Amazon Murder at Blue Falls Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: High Country Publishers ISBN-10:  1932158758 Type: Fiction Pages: 192 Copyright: 2006 Brandy, Jemma's horse, finds a body on the family dude ranch. Jemma, a CSI wannabe, starts to investigate.  Handsome, the horse behind Jemma, neighed followed by other horses answering. Brandy’s stride shortened and her head came up. Under Jemma, Brandy’s skin shivered. Her ears and eyes locked to the right, her hindquarters slipped away, bulging into Jemma’s left leg. A familiar knot came into Jemma’s stomach, Brandy was going to spook. Jemma snapped her weight into her heels. She opened her right rein and closed her left leg and clicked Brandy forward to push her on. Brandy’s tail was up as if asking what? what? Jemma leaned forward and stroked the long neck of the brown mare. “What is it, girl? Still unsettled from this morning?” Jemma looked ahead. No branches had fallen since her last ride. Brandy flicked back her left ear. Jemma urged Brandy forward. Brandy lifted, lowered, then wove her head to see better. She flared her nostrils. Brandy let out a snort then reared up on her hind legs. Jemma leaned forward, stayed in her saddle and called out whoa to stop the riders behind her. Jemma’s heart pounded. Bo cantered up to Jemma’s side as Jemma dismounted. “What’s up?” “I don’t know. Something’s riled up Brandy,” Jemma said quietly. Aloud to the ten guest riders in line, she said, “It’s probably a pole cat. Once you’ve been sprayed by that black and white beauty you learn to respect them. Why don’t ya’ll rest a minute?” Jemma handed the reins to Bo and jogged up the trail until it hit her, stopping her in her tracks. A pungent, sweet stench filled her nostrils triggering her gag reflex. One whiff was all she needed. It was not a skunk. Jemma stumbled and swallowed hard. The cold sweat of nausea gurgled up from her stomach. She would not be sick. Even breathing through her mouth almost triggered nausea. She unknotted the bandanna around her neck and covered her nose and mouth. Not that it helped much. Within yards of the trail she spotted something blue under a rhododendron bush. She held her breath and approached. Blue jeans and sneakers–with what was left of a body inside.

Midwest Book Review
Jemma Chase works as a trail leader on her parents' ranch, the Blue Falls, where she is also an accomplished photographer, carpenter and fixer-upper. Jemma has returned home in an effort to find some stability in her life, but things become tumultuous when someone begins poisoning dogs in Watauga County. Jemma is called in for an interview with Detective Tucker and bristles at his subtly accusing manner. A forensics fan, Jemma sets out to try to solve the riddle herself and keep Detective Tucker at bay. But when she stumbles upon the dead body of a neighbor, Jemma finds herself involved in a much more serious investigation and at odds with Tucker once again.
An established must-read romance author, Maggie Bishop has crossed into the mystery genre with finesse. Her latest novel is packed with suspense around a tightly-woven plot which begins with the poisoning of dogs and escalates to the murder of a local man. Throughout, she deliciously teases the reader with the bristly attraction between the investigating detective and the woman who found the man's body and who just might be a suspect. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Boone, North Carolina, with engaging characters, red herrings at every turn, and a galvanizing story line, this is a must-have, must-read. Highly recommended.
Christy Tillery French