In this 39th book in the 'Meg Langslow' series, Meg - who's a
blacksmith, wife, mother and amateur sleuth - helps a horse rescue
operation and investigates the murder of a thug. The book can be read as
a standalone, but knowledge of the characters is a plus.
A nice
feature of the Meg Langslow cozy mysteries is the evolution of the
characters, who mature and change as the years go by. The main
protagonists in the books are members of Meg's large extended family,
all of whom live near each other in Caerphilly, Virginia.
*****
As the story opens Meg is heating her blacksmith forge, thinking about making a gargoyle for her friend Ragnar Ragnarsen.
Ragnar
owns a huge farm in the Caerphilly countryside, and he's fashioned his
estate into an enormous medieval attraction called Ragnarshjem, which he
plans to use for large gatherings and special events. Ragnar's mansion
now looks like a castle, complete with towers at every corner and a
working drawbridge over the moat.
As
Meg is about to begin working she gets a call from her father, Dr.
James Langslow, who asks Meg to hurry over to Ragnar's farm. Dr.
Langslow explains that the equine rescue operation 'Hoof and Hearth'
lost access to the pastures they'd been using, and Ragnar gave them
permission to bring nearly 50 horses to his property, which has
expansive fields and large barns.
Meg
texts her family and friends to solicit additional volunteers, then
gathers up her 12-year-old twins Jamie and Josh and hurries over to
Ragnar's farm. Some of the equine rescue animals come from horse
auctions and must be quarantined and checked for diseases; some sport
injuries; some have been terribly neglected; some need attention to
their hooves; some are malnourished; one is pregnant and fearful of men;
and some have recovered and are doing fine. In any case, all the horses
need food, water, and loving care.
While
Meg is helping with the horses, she asks Helena Bannerman, the founder
of 'Hoof and Hearth', what happened. Helena explains that the equine
rescue group had been using elderly Ezra Abernathy's farm for ten years,
but Ezra died, and his sons Abel and George each inherited half the
property. Abel is fine with the horses using his pastures, but George
plans to sell his portion to developers, and he wants the horses gone.
There are even suspicions George and his thuggish pals have been harming
the horses, to speed their departure. Lawsuits are threatened, and
until things are resolved, the equines are being taken to Ragnar's farm.
As
it happens, George Abernathy and his nasty sidekick Lefty come by
Ragnarshjem right about then. George - who's wearing a yellow jacket
with a picture of a pitbull - makes a scene and threatens to sue for
damages the horses did to his pastures. Meanwhile, Lefty gazes around,
seeming to memorize the layout of Ragnar's farm. Ragnar tells the
trespassers to leave, and he's backed up by Police Chief Henry Burke,
whose grandson Adam is volunteering for 'Hoof and Hearth.' 
That
night, Meg and her husband Michael are sleeping in a tent near one of
the barns, to be near the horses stabled there. When Meg is awoken by
thunder and hears horses nickering, she checks the barn and finds Lefty
dead, wearing George's pitbull jacket.
Police
Chief Burke investigates, and quickly learns George Abernathy has an
unshakeable alibi. George was staying in his RV, which he parked in a
church lot for the night. At the time Lefty was killed, a police deputy
was actually speaking to George about being there without permission. 
With
George out of the picture, suspicion falls on the people staying on
Ragnar's property, including Abel Abernathy; Helena Bannerman; an
ex-jockey who works for 'Hoof and Hearth'; volunteers helping with the
horses; and others. Meg takes it upon herself to investigate, planning
to share any evidence she discovers with Police Chief Burke - who's busy
interviewing persons of interest.
Though
the novel is billed as a murder mystery, it's more about horses and the
happenings at Ragnarshjem. Meg learns that horse nomenclature is
partially based on color (Appaloosa, bay, gray, black, palomino, etc.);
that it's dangerous for a mare to have twins; that horse biscuits are
healthier treats than apples and carrots; that horses can sleep standing
up but need to lay down for REM sleep; and more.
Other
scenes in the novel feature different critters. In one vignette,
Ragnar's militant black swans trap someone in a cupola, threatening
severe bodily harm. Luckily, Meg's aunt Rose Noire, a wiccan animal
whisperer, comes to the rescue. In another sketch, Meg's grandfather Dr.
J. Montgomery Blake, who has a small private zoo, teaches crows to find
food beneath cards with specific colors (like blue cards, for
instance).
Some
of my favorite action takes place in the castle's dining room, where
Ragnar's marvelous chef Alice serves gourmet meals. Alice currently
favors Italian cuisine, and she prepares pizza, spaghetti, gnocchi,
ribollitta, arancini, arrosticini, and much more, for everyone on the
farm. 
By
the end of the story, some of Ragnar's animals - horses, goats, cows,
and crows - help nab the murderer, and the equine rescue situation is
successfully resolved.
The Meg Langslow books make great light reading, and this horse-themed book is an enjoyable addition to the series.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Bernadette Dunne, who does a fine job.
Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Andrews, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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