At Risk

Steve Cline #1

by Kit Ehrman

Stubborness has its price. So does pride.... Stephen Cline will pay heavily for both when he drops out of college against his father's wishes and lands a job as barn manager at Foxdale Farm, one of Maryland's premiere equestrian facilities. An obnoxious trainer and difficult, demanding boarders are all part of the job, but Steve will need every bit of his smarts when he interrupts a bunch of thieves very early one morning and is hijacked along with the horses. In making his escape, he unwittingly jeopardizes a lucrative scam and challenges a sadistic killer. When the police investigation stalls, Steve uses his connections in the horse industry and launches his own fact-finding campaign. As he moves closer to uncovering the rustlers' ring, he learns that nearly everyone else around him also runs risks.... Praise for At Risk "Both horse lovers and crime fans who've never stepped into a stirrup will relish Ehrman's riveting debut, set on a Maryland horse farm....With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again." -Publishers Weekly "As a former groom, vet and barn manager, Ehrman knows her way around horses and show barns...." -Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review Kit Ehrman currently lives and writes on a horse farm near Columbus, Indiana. The sequels to this first Steve Cline mystery are Dead Man's Touch, Cold Burn, and Triple Cross. www.kitehrman.com

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Horses, Thriller, Suspense, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller

292 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2002

About the author

After discovering the works of Dick Francis, Kit Ehrman quit her government job and went to work in the horse industry. Twenty-five years later, she combined her love of horses and mysteries by penning an equine-oriented mystery series featuring barn manager and amateur sleuth Steve Cline. (E-book editions now available for $2.99) The series has received outstanding reviews in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, etc.

www.kitehrman.com

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of amateur writing with some grammar errors which I find annoying. I do give it some points for the terminology about horse stables and the riding business. Maybe it is me but I found the love scenes corny and the main character did not have much dimension. It was not intolerable as some books I've forced myself to read. Plus it was free.

[Rick Bylina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery about greed and revenge is at the center of At Risk by Kit Ehrman, but horses dominate the page. I don't know anything about horses other than the one time I rode a horse named Buck. I should have taken the hint from his name. Nevertheless, all the horse terminology and possible horse shenanigans (in and out of the business) kept me in the story despite some level of detail that I didn't fully understand. Make no mistake about it, this story starts out and ends violently. There is a fair amount of foul language and some mild sex scenes. It may not be everyone's cup of tea. If those elements bother you, just find another story. To me, it felt like an honest, if sometimes a bit raw, slice of life given the players involved.

While the protagonist, Steve Cline, acts responsibly beyond his 21 years, he chooses some terrible moments to act clueless. That reversal threw me a few times. Also, I felt the investigation was slightly off, looking for the microscopic evidence when real evidence sat in plain sight as big as a barn. I won't spoil it, because it was good read, but I wasn't super impressed with the professional investigators. It lead to some yelling at the electrons on my Kindle.

Some unanswered questions remain by the end of the story, but I assume a few of these are answered in other books in the series. Not sure why other reviewers (yes, I peeked) had issues with the love aspect of the story. For me, it heightened my interest and gave the story a bit more depth. I did have some difficultly though with character identification and how Steve managed with multiple episodes without sleep (ah, youth). This is a solid read. Horse fanciers might neigh at my rating, wanting it higher, but I think it is a solid "4".

[Sharon Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Dick Francis fan since his first few books, I see where the references to his writing are coming from. Just the accurate horse knowledge is a big plus for me, as I've been involved in the horse world all my life. An author who places his story within an equine framework and then obviously knows nothing about horses or the horse business will lose me fast.

The plot is believable and focused on things that actually do occur in the horse world and the author makes no mistakes with the horse related references. I did think the multiplicity of criminal activities by the villains might have been somewhat overdone.

For me, the rather graphic sex scenes were intrusive as I prefer mystery to love story. I don't object to romance, but I expected the mystery to be the primary focus. I would have rated the book higher if the romance had been minimized and less graphic. Overall, however, this is the best attempt at an equine mystery I have read since the last book written exclusively by Dick Francis.

