With Lonny's wife potentially back in the picture, horse vet Gail McCarthy has a lot on her mind already. So when a horse breaks a leg at a roping, and an old schoolmate claims it wasn't an accident, she's (for once) reluctant to get involved. Unfortunately, fate has different ideas. Someone may be stalking Gail's friend Lisa and her family. Suspects abound, from the ranch owners frigid wife to the hired help, and animal rights protesters to old rivals.

Once again, Crum interweaves a major issue - in this case, animal rights - with enough jealousy, greed, and good old human cussedness to make things interesting. I'll stand by my earlier review for this series: Crum writes a good equine mystery. ( )