Cave Creek: A Jess Kennard Mystery

by Helen DePrima

Overview

Investigative journalist Jess Kennard's sixteen-year-old foster daughter Stacy Milhouse stole a horse and disappeared with it into the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Or so it seemed.

When the teenager's bones turn up close to the stable where she worked, Jess puts her grief aside to share insider knowledge of the equine industry with long-time friend Louisville Metro Detective Joe Schuler who heads the investigation. Unfortunately, Jess's reputation for unearthing dirty secrets soon makes her a target as they close in on identifying Stacy's murderer.

Cave Creek blends horses, local politics, and high society in a new mystery series featuring Jess Kennard and Joe Schuler.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798987508800
Publisher:	Helen DePrima
Publication date:	05/25/2023
Series:	A Jess Kennard Mystery , #1
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

Born and raised a Kentuckian, Helen DePrima fell in love with all things Western while spending summers on a ranch as a teen and later living in Colorado for ten years. After 25 years rehabbing wildlife in New Hampshire, she turned again to her earlier passions, writing and the West. Following four books which take place in Colorado, she has shifted focus with her first mystery novel set against the background of an equine rescue facility in Kentucky. Cave Creek is the first in a mystery series featuring free-lance journalist Jess Kennard and Louisville Metro Detective Joe Schuler.

Editorial Reviews

2023-08-31
A sports journalist and amateur detective tries to track down the killer of a teenager in this mystery series opener.

Two and a half years ago, 16-year-old Stacy Jean Milhouse stole a horse and trailer from the stable where she worked and ran away from home. At least that was how it looked. The trailer was found abandoned but the girl and the horse were never seen again—until a wildlife rescue team found human bones while saving a goose in a local marsh. Stacy never made it a mile from the stable and her death was no accident. Journalist Jess Kennard covered horse racing at the highest level until one exposé unexpectedly led to bloodshed. Keeping a low profile at her family’s horse rehabilitation farm in Kentucky, Jess abandons all hope of peace and quiet when she learns about Stacy’s murder. Having practically raised Stacy after the death of her mother, Jess feels devastated (“She was like my little sister…Or maybe my daughter. A bit of both”). The protagonist puts her investigative skills and knowledge of the horse world to use as an unofficial consultant to the local police. Jess and Det. Joe Schuler, a childhood friend, have a limited amount of time to look for clues before the killer becomes aware of their search. When the pair begins to close in on newly elected U.S. Rep. Paul Renfrew and his family, the stakes grow higher—and deadlier. This an immersive, adventurous novel that dresses up mystery tropes by placing them in the cutthroat world of elite horse racing. DePrima’s intimate, detailed depiction of Kentucky horse country elevates the story even if the final reveal of the killer is a bit of a letdown. The motivations behind the murder seem too impulsive to justify the buildup. Still, Jess is the perfect protagonist for a mystery series: plucky, stubborn, and independent, with a hidden vulnerable side. Her long history with Joe makes the chemistry between them easy and exciting. But the setting is the standout here; the author deftly takes readers to a place that feels lived-in and dangerous.

A satisfying treat for horse and murder mystery lovers.

Kirkus Reviews