[Mary Pagones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found out about this book in a very unusual way--I'm an author myself and my recently-published novel set in the eventing world features a male protagonist. One of my reviewers mentioned Kit Ehrman's Steve Cline--so of course I had to read this book! I'm not a mystery author but I love mysteries and I was drawn in by Steve's sarcastic, funny voice as a character, a voice that was often coupled with hidden fear and vulnerability. I liked the realism of the plot and the fact that Steve was believably frightened at times as well as driven to figure out what was going on. The end chase scene is particularly thrilling for horse lovers!

Some reviewers have complained about one of the scenes as gratuitously sexual and graphic. I wasn't bothered by it--I didn't consider the purpose of it to be 'sexy' per se but rather believably written in Steve's voice. It was reflective of the way he would see things.

Anyway, I am hooked and I'm going to buy the second in the series!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good mystery- wish there was more "horsey" to it.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say this book had a little bit of everything I enjoy. Horses, murder, a strait forward no non-sense kinda book. If you are a Dick Frances fan then you just might like Kit.

[Tamra LeValley · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK book. Overly predictable and slow on many occasions.

[Dlora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ehrman's Steve Cline Mysteries are the successor to the Dick Francis novels in my mind, more so than Felix Francis's books that are trying to cash in on his father's success. While I like Felix's books, Ehrman actually has more feeling for the horses, their personalities and habits, than Felix does. I very much enjoy that connection not only with the horse world but especially with horses' interaction with their world and humans. Not that the books are told from a horse's viewpoint but that Steve Cline, the main character, loves the horses and notes various horses' unique and different quirks and abilities. In the first book, At Risk, Cline is working as a manager for a horse stable. In the next, Dead Man's Touch, he is working as a "hot walker" in the backside of a racing barn, then in Cold Burn, he is working in a stud farm. And in all of them, he is solving a mystery, which most often ends up with a murder or two. My one complaint is that there is too much sexual detail. I think the sexual relations are important to character and plot development but I don't think we need so much graphic detail. I would have taken a star off for that because it lessened my enjoyment of the book but I so much enjoyed the rest that I stayed with five stars. Be forewarned if graphic sex bothers you.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book for followers of horse mysteries who don’t mind reading about intense situations and episodes of animal cruelty. It seems that every mystery centered around the horse industry is compared to Dick Francis’s books. I am going to contribute to that practice with this review. This book features a likable main character who is subjected to violence. Typical Dick Francis. However, this book involved multiple episodes of violence and much more death than a DF book would typically have. Did I mention animal cruelty? I did manage to get through the book to a satisfying ending.

I can’t believe it was evidently categorized as a Christian mystery. I imagine it was quite a shock to those readers attracted by this label if they made it more than halfway through the book.

[Jeanne Loidolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rushing from tension to all out terror

I really liked the smooth way of writing that carries the reader along in Steve Clines’ skin. A plot that drops casual clues along the way without giving away the twists and turns of the end. There is an art to the character development that happens so slyly you respond by suddenly wishing they were your flesh and blood friends and you could live in their world. I found this book entertaining and gripping enough I didn’t want to put it down.

[Sheila Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery in this book was very good. To much profanity though,,,and most of it didn't add to the book itself. Also, the explicit sexual content, although not a large amount didn't add anything to the book. It seemed like it was just a thrown in because the writer thought it was necessary for some reason. I really liked the writing and the mystery, however, I was very disappointed with the explicit sexual content and the profanity quantity.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

A lot! It had lots of my favorite things : horses, a mystery, action, likeable characters, and really dislikeable characters that got their comeuppance.
The author writes well, knows proper grammar and punctuation, AND how to edit. The story flowed and I didn't feel the need to get out my red pen.

[Linda Look · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve is the manager at a premiere horse training facility--at a very young age. Altho smart and college material, a falling out with his family has left him with the task of making it on his own. Accidents, grafiti, stolen horses--a mystery. I rate this a 4.5.

[Barbara J Wicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold breakfast!!!

