Commander Speaks - 1506

Jody Jaffe, author of the Nattie Gold horse-show mystery series featured in People Magazine, is back with another funny and biting commentary about the rarified world of show horses. While "Commander Speaks" celebrates the deep bond between horse and human, it also exposes the sometimes dark underbelly of the Hunter/Jumper show world. Commander, a German show jumper recently imported to the U.S. for a successful mystery writer, won’t stop biting his new owner. She hires an animal communicator to talk to Commander to find out why he’s biting. That's an easy fix. Not so easy to fix are the crimes Commander is witnessing at his barn, crimes that he insists be stopped immediately. This unlikely trio -- the horse, the animal communicator and the mystery writer -- sets out to solve the murder of one of America's most despicable horse trainers, who has an eye for underage girls, and save a groom wrongly accused of drugging a horse. "Commander Speaks" is mostly a funny look at this world. How could a book starring a talking horse with large opinions and an even bigger heart be anything but humorous? However, the humor stops when Commander and his crew take a hard look at predatory behavior in equine sports and horse abuse, both of which happen all too often. Praise for "Commander Speaks": “A brilliant novel! A wonderful steeplechase of a plot, utterly real characters and a voice that is distinctively Jody Jaffe. That combo is a surefire winner! I read ‘Commander Speaks’ in one sitting, and I guarantee you will too!" — Jeffery Deaver, author of the Colter Shaw novels, the basis for CBS’s “Tracker” “Think Mr. Ed meets Agatha Christie. ‘Commander Speaks’ is a funny who-done-it straight from the horse’s mouth.” —David Handler, Edgar Award-winning author of the Stewart Hoag mysteries “Move over, Mr. Ed! ‘Commander Speaks’ is a delightful mix: murder mystery, romance and an insightful and authoritative portrayal of the sometimes cutthroat world of horse shows. At the center is a talking horse whose talents extend from jumping to eavesdropping. Commander is loyal, finicky and endlessly analytical as he tries to make sense of the humans surrounding him. With her engaging style and large dollops of humor, Jaffe gives her readers a ride they won’t forget.” —Len Kruger, author of “Bad Questions,” the 2023 winner of the Washington Writers’ Publishing House Fiction Award Praise for Jaffe's other mysteries: “Jaffe…amusingly satirizes both the newspaper business and the horsey set without slowing her galloping plot by a single stride.” —People Magazine, Page-Turner of the Week “Entertaining…Surprising and satisfying. —Los Angeles Times “Delightful…I hope Natalie Gold doesn't wait too long before jumping back into the suspense-story saddle again.” —Washington Post Book World “Former Charlotte Observer staff writer, Jody Jaffe, knows words and horses. It makes sense her first mystery novel (‘Horse of a Different Killer’) would be about the equine world and move at a full gallop. She scorches the ground.” —The Virginian-Pilot “Relax and enjoy Nattie's ingratiating complaints about everything from the dearth of good men on the show-jumping circuit to the problems of being Jewish during a Dixie Yuletide.” — Kirkus Reviews “Jaffe gallops into the winner's circle…” — Publishers Weekly starred review “A tight, no-way-to-put-it down whodunit that’ll keep you guessing, gasping, and chuckling to the end.” —Lexington Herald-Leader “Shades of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Silver Blaze!…Bright, lively, self-consciously a Philadelphia yenta, [Nattie is] a most appealing guide." —Kirkus Reviews
ASIN: B0DRPMHJSY
VSKU: PKV.B0DRPMHJSY.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Jaffe, Jody
Binding: Paperback