Sheila Malory's old friends Charlie and Jo Hamilton run a popular riding school in the quiet English town of Taviscombe. When Charlie is found dead in his stables from a blow to the headwith only his horses as witnesses to his final momentsthe entire community is shaken. Especially since Charlie's is just the first in a series of shocking and suspicious deaths. Always ready with a cup of tea and an ear to the latest gossip, Mrs. Malory finds herself back in the saddle trying to solve another mystery. But the trail of clues, from an unlucky horseshoe to a lethal electric fence, proves to be anything but a smooth ride.