Death By A Dark Horse by Susan Schreyer

Thea Campbell arrives at the stable where her prize horse, Blackie, lives for a ride, only to find him gone.  When she quizzes the stable employees, she realises that Blackie has been stolen, probably by Valerie Parsons, who seems to delight in creating chaos all around her.  Rich, beautiful and talented, Valerie goes through life grabbing everything she wants--and she has wanted Blackie for a long time.

Thea drives to Valerie's farm to retrieve her horse but finds something much worse than a stolen animal.  Valerie is there, her skull crushed, very dead.  Who could have killed her?  There is no shortage of suspects.  The police suspect Thea, who had the motive of her horse.  Valerie had been involved in an affair with a local cowboy, very much married.  She had also been making moves on Thea's sister's new boyfriend.  Then there was her own boyfriend, Greg, who had planned to propose the day Valerie was killed.  There were also nefarious business dealings going on that could have provided a motive.

This is Susan Schreyer's debut mystery, and she can't write another one fast enough to suit me.  The pace is fast and engaging, the characters believable.  Thea is an independent woman who cares for her family and friends, and is determined to solve the mystery before the police.  The reader is introduced to the world of horse dressage trials along with the fascinating mystery.  All the threads are resolved satisfactorily in the end.  This book is recommended for all mystery readers.