Blood in the Bluegrass by Virginia Slachman


Blood in the Bluegrass
Title : Blood in the Bluegrass
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Kindle Edition
Number of Pages : 265
Publication : Published November 12, 2019

Harper had put the past behind her. Or so she thought. Fleeing the flashy, high dollar world of Kentucky horse racing for NYC, she'd been content living the life of a successful painter. But escape isn't an option after the accidental death of her sister sends her back to the Bluegrass, a horse racing world filled with hope and heartbreak. As the body count rises as Eden Hill, Harper becomes convinced her sister's death was no accident. Probing more deeply, Harper realizes Paris' death is tied to a dark and deadly secret, one she discovers is why her racehorses are dying. Solving her sister's murder and saving her family's stud farm will take every ounce of Harper's wit and courage. When seven skeletons are discovered on the grounds, and the barn with her best Kentucky Derby prospects is set on fire, Harper bears down to find the killer. The problem is, the culprit could be anyone: Is it JD, her childhood sweetheart, Marshall, their long-time trainer, or is it their nasty neighbor Red Cole, in partnership with her family for generations?

Someone is on a killing spree, and though Harper doesn't know why, she is sure of one thing--the murderer is someone she's known and trusted her whole life.

Blood in the Bluegrass Reviews

  • Sarah Hickner

    Harper’s sister is dead and she’s got to come home and run the farm. Only the deaths don’t end with her sister. Not only are people dropping, but the horses aren’t even safe. There’s secrets at every turn and the deeper she digs she finds secrets that even her sister kept from her.
    As a horseman who spent a couple years working in the racing industry in Kentucky, I really enjoyed this murder mystery set on an illustrious breeding farm. The horse stories sounded so accurate with their personalities and care. The interwoven story with the horse doping was eye opening as I’m sure that’s an issue but never something i dealt with.
    There were a couple things I would change. First, Harper is alone in a big house and people are dropping like flies all around her, yet she doesn’t seem scared at all. Is that even possible? I think even the bravest person would be extremely alert at least. And there is a blissful tad of romance at the very end. It would have been great to have that romance arrive a little earlier. What can I say? I like a little romance string along in my books 🤷🏻‍♀️.
    Also it wasn’t too difficult to see whodunnit from the beginning, although you don’t figure out the motives and most of the side players until the end.
    Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It’s not my typical genre and I’m glad I stepped away from my normal genre for a minute.

  • Christine Meunier

    Harper Hill has returned from her city living, to the family stud farm. Her sister Piper is dead. Harper suspects foul play even though the death was ruled as an accident. The question is though: who? As Harper investigates possibilities, she finds a lot is happening under the surface of her family farm. How was she unaware of so many things when she was so close to her sister? They shared everything, didn’t they?

    Read more at
    https://equus-blog.com/blood-in-the-b...

  • Kristin

    As a fan of the Dick Francis/Felix Francis novels, I was immediately intrigued by the first novel in the Bluegrass series. I heard about it in an issue of St. Louis Magazine and learned the author was local - which helped me fill a prompt in the 2023 Pick Your Poison reading challenge.
    It was a good read, but I think it would have been better if the point of view was consistently from the protagonist Harper.
    I will plan to read the next two books in the series.

  • Chris Christiansen

    Harper Hill is in the middle of murder and mystery upon her return to Eden Hill Stud. This is a mystery/thriller set in the Kentucky horse racing country. Fast paced and well-written. My only knock on it is I had a pretty good idea of how it would unwind at the end but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

  • Carlynn Stevenson

    I have not posted on Goodreads for a while and I regret not posting my thoughts on this book earlier, it was a great read and I really enjoyed it. It kept my interest the throughout the whole book.

  • Kenneth Hardcastle

    Harper Hill is a New York artist called back home to Kentucky after the death of her younger sister Paris. There’s nobody in her family left to run the stud farm Eden Hill, a task she willingly resumes. Once she does, however, it becomes clear that things are very wrong. Her general manager is murdered, the farm is in great debt, and the horses are suffering injuries consistent with the use of illegal drugs. Can Harper solve the mysteries and save her family’s legacy?

    The story was intriguing, and I needed to know what happened. Unfortunately, it was a difficult journey with a lot of cliches. The book relied on a person’s foreknowledge or interest in horse breeding and racing terms. It seemed like the author heard advice to create a crisis whenever she got stuck - and a crisis follows every other chapter. The culprits turned out to be exactly the people you might expect, with the best means and motives. In the most troubling note, almost all of the Latino characters were either dead or implicated in the drug trade by the end of the book.

    I did appreciate a perspective into a life about which I know nothing. On the whole, it was not meant for me.

  • Tiffany

    Excellent

    This book is well written, interesting, and intense. It has all the markers for a cozy mystery. It is fairly long and has a lot of characters, but I give it a thumbs up!