Saddled with Trouble

Horse Lover's Mystery #1

by Michele Scott

A series of a different the first Horse Lover's mystery.

Quarter horse trainer Michaela Bancroft's husband is divorcing her for a 22 year-old beauty. Stunned, Michaela is trying to rein in her life when she finds her Uncle Lou murdered. And when she's nearly run off the road, she suspects she's on the fast track to being the next victim.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Horses, Romance, Cozy, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 4, 2006

About the author

Michele Scott is an American author and the CEO/owner of equestrian sports medicine company Professional’s Choice, Inc. She has written over forty novels in various genres including thrillers, mysteries, young adult mysteries, fantasy, and women’s fiction. Her thriller Daddy’s Home from her Holly Jennings’ series written under her pen name of AK Alexander has sold over one million copies and was the #1 bestselling book in the UK Amazon. Her thriller Mommy, May I? and was number 2 on the Amazon list.

Subsequently, Daddy’s Home hit #4 in the US Amazon store (over all books). She was a featured author in Jeff Bezos letter to the shareholders and one of fifteen authors invited to the reveal of Kindle Fire. Amazon also produced a short documentary about her and her writing story and featured her in a book on bestselling Amazon writers. Daddy’s Home was also a top ten bestseller on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Michele’s bestselling mystery series (The Wine Lover’s Mysteries) has gone into multiple printings and has been optioned by a Los Angeles based producer and production company.

Michele is a lifelong equestrian, having horses since she was five-years-old. If you don’t find her at her desk writing, you’re sure to find her at the barn!

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute mystery involving horses, a nice story for a quick read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, horsey mystery!

[Kimberly Harries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good!

The story had me hooked and was excited to get back to reading it. Was glad I was able to download this on a stuff your Kindle day...I had my doubts, but I enjoyed the story ❤️

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best horse mystery I've read. The cover is misleading- it looks to be an English or East coast setting but is rather California and Quarter Horse/Reigning & rodeo. It was a quick read with plenty of suspects & relationships to explore. The horse stuff was OK- not a lot of detail but adequate. I tend to read author notes and extra stuff at front or back before starting a book but stumbled into the epilogue by mistake and read a spoiler before I noticed so that blew the 'mystery' for me.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly entertaining read. The mystery was wrapped up in quite a few red herrings and any number of characters could have been the whodunit, so it definitely kept me thinking.

I wasn't too fond of some of the stereotyping or the fact that the book ended with far too many loose ends (though it seems that the story may continue through multiple books?), but I did enjoy the focus on the horse world.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Michele Scott's Saddled With Trouble, the first installment in the Horse Lover's Thriller Mystery series, you'll be welcomed to the grand world of horse racing. For Michaela Bancroft, she had enough trouble as it is, with her ex-husband's new girlfriend forcing her to sign the divorce papers, while overwhelmed in debt, and then finding her uncle murdered in his own horse stall. While she was shocked with his death, she had met Detective Jude Davis on the case, trying to find answers on her own. She had become suspicious of her best friend's boyfriend's behavior and her own troubled feelings for Dr. Ethan Slater, her friend and vet. When she discovered that one of her ranch hands had been murdered with his own suicide note, it made her worrisome and suspicious of the people she had known on the ranch. She also suspected some strange goings over her ranch and the breeding scam that had placed the blame on her uncle. While Jude questioned her and her step-aunt Cynthia, she had to deal with her father's gambling problems again. As soon as she figured out who wanted her uncle Lou dead, someone almost ran her off the road. Then on the way to Vegas for a rodeo show, she became face to face with a killer who wantd her dead too with a shocking ending.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unread shelf project 2020: book 63 (Kindle).

A decent first mystery in a series of horse-lover’s mysteries. I feel like there were a lot of stereotypes in this book, such as an Italian male friend of the protagonist’s who (of course) had ties to the Mob, and a crazy ex with a messed up girlfriend.

