Blood and Roses (Holly Jennings Thriller) - Softcover

Alexander, A.K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1611099633 ISBN 13: 9781611099638

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer, 2013

Synopsis

Someone is torturing and killing high-stakes players in the horse-racing world; all signs point to an animal activist gone rogue. But San Diego CSI Holly Jennings knows better. She’s seen enough violence in her time to know the difference between a killer bent on revenge and a killer seeking sheer destruction.

To stop him, Holly must venture beyond the gleaming facade of jockey silks and Derby hats into the seedy underbelly of the racing world, where ambition and greed trump ethics and fair play, and people will do anything—even kill—to win. But just when she thinks the killer is within her reach, a ghost from the past returns to threaten it all: her case, her job...and her life.

About this title

About the Author:

A. K. Alexander dreamed of being a writer since the age of nine, earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California before tackling fiction. Today she is the author of almost two dozen books—women’s fiction, paranormal novels, mysteries, and thrillers—including her recently re-issued debut novel, Covert Reich. A lifelong equestrian, she helps to run her family business manufacturing sports-medicine products for horses. She is a native of San Diego, California, and still lives there today with her family, which includes three kids, nine horses, four dogs, and a cat.

From Booklist:

San Diego CSI and detective Holly Jennings (Daddy’s Home, 2010) and her partner have hit roadblocks with the recent murders of two jockeys found with broken legs and carrots placed between their teeth. Months later, a racehorse owner linked to an animal-abuse scandal is found with mutilations resembling a brutal Thoroughbred medical treatment along with the carrot coup de grāce. The killer left cryptic notes on racing forms at each scene, indicating that the murders are revenge for industry abuses. Holly races from California tracks to Lexington’s horse farms vetting suspects among trainers, equine-medicine entrepreneurs, racing investors, and animal rescuers to find the killer before he or she stalks the next target. The novel’s exploration of the horse-racing industry is fascinating, with excellent setting descriptions and character-led insight into the industry’s multifaceted ethical issues. Unfortunately, the introduction of an implausible terrorist plot late in the novel distracts from what began as a solid investigation into competing motives for crime in an intriguing industry. --Christine Tran

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1611099633
• ISBN 13: 9781611099638
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 318