The day doesn't go as planned however. Natalie arrives at the posh Anyday Farms to meet Sarah Jane, only to find her good friend, homicide detective Tony Odom, there instead. The farm owner, a universally disliked woman named Fuzzy McMahon, has been murdered, her body buried in the manure pile. Sarah Jane is a prime suspect after having a screaming argument with the victim only days before, and she has disappeared --- along with Nattie's father, Lou.

Nattie tends to be a snoop at the best of times, but now she has a strong personal reason to find Sarah Jane, and to discover what really happened to Fuzzy. Slashed tires, a ransacked hotel room, and even gunshots do not deter her, but when someone threatens her beloved horse Brenda Starr, Nattie begins to be truly frightened.

Nattie's passion for horses gives the story an interesting background, and a feeling of authenticity. In a case with too many suspects (ask who didn't want to kill Fuzzy, why don't you?) and too little evidence, something extra is needed to solve the crime. The psychic element, already a subtle part of the series (Nattie has a "gift"), appears here in the form of Sarah Jane's ability to "talk" to horses, and the clues they pass along to Nattie are surprisingly on the mark.

Third in a strong new series, In Colt Blood is a good read, with likable, believable characters and a nice amount of suspense. I do think, however, that there must be some sort of rule saying that a series character's personal life must be screwed up. I had been enjoying Nattie's slowly building relationship with fellow reporter Henry Goode, which was developing interestingly in the previous books. This now seems to be going nowhere (he barely appears), while her unwise attraction to the married Tony heats up. This annoyance aside, I enjoyed In Colt Blood. The mystery itself is interesting, though not particularly compelling, but the real appeal is in the characters and the background. This Yankee's adventures in the New South are entertaining, and I look forward to more of them.

--Jeri Wright