Sixteen Horses

Product Information

This novel should begin with a caveat to the reader: “Do not begin this book while in a negative frame of mind. To do otherwise may result in severe depression.” Especially if the reader is an animal-lover.

Sixteen submerged heads, all apart, all with only the barest strand of skin on display, all with a single eye left exposed to the sun.” I have trained racehorses and practised as a vet for many years, and my motivation for working in this sport – like everyone in the industry – is my deep respect for thoroughbred horses. I fully understand why there is a lot of anger directed towards the protesters today by my industry colleagues and lovers of the sport.Great review Beverley! Thank you for the heads up about the animal cruelty. It’s an intriguing read by the sound of it but I am one of those who avoids this trigger! Illmarsh is a town that feels forgotten. It added to the atmosphere. I could picture the town on the coast very well, and Greg Buchanan evokes a real sense of place in his writing. Sixteen Horses is a very immersive book. It will definitely appeal to you if you’re a fan of Chris Whitaker. Here is a literary thriller unafraid to take chances, bending genre rules to its will” - New York Times It feels like this book takes place in an alternative universe. A near post apocalyptic feel to it. The book is so incredibly dark, a little like the constant chiming of a bell at a funeral. The thing is, this was hugely enjoyable to read. The claustrophobic foreboding that has been created by the author was simply brilliant. The sounds, the description of the town and its people, the atmospheric thrill give a gothic vibe that was mind-blowing. But there were parts of the story, like in the middle, that lost its grip on me. It doesn’t matter thou, honestly, even the unveiling of the mystery didn’t seem important whilst reading, coz the author mesmerizes you with his story-telling. The whole uneasy unsettling dark aura that Greg Buchanan creates in his debut is worth a read and for that alone, I am going with 3.5 stars.

I had read this book incredibly fast as it was just so good. It's a thriller about a dying town and then something even more horrible happens that just makes things worse. Someone had stole and killed sixteen horses, leaving the heads & tails in a farmer's muddy field. But that is actually just the beginning of the problems, because an unknown killer is out there: someone really twisted and demented. But who? Why? The horses had been stolen from numerous owners. The story also includes many cryptic notes that the Detective has to try and figure out. And why sixteen? Why sixteen horses and not only one or two? Why horses? The story is not really fast paced but a slow burn at a steady pace. And it does rise to a climax at the end too. There were also a few unexpected developments in the plot as well. The very sensitive reader will no doubt be shaken by the fate of the animals in the story, and that fact may cause a good many of them to leave the narration unfinished, opting for something lighter and perhaps less assaulting on the emotions. Animal Rising, the Extinction Rebellion offshoot group, sent its “deepest condolences” to Hill Sixteen on Sunday, but then immediately warned the chaos caused on Saturday was “just the start” of planned disruption this summer. Telegraph Sport understands greyhound racing events are likely to be targeted next – but other major racing events are not part of the current plan. No book should explain the motives and reasonings for a crime in an epilogue, especially not through a dialogue between the investigator and a therapist. That’s just so lazy!! and means that although you can guess who the killer is, you are never given any actual clues and reasons before the “big” reveal.

One Comment

At the start there was,” said De Boinville, “a feeling of real electricity. Everyone was fired up, once you’re called in for the first time, you’re revving the engine.”

In a small English town, sixteen horses heads are found buried on a nearby farm. Local detective Alec is on the case, but they call in forensic vet (who even knew that was a thing?) Cooper to help out.

Wrap Up

ILMARSH is a long-forgotten pleasure town, a place left to its own decay, devoid of anything new or exciting, a ghost town where every single thing is just waiting to fade into oblivion. But evil lurks in even the remotest corners of the earth as the heads of sixteen horses are discovered in WELL FARM by a farmer and his daughter. Thus starts the deciphering of the myriad strange things that are happening in the town by the lead detective sergeant Alec Nichols and forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen. Utterly brilliant. Poetry and cinema at once. If this isn’t one of the biggest titles of 2021 I’ll eat my hat.” It is rare that I plummet to the depths of a 2 star review but I struggled to engage with Sixteen Horses on multiple fronts. Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan is one of the most original crime novels I’ve read. If you’re a fan of literary crime fiction, then you need to read this book. Greg Buchanan is an exciting new voice.