I did like how Scott handled the aspect of addiction in this book. It was managed in an informative yet fairly kind manner, which I appreciated as all too often it’s talked about in a demeaning, hateful way.

Since I have the omnibus, I’ll be reading the next two books in the series in the near future.

[R M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
I really wanted to love this book. First in a series with horses?!
Alas, it was just ok and I doubt I’ll continue the series.
Michaela is idk what. Stubborn. Not very good sis sing out people. How in Hades was she married for so long to that loser, Brad?
Camden is slutty. A good friend maybe? Sometimes?
Way too many characters.
And Joey? So many friends of friends of cousins? Well that’s a NJ mafia stereotype.

[Lisa Golnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCITING!!!!

This is my first time reading one of Michele Scott's book and Wow!!! I couldn't put it down!!! The plot was a serious mystery, I didn't figure out who was the murderer until I was reading it. Although I did know that Brad was a Jack A$$ from the start to the end, but there were so many twists and turns in this story, Michele Scott has a creative way in her writing that hides who done it to the very end!! Like I said EXCITING!!!
Happy Reading Everyone

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well Written Intriguing Mystery

This book is full of twists and turns that takes you on a guessing game throughout the entire book. The author handled numerous characters and tactically brought them to life. I enjoyed reading this creative, well written novel. Getting ready to start book # 2.

[Carol Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists

Tangled relationships, lots of questions. Looking forward to #2 and hope there are more to come.
Adult characters a change from Michele ' s Fairmont Academy series, which I also enjoyed.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michaela Bancroft is going through an ugly divorce. Her beloved Uncle Lou is murdered. She can't help but try to figure out what happened to him. The author provides a lot of red herrings. They mystery was interesting, and the characters are interesting.

[Lela Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horses make you happy.

Having to work around horses needs is tough work,,working on a murder case and taking care for the horses is nerve racking.
Finding clues and going after the truth just about gets people hurt.

[Betty]

Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott

Well written mystery. Fast paced with many angles and suspects. Greedy, evil people usually get caught but it took a while to figure out which had guy was the actual killer.

[Angel Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was okayish.

Strong suggestion. The cover when I bought this book was a cutsy, Rom com styled illustrated cover. This was a murder suspense. Use an appropriate cover. Lost a star because what I thought I was getting is not what I got.

[Edith Meza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Well written and researched, this book will keep you reading past your bedtime! Lots of action, horses and a whole lot more. A mystery you will think you have solved, about six times.

[dawn-ellen albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Kept me in suspense not knowing who did it until the very end. Great information about horses and their care

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable first book in the Horse Lover's Mystery series.

[Evelyn Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed greatly

I read this book in one day and could not wait to be able to start on the next one.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ending unexpected

Sam did not appear to be the likely murderer, strange plot twist . Joey unlikely person to solve the case. Weak storyline

[Chrissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun with a twist

Great story with an unexpected twist. Characters are all interesting as well. I am off to get next in series!

[Sarah Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - I really wanted to like this but the writing was too clunky for me so I couldn’t get into it. It’s like we’re supposed to already know things the author hadn’t revealed.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly fast paced murder mystery which was rather pathetic type sad because of all the family members faults complicating the truth.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michaela Bancroft is having a rough time. She's in the process of divorcing her husband, Brad Warren, after ten years of marriage. Brad's new fiancee, Kirsten, is actively harassing her to get her to sign the divorce papers instantly--without holding out for the thousands of dollars Brad owes for the medical bills insurance wouldn't cover in pursuit of a pregnancy they never achieved. Her wild friend Camden has moved in with her while waiting for the settlement on her divorce, too. And with all the bills, Michaela is running her horse ranch on minimal help.

And then her beloved Uncle Lou misses a breakfast with her that he had suggested. She goes to his ranch--and finds him in his prize stallion's stall, with a pitchfork through his back.

