Girls and Their Horses
June 2, 2023

Book Review

Girls and Their Horses

reviewed by Pam Guynn

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier takes readers to the world of horse training and shows. This dark story shines a light on the friendships, competitiveness, unpleasantness, and viciousness that can exist in this environment. The newly rich Parker family moves from Texas to Rancho Santa Fe in southern California. Jeff Parker is busy working, traveling back and forth between the two states.

Meanwhile Heather is determined to give her daughters, Piper and Maple, the opportunities she didn’t get, starting with horses. However, Piper refuses the opportunity due to how controlling Heather was in Texas. Meanwhile Maple starts lessons and Heather becomes a “Barn Mom.” She becomes part of the group of wealthy women who hang out all day at the stables. The Parker family soon becomes fully engaged in the horse world. The end-of-summer horse show approaches quickly, increasing pressure on the riders and on the mothers.

The author does a great job on characterization. Readers get an excellent feel for Heather, Piper, and Maple as well as Heather’s new friend Pamela and her daughter, Vida. Additionally, the stable owner and head trainer, Kieran Flynn, and the top rider Douglas Dunn are well-developed characters. All of these characters transform in attitude or outlook as the events unfold. However, their actions might not be what you expect. Many are not likeable, yet there was a compelling need to find out what they might do or say next.

Besides great characterization, the author brings the world of horse training to life. Her experience and knowledge as a rider, horse trainer, and riding instructor made the scenes come to life. The narrative transported me to this competitive and manipulative setting. However, the book moved back and forth in time and switched points of view between five characters and nine interviews with a police detective. For me, this adversely affected the flow of the novel as well as my overall enjoyment.

Despite this, I enjoyed the book. Everyone had agendas and it was difficult to determine exactly who was dead until well into the story. Relationships drive the narrative and it has dramatic depths that I didn’t expect. Besides the themes mentioned in the first paragraph, the author weaves in family dynamics, romance, manipulation, death, money or the lack of it, infidelity, sabotage, bullying, loneliness, secrets, and fear.

Overall, the book was a slow-burn suspenseful read with plenty of drama. This novel should delight those readers who enjoy mysteries and horses.

Berkley Publishing Group and Eliza Jane Brazier provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for June 06, 2023.

Girls and Their Horses available at:

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