but they most certainly won't be my last, as I can't wait for the next in the series to come out! And I am adding all her books to my TBR! This was a super fun and charming story with a quick twist that I didn't see coming at the end!

#TrottingintoTrouble
#NetGalley 

karen_the_baroness's review against another edition

4.0

Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp has Mallory realizing that she needs to be there for the people she cares about despite a mystery needing to be solved. 

Can Mallory get justice for Coach Griggs' widow? 

Mallory Martin has a lot of good things going for her, but she sometimes self-sabotages herself by pushing people away when things get good. She doesn't mean to do this, and it seems to me that she doesn't think she deserves to be happy when she so totally does. Mal is a good person. However, she needs to realize that she needs to let things go and allow some people to help her. Including when it comes to her horses. 

I have to say that I ended up liking Mal a bit more this time than I did the first time around. I only have to say that she needs to open up more communication channels with the people she cares about. Mal is an incredible person, and I like her. I hated how some of the horses were mistreated before coming to her. 

The Mystery 

The police tasked Mallory Martin and Tanner to grab a horse so that the police could find the missing rider. The two found the horse, and he led them to the dead body. However, Mallory didn't mean to go looking for another dead body. Anyways, Coach Douglas Griggs wasn't well-liked by some people. Including Mallory herself quite recently, but she still didn't think that he deserved to die. I figured out the person who did it and a bit of the why. 

Four Stars 

Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp is set in the late fall of Hillspring, Arkansas, where it's cold but not quite cold enough for winter to come through. Ms. Camp has done a fantastic job once again with writing this book. I am giving Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp five stars. I also recommend it for any horse lovers out there who love mystery as well. 

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp. 

Until the next time, 

Karen the Baroness 

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