At Risk
Steve Cline Mysteries, no. 1
Publisher Description
"It's amazing what horses can do for a mystery. Kit Ehrman's debut novel, At Risk, reeks of authenticity, and the hunters and jumpers that are boarded at this no-frills garage have personality to burn. When seven of these horses are stolen in the dead of night, Stephen Cline, the 21-year-old barn manager . . . in the honored tradition of a Dick Francis hero, vows to track down the thieves . . ." ~Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
"Both horse lovers and crime fans who've never stepped into a stirrup will relish Ehrman's riveting debut . . . Ehrman treads Dick Francis territory with a sure foot [and] has created a memorable cast. With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again." ~Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Both horse lovers and crime fans who've never stepped into a stirrup will relish Ehrman's riveting debut, set on a Maryland horse farm. When his successful surgeon father disowns him after he drops out of college, 21-year-old Stephen Cline takes a job as barn manager of Foxdale Farm, which specializes in the training and boarding of thoroughbred jumpers. In the middle of a late February night, Steve visits the stable to medicate a sick horse only to stumble on a horse theft in progress. Haunted by the events of that night after barely escaping from being kidnapped and murdered, Steve resolves to track down the perpetrators before they find him. In spite of the warnings of state police detective James Ralston, he continues his search to unravel what becomes a suspenseful mystery, but not before he puts himself in grave peril. The cold, wet Maryland spring vividly turns to summer amid the smells of horses, hay and sawdust as the plot gallops forward. As a former groom, veterinary assistant and barn manager, Ehrman treads Dick Francis territory with a sure foot. From Steve's girl-crazy friend, Marty, to the motherly farm manager, Mrs. Hill, to the ruthless villains who leave more than one body in their wake, she has created a memorable cast. The sensitively drawn relationship between Steve and the alluring Rachel, a boarder at Foxdale, is one of the novel's highlights. With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again.
Customer Reviews
At risk
I enjoyed the book,knowing about horses helps somehow but i recommend it for everybody, about 15 per cent shorter and I should had rate it excellent, read it and you shall see
Ending
Why in the hell would you tell the ending to the novel in your review? Really how rude!!!!
Pretty Good
Not a bad story, kept you interested, but I don't think the author is an animal lover, especially in the end. There was no story line significance to killing the horse in the end, the cat I guess was part of the story( although I dont feel it was that important) but there was no reason for Chase to have to be "destroyed", I would rather have seen the cop die.