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42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riviting Story, April 3, 2007
Tami Hoag has revisited one of my favorite characters, Elena Estes, from DARK HORSE. I liked her gutsy in your face style, and her total committment to justice. Her integrety and solid true blue personality are and were captivating to me. This is one of the best books I have read in quite a while.
Elena Estes lives in the guest house of one of her friends who owns a stable and horses in Palm Springs. She lives on disability from the Sheriff's Dept because she was dragged under a pick-up truck while on a bust. She had jumped the gun and one of her friends and co-workers was killed. The bust had gone terribly wrong. If you read DARK HORSE you already know this. Elena has lost much, her job, her friends and her peace of mind. She has slowly healed her body but her guilt never leaves her mind.
Elena is exercising one of the horses belonging to her friend when she discovers the body of the other groom from her stable. Irina has been missing for two days and her body is found floating in a canal; as Elena and Detective Landrey watch an alligator attacks the corpse.
Landrey has allowed himself to fall in love with Elena and with her cynical outlook she has pushed him away. As he works on the case he finds she is a very valuable silent partner.
The story is graphic, with grab you by the throat action and dialogue. A group of wealthy men are the last to see Irina alive. They believe they are entitled to anything they want and no one has a right to question them. They are all wealthy socalite men from the highest ranks of the polo playing crowd. If one needs an alibi they need only call.
The tension is tight and when the steel of justice meets the injustice of patronage and favoritisim Palm Springs will take notice.
This was a stunner and I had no clue who did it until the end of the book. Which clearly showed the importance of wealth and station compared to an everyday average person. Do not miss it. It could have been torn from the headlines today.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another good book by Hoag, April 19, 2007
The Alibi Man is author Tami Hoag's latest thriller. In this novel, heroine Elena Estes returns, this time trying to find out who killed Irina, her coworker. Estes was previously featured in Hoag's Dark Horse.
Estes works for Sean Avadon as a groom helping take care of his horses. Another young woman, Irina, works for Avadon as well. One morning, Elena takes one of the horses out for a ride. She needs to get away after an emotional break-up with her boyfriend, Det. James Landry. While riding the horse down a path, Elena is horrified to find a dead body in a canal. Elena, an ex-cop, immediately calls Landry. They soon discover that the murdered young girl was Elena's co-worker, the mysterious Irina.
Elena takes the case somewhat personally and begins investigating what Irina's private social life entailed. She works on her own and discovers Irina liked to party with a group of wealthy men. These men include Jim Brody, the wealthy benefactor, Juan Barbaro, the playboy polo player, and Bennett Walker, Estes' ex-fiance from 20 years ago whom she still hates with a passion. The rest of the novel follows the twists and turns as Estes investigates what happened the night Irina went to a party with these men and then turned up dead. She aides Landry in his investigation too and also promises to help a vicious Russian mobster find the killer for different reasons.
This is a standard Hoag novel, and also one of her better ones. The plot follows a logical projection, none of the twists come out of left field. The ultimate culprit is believable. Characterization is solid, with Brody being a typical rich snob and Barbaro taking a liking to Estes. Estes as the main character, has had such a rough life and is so cynical that at times her attitude brings the book down. Even the end of the novel when she allows herself to be slightly happy won't make up for Estes' horrible outlook on life that permeates the rest of the book.
For Hoag fans, this novel is more of the same, which is a good thing.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Elena Estes is back!, July 13, 2007
Elena Estes (who I recognize as a character from a previous novel) is back and better than ever. Investigating the death of a co-worker and friend, Elena soon discovers that events from her past, are effecting her present and future. More than anything, Elena wants to solve Irina's death, and having recently broken up with her lover, Detective Landry, she struggles to keep him at arms length while assisting in the investigation. I will not retell the story, or tell you who killed Irina and why (enough reviewers have done that), but I will make a few simple statements. This novel contains everything that you need to make a terrific suspense novel. There were wealthy men (Brody and a host of other interesting characters) who have formed an "Alibi Club" (a bad version of a Good Ole Boy Club, who provide alibis to each other if needed); sexy polo stars (Barbaro)looking for redemption; a grieving and vicious Russian Mobster, Alexi Kulak; a person referred to as a "Freak" (who walks around looking like a circus reject); blackmailers; a victim who is more than she seemed; and a murderer. But what I found to be the most compelling was the character of Elena. You really grow to understand why she has become so jaded, so filled with guilt, and so sad. We understand why she pushes Landry away, but secretly desires what they could have, but what she is too afraid of. Anyway, Elena is a product of her past. We find out that she has left the police force, 3 years ago, because of guilt that she has about causing the death of her partner during a meth bust. The incident left her with physical (she was drug by a truck) and psychological scars (blames herself). And on top of that, her ex-lover/fiance', Bennett Walker (20 years ago), appears to be the number one suspect. Elena remembers all too well how Bennett asked her to be his alibi when he was accused of raping and assaulting a girl, and would it be unreasonable to think that someone who has everything would not kill to protect themselves. And on top of that, he is a member of the Alibi Club. Having escaped punishment for his past deeds, with the help of her estranged/defense attorney father, Elena would like to see him brought to justice if he is guilty.
As the story develops, you learn a lot about Irina, her lovers and her good friend Lizbeth, but you learn even more about Elena, and what makes her what she is....a truth seeker. How all of the injustices she has been a witness to, have shaped who she has become. I would love to read another Elena Estes story to see how her life evolves and what becomes of her relationship with Landry. So, I can tell you with no hesitation to read Alibi Man, I think you will enjoy it.
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