Book Description: 

Born an Irish American Traveller, Quinn’s father and stepfamily raise her to be a con artist. Can she escape a binding marriage contract and a life of crime?

Jailed for theft, Quinn pays restitution working on a horse farm. Unfamiliar with horses, her love for them surprises her. They make her hope for a better world. Until the farm’s owner is brutally murdered and Quinn is the prime suspect.

On the run, Quinn uses every scam and con she knows to save herself. Can she find the real killer before she’s imprisoned for life or murdered because she knows too much?

A  mystery-thriller of deceit, murder, greed and hope, by multiple award-winning author, Sasscer Hill.

MY REVIEW: 

After reading Shooting Star by Sasscer Hill, I thought this story would be another murder mystery.  Instead, it’s a coming-of-age novel with a murder woven into it.

The backdrop of this book is the Irish American Traverlls which I found very interesting.  I was intrigued enough to do a Google search to see if they were real.  They are, but in very limited areas of the USA.  Probably why I’ve never heard of them. 

Born into one of these cloistered clans, Quinn was taught how to lie, cheat, and steal.  I love her character and found her relatable as she struggled with her feelings of guilt for scamming ‘country folk’ and dealing with her horrible step-mother and step-brother.  Maeve and Connor were perfect villains. Then Quinn’s life was turned upside down.

I also liked the Ballymoor farm.  I could smell the sweet hay and hear the nickering of the Gypsy Vanners.  Made me want to live there.   

I was really enjoying the story until I got to the end which was a disappointment for me.  As a con artist, Quinn should not have been so trusting and trapped the way she was.  The plot twists were too obvious, and the police would not have shown up as fast as they did during a raging hurricane.

If you’re looking for a coming-of-age story with a sweet romance, mystery, and horses, you will enjoy this book.  I give it 4 stars.