Hattie Beaumont is the well-known, well-off owner of a
stud
farm in Kentucky. Michael Rhineheart isn't sure why this
grand dame of racing needs to employ a PI, let alone one
as
marginalised as himself. Still, he's not turning down
money. THE QUEEN'S MARE is named Winterset, and she and
her
new colt have been kidnapped. The ransom demand is a
million dollars.
Ms. Beaumont doesn't want publicity, and the police would
order her not to pay a ransom because it would put every
valuable horse at risk of copycat theft. She's Chairman of
the stud's board and facing an unfriendly takeover. The
sooner this is resolved the better. She just wants Mickey
to deal with the kidnappers for her. And yes, Winterset
belongs to the actual Queen of England, who will be
visiting the stud farm soon. The publicity implications
could not be worse.
Mickey feels out of his depth, but accepts the job and
assesses the inadequate security at the time of the kidnap
compared to the professional firm now in place - a real
case of bolting the stable door too late. He's got to talk
to the stable hands, trying to find who is responsible,
but
he doesn't want to spook the kidnappers into harming the
mare. For a start, how about business enemies of Ms
Beaumont? Or maybe someone closer to home. Oddly, half the
area seems to know what he is involved in better than he
does. His associate McGraw, who is mostly his secretary,
is
a keen young lady who is responsible for much of the
strong
language in the story, while an even younger lady, a bored
teen relative of Ms Beaumont, is precocious and up for
trouble.
Just as in the earlier book in this series, I see no
reason
why a socialite would decide to jump into bed with a
scruffy stranger, but Mickey seems to collect that sort of
woman. Maybe it's just par for the course in this genre.
Private eye fans will enjoy this twisting and action-
packed
story, in which I have to say there are again more dead
bodies than horses. The atmosphere is well brought to life
by John Birkett, who has won a Shamus Award, and the 1990
reprint reminds us of a time before the internet and
mobile
phone made life both simpler and more complex. THE QUEEN'S
MARE will keep you waiting to see if the mare and foal
turn
up, and whether the Queen is amused.
All bets are off when it comes to kidnap, mayhem, and murder … When the "Grand Dame of Kentucky Racing" enlists private eye Michael Rhineheart to deliver the ransom for a kidnapped broodmare and her foal, Rhineheart thinks it will be a speedy transaction. But what should have been a simple mission turns into a deadly double-cross, and soon Rhineheart is on the hunt for the horses … and a ruthless killer. Fans of Dick Francis will love Birkett's hardboiled gumshoe and his Kentucky bluegrass flavor.
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