Eighteen-year-old Angie Marks, tattooed and pierced, shows up in the small town of Baxter without a place to stay. When eccentric millionaire Patrick Bailey hires her to be his housekeeper, and then when Angie risks her own safety to help Mr. Bailey get his twin great-grandsons out of a rattlesnake's strike zone, she finds herself fully at the center of the town's curiosity. At Monty's Diner they say she might be involved with Billy Joe Sawyer, using rattlers to intimidate the key witnesses in his upcoming trial. Is she? Or does Angie Marks have her own agenda?
Best-selling suspense novelist Kathy Herman has written twenty novels—including the Secrets or Roux River Bayou Series, Sophie Trace Series, the Seaport Suspense Series, and the Phantom Hollow Series—since retiring from her family’s Christian bookstore business. She and her late husband Paul have a blended family of three grown children. Kathy lives in the Northwest.
HIGH STAKES, the fourth book in The Baxter Series, quickly became my favorite. The introduction of Angie Marks, a young, free-spirited, teenager brought a youthful energy to the book. Angie has come to Baxter for a reason, not just by chance. And her spiky black hair, tattoos, and piercings, draws stares and standoff attitudes from the town’s people. Will she follow through with her plan? And what will she do when people suspect her in a crime just because she looks different?
Though I was surprised with the drastic change in the character of Patrick Bailey, I loved the interaction between him and Angie. The takeaway message of HIGH STAKES is, How do we treat others when they are different from ourselves? I’ve enjoyed the way all the characters overlap in this series. Though I continue to be surprised at how quickly some of the characters have gone from hardnosed, critical - to born again, virtuous, it has not been enough to sway me from reading further. I am now off to the final book of the series, A FINE LINE.
I have really enjoyed the Baxter Series by Kathy Herman. High Stakes continues with the characters we meet in the first three books.
Although these books are a fast read, they are by no means light on content. I have found the series thought provoking and they have me searching myself and questioning my beliefs. They have indeed brought me closer to the Lord and Kathy Herman should be proud of these books because of that fact.
I can't believe that this series is almost over, with just 1 more book to find. This was a different story for me, exciting and spiritual complete with snakes, and murder. I loved it and look forward to the search for the final book "A Fine Line" in this series.
"High Stakes", book four in the Baxter Series, is another page-turner. How can a convicted killer, who is behind bars, carry out his revenge on the people who put him there? Add to the mix, the arrival to town of a rough-looking teen-aged girl. What does she want from the people of Baxter/
I really love Kathy Herman's books. They are so entertaining as well as inspirational. I have one more book in this series, then I'm going to miss the people in Baxter, even the folks at the diner (even Morti).
I really enjoyed this book. I liked reading about the new characters and continue reading about the characters I already knew. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book.
This is my favorite of the Baxter series so far. I loved Angie from the very beginning and the changes in Patrick were so refreshing. this series has challenged me to think and be more Christ like.
i'm really enjoying Kathy Herman books ... they have strong character plot lines as well as strong christian growing pains for those characters. highly recommended :)