Jody Jaffe

Ordinarily, I would read a mystery about show horses only if it were the last book on the face of the earth. But... once, many moons ago, I knew Jody Jaffe so when I found out she had a new life as a mystery author, I had to check it out. She's done good! If you are a horse lover (which I'm still not) or have every lived in Charlotte, NC (which I definitely have), you'll enjoy this story. I don't remember ever reading a mystery set in Charlotte before and it's a great place to set a story, show more especially if you know it as well as Jody does - she's got the place and the people down cold. The story hangs together really well. She has another one out now with the same protagonist (newspaper reporter) and I'm going to have to go read that one now! (reviewed in 1996) show less

While I still could care less about horse, Jody's mysteries offer much more. This, her second one, has a good story. But, my main attraction is her characters. I really am interested in all of them and I think this is because they have serious credibility. On the downside, her stories are sprinkled with references to food and eating places that I grew up with and now cannot get any more - my stomach suffers incredible envy with each chapter! In Chestnut, her protagonist, reporter Nattie show more Gold, weaves another complicated mystery into her life covering the fashion pages. (That does not sound interesting, but it really is... I promise.) show less

Great, fun mystery. Natalie Gold is a report at a Charlotte newspaper covering fashion and she gets a shot at a murder because she knows horses. Jaffe has written a good mystery and horse book, true to both worlds.