Becky Hutchison's Reviews > Shooting Star: A Nikki Latrelle Horse Racing Mystery, Book 5

SHOOTING STAR is the fifth story in the NIKKI LATRELLE MYSTERY SERIES by Sasscer Hill. And what a fine addition it is. Nikki is in her element as a jockey extra in “The Final Furlong,” a movie in production at Santa Anita Park in California. As the story begins, Nikki witnesses a murder of a cameraman and soon after becomes the female lead when the woman playing that part is critically injured while shooting a race scene.

With murders and injuries plaguing the production, Nikki is wary of everyone, except for Will Marshall, a former jockey and one-time love. He is also her boss, as she is now a subcontractor for the Thoroughbred Racing Protection Bureau (TRPB). He asks her to remain on the production to give him information and help catch the perpetrators, and he’s angry when Nikki starts lying to him. She does so to protect him, and while her feelings grow for her hot young co-star, Jamie, she tries not to think of her unresolved feelings about Will. No matter what happens in her love life, Nikki’s determined to solve the pieces of the puzzle that will eventually lead her to the murderer.

PROS:
- Characters are so well-written, one could imagine them walking right off the page. My particular favorite is Jamie, the suave male lead in the movie, and how he totally transforms into his on-screen persona, Dillon, a total jerk.
- Smells, sights, and textures draw the reader into the scene, almost as if you’re there.
- One of the things I like about the author’s books is the absence of grammatical errors —things that usually bring me out of the story.
- The story gives the reader a glimpse of how a movie and the sets are made.
- The book has good pacing and is action packed.

CONS:
None.

SUMMARY:
SHOOTING STAR is a fast-paced mystery with lots of action and well-written characters. It’s a great addition to the NIKKI LATRELLE MYSTERY SERIES and is a must read for horse racing fans and readers who like character-driven stories.

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Other NIKKI LATRELLE MYSTERIES, FIA MCKEE MYSTERIES, and TRAVELS OF QUINN by Sasscer Hill, DICK FRANCIS NOVELS by Dick Francis, THE DIMITY HORSE MYSTERIES by Leanne Owens, THE SCAR RULE by Heidi Vanderbilt, LARK DAVIS MYSTERIES by Annabelle Hunter

* Read my other reviews on the Blue Moon Mystery Saloon blog.
** An e-ARC was provided by the author for an honest review.