Soon Michaela is getting confusing signals from handsome police detective Jude Davis, as he seems sympathetic yet asks hard and upsetting questions, and learning unsettling things about everyone she cares about. Her father is gambling (and losing) again, Camden's new boyfriend has been pressuring Lou to sell his ranch, Lou's much-loved second wife, Cynthia, is pregnant despite the vasectomy Lou had several years ago. An especially upsetting and awkward discovery is that Lou was being sued by people who claimed they paid thousands for semen from his prize champion stallion, but received semen from some other, unknown stallion. What's especially disturbing is that they appear to have proof.

It's all complicated, alarming, and confusing for Michaela, and it gets even scarier when strange things start happening around her own ranch, and she gets run off the road by a big Ford truck.

I liked Michaela and her friends, and as complicated as the underlying plot behind her uncle's death gets, in the end it all hangs together and makes sense. A fun read, or listen.

Recommended for a good beach read.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audible in exchange for an honest review.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book begins with the mundane but interesting dialog between Michaela Bancroft and her friend and roommate Camden. This provides the perfect base for an excellent literary soup. Michaela’s deteriorating domestic situation provides the perfect base and soon the murder of her uncle Lou was added to the mix. Lies, deceit, greed and love are added making the mystery even more baffling. The equestrian aspects form a background that succeeds in bringing the smells of hay and manure and the faint buzzing of barnyard flies. This murder mystery keeps the reader guessing as the suspects lined up and stood under the spotlight of suspension. The colorful characters jump off of the pages and remain vividly in the reader’s mind. My one character criticism concerns the two Hawaiians Dwayne and Sam. Their dialogs and speech patterns make them sound like the Lone Ranger’s sidekick Tonto; seemingly overlooking or forgetting that the islands were made the United State’s fiftieth state fifty-six years ago. This is the first in a trilogy entitled The Horse Lover’s Mysteries and exemplifies and epitomizes the traditional who done it mysteries of the fifties and early sixties. This is the first time I’ve read anything by Michele Scott, (aka A.K. Alexander) but it won’t be the last.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't see the killer until the end. That is saying something. I read mysteries all the time and I can usually spot who-done-it pretty quickly. However, I was completely off in this one. Way to go, Michele Scott!

On a side review--- My mom LOVED this book. She grew up with horses, so she could relate to that aspect. And has had to deal with ex-husbands who cheat, so again she could relate to that. I have limited horse history (more than some, but not enough to really appreciate that aspect of the book) and have the same husband that I've had for over a decade, so relating to the book wasn't as easy for me.

That being said, I still liked the book and found it easy to read and understand. I feel someone with absolutely NO horse experience would be able to get the book still and enjoy it.
I had fun reading this book and will be reading others by this author in the future.

[Geena Barret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was such a great start of introducing characters to a series. Michaela is very enjoyable to read about as she embarks on her own sleuthing to discover who really was the killer of her beloved Uncle Lou. Her comrade Joe is hands-down one of my favorite characters I have read in a while. He is one that definitely sticks with you. How can you not love someone with a multitude of cousins in what seems like every trade? I also adore Jude, the attractive detective on the case. Camden, the best friend, is also a wonderful addition to the story--would love to try one of her famous margaritas! I read this book in a day because it was easy page turner with a fun plot that kept changing angles to really make you wonder the number one question--whodunnit?

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was really disappointing. It read as though it were written by a young juvenile who didn't have much experience with how people actually talk in the real world (or maybe just doesn't know how to write their conversations out?) The plot was okay but trying to get past the bad dialogue was not really worth the effort. I won't be looking for any more books by this author.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like horses, you enjoy this series, this being the first book. Horse trainer, Michaela Bancroft, has worked hard to gain a reputation in a man's world for showing and breeding quarter horses. Her ex-husband leaves her for a rodeo queen and Michaela's uncle provides proof of his philandering. Uncle winds up dead and it goes downhill for Michaela from there.

[Kayla Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the others in the series already (even though this is supposed to be book one). They were good. Because I read them out of order, I find that this book is providing a lot of background knowledge about the main character, some of which I already know and some of which is helpful in understanding the two I have already read.