Monday, January 14, 2013

DANGEROUS DECEPTION by Cindy McDonald

This is part of "The Unbridled Series" but the first book I've read by this author.  That didn't make any difference though, because it read like a stand-alone.

The setting is a horse farm just outside Pittsburgh where the West family has gained a reputation for excellence.  The father is a widower and his two sons work on the ranch.  His daughter is a veterinarian; she lives at the ranch but works at the nearby racetrack.  Mike, the eldest son, is divorced and all business; Shane, the younger, is the local handsome playboy.  Both love the ranch and are quite knowledgeable about horses.

My only quibble with the story is a personal one.  I'm no spring chicken myself so when McDonald has 55 and 61 year old men referring to their age as over the hill, it hits a nerve.  I suppose their careers have a lot to do with it though.  Eric West, ranch owner,  is the 55 year old complaining about his aches and pains, but long-time employee Vic Deveaux used to be a jockey.  After his days of racing were over, he works on the ranch, at 61 still riding every day in workouts for the horses.  To me his stubborn nature and inability to listen to anyone are more to blame for what happens to him and the West family in this story.

Disgruntled employees come up with a get-rich-quick scheme that puts everyone in real danger.  The plot also involves a violent biker gang and a delightful woman hidden away in a deserted mansion.  The characters are what make the story so readable.  It's scary throughout and you'll hold your breath that everyone will come out of it alive.  I really enjoyed it.

Source:  author through Partners in Crime Tours
Recommended reading

5 comments:

  1. I love it when a book from a series can stand alone like that. Since I'm approaching 55, I don't think it's over the hill either.

    I hope you're doing well. My mother-in-law started a new kind of chemo last week and seems to be tolerating it well.

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  2. Thank you for your lovely review of Dangerous Deception. *giggle* I know its hard to believe that people complain at such an early age of being "over the hill"--my 32 yr old daughter cries about it-Lordy! But as Eric West points out--it is how we handle aging and how lucky we are as aging handles us. Thanks again for the review and for hosting me today!

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  3. Thanks, Barbara. So glad you enjoyed it!

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  4. This one sounds pretty good Barbara.

    Hope you are having a good week.

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  5. I'm not sure about this one. The age thing would bother me. I hate the term "over-the-hill" and the idea that people are no longer of any use after a certain age. I did appreciate the author's comments above, but still . . .

    Thinking of you and hope you're doing well.

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