Getting Sassy - Hardcover

Brod, D.C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1935562223 ISBN 13: 9781935562221

Publisher: Gallery Books, 2010

Synopsis

With her nearly broke and practically homeless mother about to land on her doorstep, Robyn Guthrie learns that desperation can play havoc with a daughter's scruples. Otherwise, why would she even consider kidnapping a goat and holding it for ransom?

Criminal acts don’t come naturally to Robyn, but she has an ally in her accountant Mick Hughes, a former jockey with a bum leg and dubious past. Figuring that it’s best to take from those who’ve taken from others, they target Bull Severn, the man who conned Robyn’s mother, Lizzie.

Bull’s Blood is a beautiful thoroughbred favored to win the prestigious Plymouth Million. But he won’t be able to race without the companionship of a very special goat, Sassy—and so Robyn and Mick hatch a scheme to kidnap the goat and bring home a hefty ransom.

Turns out kidnapping a goat isn’t easy, and matters soon escalate into something much bigger than Robyn anticipated. She’s got to figure a way out of trouble before she ends up sharing her small apartment with her aging, forgetful mother, her neurotic dog Bix, and a little black goat named Sassy.

About this title

About the Author

D.C. (Deb) Brod has written fiction most of her life, but didn’t think she had a novel in her until after she graduated from Northern Illinois University with an MA in journalism.  It was then that she decided if she could spend 120 pages discussing postal oppression of the radical press, she could write a novel.  She was right.  Her first novel, Murder in Store, featuring private detective Quint McCauley, appeared two years later in 1989.  Four more novels in that series were followed by a contemporary Arthurian thriller,Heartstone. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and several anthologies; two of these stories received Reader’s Choice Awards. She lives in St. Charles, Illinois, with her husband, Donald, and their two cats, Skye and Jura, who are possibly the world’s most aww-inspiring felines. (If you don’t believe that, check out her website: DCBrod.com.) When she’s not writing, reading, or finding excuses not to clean the house, she enjoys watercolor painting, traveling, and watching crows. And, sadly, the Cubs.

Reviews

Brod (Heartstone, 2005) opens her latest novel with fortyish Robyn Guthrie contemplating robbing her local liquor store. It seems she can’t afford to keep her mother comfortably situated in an assisted-living facility, and guilt, annoyance, and love are wreaking havoc with her psyche. Then along comes a jockey turned larcenous accountant; a psychic (who seems to know more about Robyn’s family history than Robyn does); and a racehorse and its goat companion (the titular Sassy), each of whom plays a role in convincing vulnerable Robyn that crime can pay. In the course of the ensuing chaos, Robyn becomes a reluctant kidnapper (Would you want to kidnap a goat?), but before the deed is completed, murder and family secrets intrude. Fortunately, Brod lets readers make their own judgments about Robyn’s choices as the action moves smartly along. While there are plenty of comedic hijinks, Brod might have done even more with the situational humor inherent in the goofy setup. In the end, though, what stands out most is the surprisingly affecting portrait of a woman caught in the midst of a parent’s sad but sure mental decline. --Stephanie Zvirin

Edition details

• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1935562223
• ISBN 13: 9781935562221
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264