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A KEVIN R. TIPPLE BOOK REVIEW: In The Arms Of The Enemy by Patricia Guthrie
In The Arms Of The Enemy By Patricia Guthrie Lightsword Publishing http://lightswordpublishing.com/ 2007 ISBN #978-0-9792030-0-8 ARC
For the passionate redheaded Maggie McGregor it was bad enough to train the race horse "Black Autumn" only to have Ricky Lane claim all the credit when the horse won the twentieth running of the Kalian Derby. In fact, she had trained all the horses at Lane Stables and "Black Autumn" was her proof of her abilities. The fact that Ricky Lane took credit was horrible and the fact that he was her fiancé made it worse. That day she took her blinders off and saw Ricky for what he was.
She went back home to the McGregor ranch and was there when news reached her of the death not only of "Black Autumn" but of Ricky and the horse's owner George Blakely in separate incidents. The news piled on top of Ricky's treachery and lingering suspicions by others of her involvement in the deaths convinced her to stay on the family ranch and out of the training business. That was until George Blakely's son, Jonathan Adam Blakely, descended upon the ranch moments before a near miss by a tornado. He certainly isn't all that he appears to be and while an instant attraction escalates into a passionate romance, a killer is determined to be rid of Maggie McGregor one way or another.
Labeled as "romantic suspense" this mystery is an enjoyable read. The romance is a strong theme and is at times a bit graphic though never in a condescending way. Events develop through character and plotlines and naturally lead to passion through the first half of the novel. At the same time, the mystery of the killings gradually moves to the forefront of the work and takes over for the second half of the novel. The theme of love of horses is depicted throughout the work. The result is a light enjoyable romantic mystery that will appeal to many readers. One doesn't know if this is the beginning of a series or not, but it is clear that there is large potential for one here with a slew of interesting characters.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2007 |