Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Elaina Estes's stubborn risk-taking has cost her dearly: her job, her confidence, her career in the narcotics division of the Miami PD and, most importantly, the life of a fellow cop. Now in retreat in Florida with only the soothing presence of horses for company, Elaina begins to find some peace. But then a visitor comes calling.
Twelve-year-old Molly Sebright believes something terrible has happened to her older stepsister. Erin, eighteen and trouble, is a groom at the Wellington show grounds but hasn't been seen for several days. Elaina isn't interested in the case but Molly convinces her to make one trip to the show grounds. What's the harm in asking a few questions?
But when people don't want to give up their secrets, the harm in that can be deadly. Elaina finds herself in a world populated by the ultra-rich and the ultra-ruthless, a world where anything can be had for a price - including a human life. Elaina begins to realise she must find out what's happened to Erin before it's too late to save the girl - and herself.
Elena Estes needs escape. All her life, she's made choices with a wilfulness she took pride in. But that stubborn risk-taking has cost her dearly: her job, her confidence, her career in the narcotics division of the Palm County Sherriff's Office, and most importantly, the life of a fellow cop. Now in retreat in Florida, Estes seeks peace. Then a visitor comes calling.
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Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
Elaina Estes, dark horse, ex-cop, loose cannon, and refugee from the high society of South Florida, hovers on the brink of suicide, waiting for a reason to live. That reason appears in the guise of Molly Seebright, a very adult 12-year-old whose older sister Erin is missing. Elaina is drawn into the case in spite of herself and despite the lack of interest from Molly's parents and the local sheriff's office. Elaina uncovers a snake pit of treachery, greed, and murder involving the Palm Beach horse set and the people who serve them. By immersing herself in the case and risking her life for Molly, Elaina redeems herself in her own eyes and begins to think about her future. With a reading by Beth McDonald, Hoag's story is complex and dark, full of counterplots and red herrings. Her depiction of depravity and evil as human norms is disturbing, allowing small hope that the dark horse, the underdog representing goodness and sanity, can prevail. Recommended.-Joanna M. Burk-hardt, Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, Providence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
The professional horse world, as seen through Hoag's eyes, is full of intrigue, glitter and skullduggery. Elena Estes is a former cop whose bravado on the force resulted in a colleague's death; it also cost her her job and her self-esteem, not to mention the psychological and physical fallout from nearly being shot. She's been keeping a low profile at a friend's Florida ranch, but her world is disrupted when 12-year-old Molly Seabright, wise beyond her years, attempts to hire Elena to find her older sister, Erin, who has been missing for two days. As Elena digs deeper into Erin's disappearance, the dark side of the horse-show set is revealed. Hoag (Night Sins; Dust to Dust), herself an experienced equestrian, shows off her dressage-to-showing knowledge of the sport as she weaves behind-the-scenes tidbits about the training, competitions, horse brokers and grooms into a plot that gallops along. Though she is a master of suspense, the story falters when a major secret about the kidnapping is exposed. There are too many bad guys who may be in on the scheme, and readers will feel cheated by the improbable 11th-hour revelation. It's too bad Hoag felt the need to undercut her plot with schemes and counterschemes, since she finds plenty of tension in the equestrian world she examines here and doesn't need the contrivance. Nonetheless, she has enough skill and drawing power to propel this, her 10th book, onto bestseller lists. Major ad/promo. (Aug. 27) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Welcome to the dark psyche of Elena Estes, a woman who had everything that society has to offer but gave it away to become a cop, and now even that life is lost. She made a mistake during a drug bust, an officer died, and she was badly hurt. Now she's a pariah in the Palm Beach sheriff's office. She retreats to the farm of an old friend, and returns to her childhood love of horse, while she recovers physically if not emotionally. Twelve-year-old Molly Seabright brings Elena back to the world of the living by asking her to find her missing 18-year-old sister, Erin, who works as a groom. Neither the police nor her parents believe anything is wrong, but Molly is persistent. Elena agrees to investigate and soon lands knee-deep in the muck of the horse world, where she finds horses murdered for insurance money, sleazy dealers, debauched playboys, charismatic trainers, and one infuriating cop. A tangled web of deceit and double-dealing makes for a fascinating look into the wealthy world of horses juxtaposed with the realistic introspection of one very troubled ex-cop. A definite winner for Hoag. --Patty Engelmann