A review by kbranfield
Forging Fire by Lisa Preston

4.0

Forging Fire by Lisa Preston is an intriguing mystery starring amateur sleuth and horseshoer Rainy Dale.

With her wedding just days a way, Rainy Dale makes the impetuous decision to haul a tempestuous bull to the Black Bluff bull sale in California.  Upon her arrival, she is able to check an item off her bucket list but everything goes downhill from there. Rainy is unexpectedly the victim of a crime and even worse, her beloved dog, Charley is missing. She finds herself on a nearby ranch and accepts the hospitality that is offered by ranch owner Ivy Beaumont. Rainy eventually finds Charley and she also ends up solving the mystery of a ranch hand who disappeared two years ago.

Rainy is determined to make it back to her safe harbor, fiancĂ© Guy Kittredge in time for their wedding. But a mild concussion and a stunning discovery mean she must remain on the Beaumont Ranch. She likes ranch owner Ivy and they easily bond over their love of dogs. Rainy also meets housekeeper Eliana who makes meals that rival anything Guy whips up at his restaurant and their home kitchen. Ranch hands Gabe, Stuckey and Oscar round out her new acquaintances.  Rainy also runs into neighboring ranch owner Reese Trenton who bears appears to bear a grudge against his neighbors.

Since Rainy is unable to leave just yet, she cannot resist trying to understand what happened on the ranch two years ago. She stumbles across one clue after another but it takes a while to put the pieces together in the right order. Rainy is also trying to discover who is responsible for the series of events that brought her to the ranch.

Forging Fire is an absorbing  mystery with a plainspoken, independent and honest to a fault lead protagonist who will do anything to find her beloved dog.  The other happenings on the ranch are interesting and the final reveal is rather shocking. Lisa Preston keeps the Horseshoer Mystery Series fresh by putting Rainey in a new location and surrounding her with strangers. Fans of the genre will enjoy this engaging mystery.
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