Blood Reins: A Detective Sandra Cameron Mystery

By Michael Joens

Working with her beloved quarter stallion Buster Brown at a horse show competition, Detective Sandra Cameron begins to recover from the shooting that took her partner's life, and nearly her own. Her hard-won peace of mind, however, is shattered by the death of Chet Gundry, a world-renowned "horse whisperer," ladies' man, diabetic, and dear friend. Chet was a superstar in the equestrian universe, until someone spiked his insulin vial and reined him in, permanently. When Sandy discovers that her colleague Burbank detective Tom Rigby considers her a prime suspect in Chet's murder, her emotional and spiritual recovery is shaken to the core. A second murder of an equestrian insider forces Sandy back on track. Putting aside their now shaky relationship, Sandy and Tom must pool their resources in order to stop a killer who will kill again, and again, to cover up a federal crime that would blow the lid off the equestrian industry. Set against a dazzling Southern California milieu of high-dollar quarter horse shows, world-class stallions, and breeders with enormous egos, "Blood Reins" is a fast-paced police procedural that explores a deadly arena where the crowning of champions can provoke murderous consequences.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312321058
• ISBN13: 9780312321055
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Blood Reins

Awsome story with just enough horse to make it good. I am usually very critical of any equine errors but found none in this book. Really enjoyed.

Another Story Reflecting the Author's Passion

"Blood Reins" is the follow-up in the Detective Sandra Cameron series from the starting novel, "An Animated Death in Burbank," and once again, it reflects one of the authors' passions and something he knows a great deal about. The first story featured a murder mystery within the animation industry (Michael Joens has past week in the animation field.) and in this novel, the plot revolves around people involved in horse-racing and breeding. Our heroine, Sandra Cameron is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the events of the past story. She's having nightmares as well as breakdowns and although her relationship with Tom Rigby, as well the kitten Sylvie he gave to her, have helped, she's still pretty messed up. Things only seem to go from bad to worse when the murder case in this novel, of horse trainer Chet Gundry, ends up involving both her and her father as potential suspects. As the story unfolds, there are more deaths and more potential suspects as well. The web grows quite complicated and the strain takes its toll on both Sandra and Tom. It'll keep you guessing right up to the end. I didn't enjoy "Blood Reins" quite as much as "An Animated Death in Burbank," but overall it was still a great story. It's probably just because I have an interest in animation, but don't really care much about horses. Still, if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you'll probably like this one. And I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Blood Reins:A Detective Sandra Cameron Mystery

Wonderful book! I am rarely surprised at who the murderer is. But in both Blood Reins and an animated murder in Burbank I was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Joens is an excellent author and I highly recommend all of his books.

Accurate and entertaining

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not only were the plot and characters well-written and entertaining, the factual information regarding the horse show industry was pretty accurate. This is fairly rare in a novel. I enjoyed the main characters, Sandy and Tom, and felt that both were fleshed out well. Their relationship faced ordinary obstacles -- jealousy, mistrust, uncertainty -- amongst unusual circumstances. The support characters were consistent, which is often difficult for authors to achieve. Additionally, there were enough hazy references to the first book in the series (which I have not yet read) to pique my interest. I look forward to picking it up soon.

A Thoroughbred in a Quarterhorse Arena

This is a well paced story with unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing up until the surprising conclusion. Sandra and Tom are shown to be more than just detectives, they are individuals that are complex and compelling. Like Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn of the Tony Hillerman novels, I want to see them at work, because I want to know the characters better.