Field of Dead Horses - Softcover

Returning to 1939, Elliott Chapel recounts a tale of intrigue and suspense which unfolds on a small Kentucky farm which he inherited from his father. His father, Paul Chapel, was a highly respected horse trainer whose wife died giving birth to Elliott. Paul Chapel sank into a life of whisky and memories and his curmudgeonly treatment of his son is only surpassed by his seeming disdain for everyone else, except perhaps for Booley, a self-educated and wise black man who manages much of the farm's daily affairs. One day, soon after dawn's early light, Elliott and Booley are inspecting the fencing on the border of the property when they discover the body of a young woman, beaten and bloodied, laying in the cold shallows of Penny Creek. This discovery of the woman who is revealed to be the mayor's young wife, brings the ignorant and bullying Sheriff Crease to the property and thus begins a saga of mystery, love and intrigue which will captivate readers both old and young.A famed industrialist sends his prized racehorse to The Chapel Farm—assuming that Paul Chapel is still the trainer—and Elliott is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train that "one horse that can change your life"...he is, however, caught in a net of intrigue that threatens his life and his family farm. The quiet strength and decency of Elliott Chapel, the irrepressible humor and wisdom of Booley, the brutal threat of Sheriff Crease, and the vulnerability of all that the Chapels hold dear against the backdrop of life on a small farm and the excitement of Thoroughbred Racing provide a truly exciting and charming read that will remind some readers of "Bridges of Madison County" and "Sea Biscuit"...

Small Town...Big Secret Georgetown, Kentucky, 1939...soon after dawn on a February morning, Elliott Chapel discovers an unconscious, bloodied, young woman lying face up in the cold waters of Penny Creek. Days later, awakening from her hypothermic coma, Ellie Evans finds herself on the Chapel Farm. Once she explains her plight as the abused wife of a powerful man, Elliott offers her and her son a place to stay and vows to keep them from harm.For both Ellie and Elliott, life under the same roof is a challenge—with the cantankerous Paul Chapel, Elliott's father who spends his retirement days drinking whiskey with his aging coonhound by his side. Elliott has taken over the daily operations of the horse farm with his assistant, Booley. Unusual for the time—when blacks were subservient to whites—Booley manages a small staff and helps Elliott attempt the impossible with the newly-acquired horse of a high-profile client. Ellie pitches in and helps out when she can and helps change the mood of the busy farm with her sweet charm and culinary skills, even getting on the good side of the bad-tempered Paul Chapel. Just when daily life settles into an enjoyable rhythm, a violent struggle erupts when the malicious Mayor Evans descends on the farm with the county sheriff and two deputies. Armed with shotguns, they remove Ellie and her son from the farm, against her will.Narrated by Elliott five decades later, he recalls the incident on the Chapel Farm and subsequent events which ultimately reveal the long-kept secret—hidden in a small town since 1939.