At Risk [Hardcover]

Kit Ehrman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2002

Dick Francis could well have written this adrenaline-charged novel set in Maryland's rich horse country where Steve Cline seems, at 21, much too young to be in charge of a major stable. His skills and stamina are sorely tested when he's hijacked early one morning along with some of his horses. His escape turns him into a killer's target in an environment where everyone courts risks...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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. When his successful surgeon father disowns him after he drops out of college, 21-year-old Stephen Cline takes a job as barn manager of Foxdale Farm, which specializes in the training and boarding of thoroughbred jumpers. In the middle of a late February night, Steve visits the stable to medicate a sick horse only to stumble on a horse theft in progress. Haunted by the events of that night after barely escaping from being kidnapped and murdered, Steve resolves to track down the perpetrators before they find him. In spite of the warnings of state police detective James Ralston, he continues his search to unravel what becomes a suspenseful mystery, but not before he puts himself in grave peril. The cold, wet Maryland spring vividly turns to summer amid the smells of horses, hay and sawdust as the plot gallops forward. As a former groom, veterinary assistant and barn manager, Ehrman treads Dick Francis territory with a sure foot. From Steve's girl-crazy friend, Marty, to the motherly farm manager, Mrs. Hill, to the ruthless villains who leave more than one body in their wake, she has created a memorable cast. The sensitively drawn relationship between Steve and the alluring Rachel, a boarder at Foxdale, is one of the novel's highlights. With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

" The descriptions of the horse country and the horse farm and its workings are well drawn. Stephen Cline is a very likable hero who should return for this reader's enjoyment. And even without Cline, any forthcoming books from this author will be welcomed and well received. This is an author with a great future."     --MyShelf.com

 

"At Risk by Kit Ehrman is suspense on steroids and one of the best debut novels to hit the crime literature racetrack since Dennis Lehane's A Drink Before the War. Clear, ample shelf space for a Steve Cline series."     -- Andrew McAleer of Austin Layman's Crimestalker Casebook

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 299 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press; First Edition edition (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590580362
• ISBN-13: 978-1590580363
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,864,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't risk missing this book!, November 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: At Risk (Hardcover)

If you have missed the annual arrival of a new Dick Francis mystery each year as much as I have, then maybe you will as pleased as I am with the debut novel, At Risk, by Kit Erhman. The style is very similiar. The story is fast paced. The characters and setting are so vivid that I can picture them in my mind. The author definitely knows horses and the horse business. I enjoyed Steve Cline, the protanganist, and am looking forward to reading the next book. I am hoping his relationship with Rachel proceeds. There are a few individuals in the cast of characters that I would like to see more of and a few that i would like to see get what they deserve! Read it and see for yourself.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dick Francis Wannabe, March 4, 2004

By 

Larry Gandle (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At Risk (Mass Market Paperback)

Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers of all time. When an author is touted as the next Dick Francis, I will sit up and take notice. Actually, Kit Ehrman's writing does bear some resemblance to the great man and that's saying a lot.
A Dick Francis hero always undergoes a sound pummeling by the forces of evil prior to defeating them far down the road. Kit Ehrman understands this and wastes no time in that at the very beginning of the book, Steve Cline, barn manager of the Foxdale Farm stables in Maryland, is kidnapped by several men he discovered stealing horses from the stable. He is beaten and tied into the back of the horse van. He manages to escape and later finds out how lucky he is in that the last man kidnapped was later found dead. Attacks keep occurring which keep Steve in the middle of things with his life threatened. The question is-- who are these men and why are they stealing horses? Steve must find out quickly or he may yet turn up dead.
Kit Ehrman has worked at a racetrack and in show barns as a barn manager and vet assistant. He now owns a horse farm in Indiana. The experience he has had around horses is quite in evidence here. He does a very admirable job in conjuring up the work of Dick Francis. The great man's influence runs through the work starting with the title (Francis wrote a book entitled RISK). Kit writes in the same character point of view. The characters are three dimensional and the villains are over the top. Relationships between Steve and his women are well thought out. The sex scenes, however, are a bit too graphic (to point out one difference). A problem with the book is the length. It is definitely too long. Much unnecessary material is included and the length probably could have been cut one third. However, Steve Cline is an engaging enough character and the story doesn't waver too much. Apparently, this is the first of a series. I would ask Kit to look again at the work of Francis. He really didn't write any series. He wrote two successive books which could have been considered part one and part two. He also wrote three highly acclaimed books about PI Sid Halley. However, Dick Francis understood that a barn manager simply is not realistically in a position to solve one crime after another. If Kit keeps the books as stand alones and pays close attention to pacing and plot length, he might very well be a very worthy successor. He sure impressed me!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, April 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: At Risk (Mass Market Paperback)

A great book for anyone who knows a thing or two about horses.
I did not think it was to long. It was very suspensfull and left very graphic pictures in my mind. Excellent!