Wild Horses: A Novel

by Amy Pendino

What strings are attached to “easy money”?

Dani Holden has lived in small-town Crestview, Iowa, for almost two years, but she won’t be able to stay without a new source of income, especially now that she’s adopted an old racehorse.

Her good friend Donna introduces Dani to Jim, a trucker who’s become a regular at Susie’s Café, the town’s local meeting spot. He’s got an opportunity for Dani, a way for her to earn some “easy money.”

As she wrestles with the trucker’s offer, Dani learns some exciting news—former resident Lilly, now 80 years old and in poor health, thinks she’s located the child she gave up years ago. But time is running she may not make it through her diagnosis in time to meet him.

The shocking secrets Dani unearths around town and across the highways cause residents to second-guess the place and people they thought they knew. Vivid depictions of friendship, small-town customs, and rural scenery are a stark contrast to suspicious drug activity in the Crestview area and the treatment of food stock animals on the dusty roads that transect it.

Wild Horses is a moving, page-turning story you won’t want to put down.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Amy Pendino lives in the rural Midwest with her spouse, dog, and horses. Author of the multi-award-winning novel "The Witness Tree" and its sequels, her fiction explores small town crime and the behavior of rural citizens with secrets.

She's also written short stories, poetry, and writing tips, published in several anthologies, magazines, and reviews.

For more information, please visit amypendino.com . Thanks!

Reviews

[Angie Kaelberer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is a sequel to The Witness Tree by the same author. It probably isn't necessary to read The Witness Tree before this book, but it does help you understand some of the characters and the dynamics in the small fictional town of Crestview, Iowa. This book takes place 2 years after The Witness Tree and does tie up some of the plot lines in that book, along with introducing new characters and plots. Some of those are left open at the end of this book, which makes me wonder if the author is considering a third title or perhaps even a longer series (the first book is set in 2002 and the second in 2004). One question I did have is why the drug trafficking (no spoiler) storyline is about heroin instead of methamphetamine, which was very much front and center in rural America around that time. But in all, an enjoyable read about life and death in a small town.

[Russell Ricard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely and thought-provoking read: Amy Pendino's Wild Horses: A Novel. Explores self-empowerment through the navigation of lost and found parts of the soul. Particularly moving is the overarching theme of how animals provide comfort and healing. Pendino’s lyrical, character-driven prose, her vivid, small town settings and layering of secrets are well supported by an exhilarating build of dramatic action. If you enjoy Anne Tyler’s novels, you’ll appreciate Pendino’s storytelling.

[Whitney Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about a small Midwest town, horses, and a trial.

[Kati Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to read "The Witness Tree" to enjoy "Wild Horses". Although the two books share a common setting and characters, "Wild Horses" is more about the main character Dani Holden's continuing journey to create a future for herself in her small, rural town.

"Wild Horses" is written with the descriptive, creative imagery the author is known for. Nature, weather, and Dani's new family member, a rescued racehorse, are as important as the human characters. This time, the mystery Dani gets involved in centers around the illegal transport and sale of heroin ("horse" in slang). If Dani agrees to help the authorities stop the drug flow, her tenuous place in her community will shift... again.

I like the way the main character continues to grow as she's challenged throughout the book. I love the way the events are described - I can see them happening as I read. The last section of the book, a departure from rural back roads and quiet fields, brings the book to a dramatic, satisfying close--with a few teases that remain unsolved, leading readers to believe that another book featuring Dani and the town of Crestview will be on the way!