"A different kind of mystery"
Thirty-six sperm whales died on an isolated Oregon beach.
Two months later, sixteen European jumping horses followed
by twenty-two Spanish Mustangs are murdered in various
atrocities. A group forms called the Ad Hoc Committee to
Save the Spanish Mustang. They hire Portland, Oregon
based private investigating partners John Denson, Annie
Dancer, and Willie Sees the Night to learn who and why the
horses are being slaughtered. The trio goes down their own paths trying to solve the
mystery. Former reporter John seeks logical links even
tying the dead horses back to the whale tragedy; ex-FBI
agent Annie uses her information technology skills and
links to look for serial killer patterns. Willie using
hallucinatory drugs walks the out of body ethereal path of
following the souls of the horses in their afterlife. As
the threesome converges, evidence points towards the
family of TV journalist Erika von Bayer, but which member
and his or her motive remain unknown. Readers will have to expand their horizons to accept what
is reality in this weird private investigative tale in
which anything is possible in the Hoyt universe. The
story line is fun to follow due to the strange sleuth
partners. John tries to emulate Holmes; Annie applies
profiling to identify an animal killer; while Willie is
tripping on some other plane that perhaps the Amazing
Randi might debunk or be convinced. To appreciate the
center of weirdness theme inside and outside a fine who-
done-it, readers will need to shelve reality, but it is
worth the trip. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted May 6, 2004
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