The Clincher

Preston (Orchids and Stone; Measure of the Moon) begins her "Horseshoer Mystery" series with this first title featuring Rainy Dale, a tough acting yet tenderhearted young farrier with a troubled, secret past. Rainy travels from Texas to Oregon seeking Red, the horse she owned as a teenager. Upon finding him, she looks for work and stays on in Oregon, quickly acquiring clients and an unlikely lover, her landlord, a gourmet cook named Guy. When client Patsy Lynn is found dead, a rasp (farrier's tool) is discovered near her body, making Rainy a suspect. In order to prove her innocence, Rainy sets out to uncover the murderer's identity. Several people arouse her suspicions, including Guy, rival farrier Dixon Talbot, and Cherry Edelman, who's looking for a rich husband. Preston's background as a police officer, horse owner, and author of several nonfiction works about horses helps make the actions of her characters authentic and very believable.