New Zealand 1880 : A body in a ditch, a missing wife, money in short supply, and a stud horse wanted by the leader of a brutal Australian gang - Sergeant Frank Hardy has a lot to handle. The fourth book in this gripping historical mystery series set in New Zealand in the 1880s continues the story of ex-Diehard Sergeant Frank Hardy and Danish settler Mette Jensen, now his wife. The temperance movement has taken hold in New Zealand , and the country is locked in the depths of a depression as a new land war threatens. When Sergeant Hardy and his new wife find themselves in financial straits, Hardy takes on Dead Shot , a stallion from a town near the front wanted by a brutal Australian gang trying to take over the racing world. Murder soon follows. When Hardy's wife disappears, apparently kidnapped by the gang, Hardy must track down the mysterious leader of the gang and take him out of commission. This well-researched novel is for lovers of historical thrillers set in unusual locations who enjoy Anne Perry, Charles Todd and Rhys Bowen, or readers who enjoy Dick Francis' racing thrillers. Note: The three books are best read in order.