Book Review: A Bull by the Horns
A Bull by the Horns. Deb Donahue. Red Door Press, August 2016, Trade Paperback and E-book, 214 pages.
Reviewed by Starza Thompson.
Carina Coffman wants nothing more than to transform her family farm into an artist’s retreat. After receiving the required approvals, her dream finally comes true. Unfortunately, only a couple hours into the first evening of that dream, one of the nation’s most prominent authors is found impaled on the horns of a taxidermied bull.
From cozy colony to hectic murder scene, Carina’s farm transforms in front of her eyes. The reader, through Carina, has to figure out who killed this author and why. When everyone has a motive and no one is perfect, A Bull by the Horns by Deb Donahue will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Donahue is no stranger to farm life and has a handful of murder mysteries under her belt. Much like her previous books, A Bull by the Horns comes with a suspenseful and surprising ending.
The farm setting seems an unlikely place for a murder mystery, but Donahue does an excellent job of weaving her knowledge of farming into the intricate story of the murder.
I found the premise of this novel enjoyable and refreshing. Combining farming and the typical worries of crops, nosy neighbors, and the legacy of the Coffman name with the quirky artists in residence and the complications of a murder, makes for an interesting read. Add in a part-time sheriff as the main character’s husband and you have a lot of action being carried out by a character (Carina) who wouldn’t otherwise have much to do with a murder investigation. Tension, guessing—and second guessing—and questioning the motives of every character, makes this story a true delight to read.
While I enjoyed the story immensely, the characters would have benefited from some changes. Carina and her husband seemed far older than their late twenties—their mannerisms were better suited for people approaching 60, not 30. While Carina has been married for a number of years, and was a very mature person, it was hard to picture her as so young. Some research into the mannerisms of twenty-somethings in rural America would have been extremely beneficial to these characters.
Additionally, the secondary characters, from the artists in residence to nosy neighbor Bill, seemed two-dimensional. There were hints of who these people were in parts of the story, but not much more. The novel is short, and a few chapters spent fleshing out these characters would have made this a much stronger story.
Although many characters could benefit from more development, the story was still fun to read. There was suspense, tension, and a little humor—all essential items when telling a good whodunit.
A Bull by the Horns is a great, easy read for anyone who knows that farm life is not as simple as it may seem. If you’re interested in a murder mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the last chapter, then this book is for you.