Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott

Saddled with Trouble is the first book in the Horse Lover’s Mysteries. On the scale of one to ten I would rate it a three.

The story revolves around Michaela Bancroft, a woman in her early thirties who trains quarter horses and is going through a nasty divorce which is souring her whole life.

When she finds her uncle run through by a pitchfork and very dead her problems begin to multiply. What did her best friend, Ethan, have a fight with her uncle about? Why is her father acting so oddly? How did the wrong semen get shipped to customers who paid a $3500 stud fee? What does the real estate magnet who is dating her good friend and roommate, Camden, have to do with the murder? Who ran her off the road? Why is her soon to be ex-husband suddenly interested in her again?

Although the mystery part of the book isn’t too bad the characters leave a lot to be desired. Michaela is bitter, bitchy, and manipulative. Camden and Ethan‘s only function in the story seem to be as whipping boys for Michaela. The police officer is about as realistic as Michaela’s belief that a seven year old horse is too old for the show ring. Two of the characters, who worked for her uncle, are Hawian. They talk like they only recently learned English. Since Hawaii is a state and has a very good school system I found this insulting.

There are at least two more books it this series. If I can get it at the library I might try the second one to see if there is any improvement, but I won’t spend money on it.