A Famine of Horses

June 18, 1592 near Carlisle where Sergeant Henry Dodd and his men have followed a trail, which has led them to the body of a man, who has been shot in the back.  It doesn’t take long for Dodd’s men to identify the body as Sweetmilk Geordie.  He is the youngest of Jock of Peartrees.  If Jock finds out, there will be hell to pay.  They must get the body back to the castle in Carlisle so that an inquest can be held.

Later that evening Dodd is called upon to go meet the new Deputy Warden; Sir Robert Carey.  Sir Richard Lowther is not impressed with the appointment.  He had thought that it would be his.

Carey immediately sets about bringing the men and arms under his care up to snuff.  He also learns that there are hardly any horses in the area.  They seem to have disappeared to Scotland.

Carey also begins an investigation into the death of Sweetmilk.  He also has a cattle raid to deal with.  Having cut it off, some men are captured and the cattle recovered and returned to their owners.  Of course, Carey takes a fee.

However, this is only the start of issues.  Dodd’s own farm is raided and his horses are taken by Jock of Peartrees.  Carey promises Dodd and his wife Janet that he will get the horses back.  He also learns that the man behind the horse thefts is the Earl of Bothwell.  He plans on visiting him in disguise.

How will that turn out?  Author P. F. Chisholm’s first mystery in this series has the answer to that, also why there is a famine of horses, plus the answer to who killed Sweetmilk.  This was a rollicking good read, which I throughly enjoyed.