Customer Reviews

At Risk

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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!

Dick Francis fans who have been impressed by his deceptively simple writing style will thoroughly enjoy Kit Ehrman's debut novel, AT RISK. Ms. Ehrman has learned Dick Francis's lessons well -- set the scene swiftly, people it with interesting and colorful characters, add villains who are both evil and psychopathic, twist and turn the plot in satisfying fashion, and make sure your hero is talented, smart, and courageous. Reading this book made me feel not just as though it was written in Francis's style -- it could have been written by Francis himself, and as I've been deeply influenced myself by his wonderful work, that's saying a lot. However, in and of itself, AT RISK is a fine, absorbing and riveting novel -- I finished it in a day or so because I simply couldn't put it down. Ms. Ehrman's descriptions of barn work and horses are dead-on accurate, and the pace never flags for a moment. You don't have to be a horse racing fan to love it -- mystery fans should be flocking to Ms. Ehrman's door. I myself can't wait to read more, and hope this series will just go on and on.

While this book was well written and starts off well it bogs down after a few pages. I found myself skimming through page after page of nothingness trying to find out why I started reading the book. Somewhere in the the middle of the book he throws in graphic sex that has nothing to do with the plot. Not worth the time it takes to read.

Generally well written story - with the exception of the sex scenes; they add nothing to the story. Really. The book would have been just as good (better, actually) without them. The basic premise of the story, that of the protagonist being a 21-year-old college dropout is a bit of a stretch, considering the position of authority he's been placed in, but otherwise it's a pretty good read. Plenty of suspense, intrigue and subplots that finally lead the reader to the conclusion.

Kit Ehrman's writing is forceful and mesmerizing, from the first grab-you-by-the-throat chapter to the finish line. Her word imagery stayed with me, keeping the story alive until I could get back to the next reading session. At Risk is a great addition to the world of equestrian fiction.

For Dick Francis fans this book will bring back memories of his earlier novels. Great entertainment, nice snuggle down with on a rainy day book

This was the first Kit Ehrman book I have read and it is excellent. She doesn't get carried away with romance or boring stuff like whats the best hoof polish to use, ect. She sticks to the plot and doesn't get side tracked. I was quick to purchase her other Steve Cline novel, Dead Man's Touch. I only hope Kit continues with these books.

I chose to read this after seeing a post on the Chronicle of the Horse forum about "Free Horse Books." While I enjoyed the mystery's storyline--horses possibly sold to slaughter, insurance fraud, and the loss of open land--I have to point out that the author/editor missed a very basic usage error that made this English teacher cringe every time I came across it. Please people, the correct verb form is "must have" or "would have," not "must of" or "would of." Of is a preposition! Yes, in speech the contractions must've and would've have a similar sound to of, but it is grossly incorrect to write that way. Aside from, as was stated by another reviewer, the blatant homophobia, I really liked the character of Steve Cline, so I wouldn't mind reading another story about him. It helps that I enjoy series where I can jump into a read already knowing the main protagonist. However, I hope that subsequent novels employ better editing before they are published.