I can hardly catch my breath!!! I couldn't stop reading this. Especially the final pages. Now I have to breathe and heat up my breakfast. What a tremendous first novel!!!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More descriptively violent than I prefer and there is a lot of carnage in here when you add it up. Lots of time elapses in the book without people actually doing anything sensible, which is frustrating, as are the protagonist's occasional acts of random stupidity.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book because I love horses, but it turned out to be so much more. The writing reminds me so much of Dick Francis and I really enjoy his books. As I have read almost all of his books I think I will have to start on ones written by Kit Ehrman.

[RICHARD BRUMBAUGH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equine Murder

This mystery takes place in horse country. The stable manager is about the only person with his head screwed on correctly. He has to plumb the minds of everyone else to try to solve what’s happening.

[Shoshana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mystery was thrilling. Unfortunately the romantic elements were a bit weak due in large part to a lack of relationship development. On camera romance.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

[Wendy Hellwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite Dick Francis, but I did find that it was difficult to put down.

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Steve Cline is a hard core hero, but with a soft spot underneath. Fast moving and easy to read. If you like the horse world, you will probably like this book.

[Patricia Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

A gripping page turner. The author kept me in. Suspense all the way to the end. He could have left Elsa out of it.

[Nancy Norman Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

As a horse fan, I really enjoyed the back drop for this book. It was a nice mystery with good description. A good read!

[Jacqueline Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Such a good plot anyone who likes thrillers and horses should read this! Loved the mixture of fact and fiction

[Doina Condrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery. At first I wasn’t sure I would love or understand the horse farm terminology and industry but ultimately it was all nicely explained and tied into the mystery well.

[Gareth Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable read

[Garry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read

Not a page Turner but a pretty decent read.good characters good story.worth the trouble of reading.so don't miss out .,

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an easy read as you knew from the beginning what was going on. There were no surprises, twist or turns. Straight forward crime, no mystery

[Brenda H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Maya Bohnhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kit Ehrman definitely had all of the equestrian details right in this book. I've sat up nights with colicky horses; she hit every note. The story was compelling; the pacing was spot on. Every character was fully realized. I liked the protagonist very much ... most of the time.

One thing only kept me from giving the book five stars and that was what seemed to me out-of-character behavior on the part of the protagonist, Steve Cline. He's described in the book description on iBooks as a "principled character". but he had a rather epic fail in principle in At Risk.

I can understand a man being attracted to a beautiful woman who's coming on to him, but I can't understand a man who's dating a gorgeous woman he seems more than just physically attracted to, yet lets himself fall into a raunchy sexual encounter with a married barracuda that he barely knows and actively dislikes. It played right to the stereotype of men as creatures that think with their sex organs and who can't control themselves even when they want to.

"God help us if this is the good guy," I thought and wondered how long it would take for Steve's weakness for anything female to get him killed in a moment of inattention. (Instead of "Squirrel!" it's "Boobs!")

It bothered me, too, that after expressing disdain for the woman he shags in the tack room (in a scene that felt completely gratuitous as well as out of character) the hero's conscience didn't kick in until late in the game, and only when a friend wonders what will happen if Steve's girlfriend, Rachel, finds out about his wild ride with another man's wife. Until that happens, Steve is terribly blasé about the encounter in a boys will be boys way, and when the subject of his exclusivity to Rachel is raised, no one seems to remember that the other woman is married.

Quite suddenly, there seemed to be no emotional depth to the character at all. Ehrman just skated around questions of principle or how much Steve really cared about his girlfriend. All in all, it was a bit confusing and, as I said, seemed out of character for the man Ehrman established Steve Cline to be in every other way. As I read on it became apparent that Steve did have a conscience and some capacity for more than animal attraction, though his fondness for Rachel comes in a poor second in that contest. Perhaps Erhman intends this to be Steve's one character flaw, but it's not played as a flaw, just normal guy behavior.

Did that keep me fro enjoying the book? Nope. Neither did the occasional word misuse ("Squelching" instead of "stanching", "would of", "could of", "should of' instead of "would have" "could have" should have".) I couldn't put the boo down because the other elements were that strong.

Already purchased the next one...