Dark Horse [Kindle Edition]

J. Carson Black (Author)

Book Description

DARK HORSE

DARK HORSE, a novel of suspense

“A terrific tale of murder and mayhem set on the Quarter Horse racing circuit in the American Southwest. Watch out, Dick Francis!”
—New York Times Bestselling Author J.A. JANCE

Despite the accidents plaguing his racing business, horse breeder Coke McCallister was sure that Shameless, his prized filly, would put him back on top. But now Coke is dead, and his daughter Dakota returns to Arizona determined to sell Black Oak. Dakota is not prepared for the bittersweet memories that greet her, and she really isn’t prepared to see her ex-husband, Clay Pearce. Although she has every reason to distrust him, who else can she turn to in an atmosphere fraught with danger? Who else can she confide in when her life is threatened by an unseen stalker?

When Dakota enters the filly Shameless in the All American Futurity, a desperate killer lays a trap. And on the eve of the race, Dakota learns the shattering truth. If she runs the filly to restore her father’s good name, her actions could bring down Black Oak and everything with it.
And she could lose her life.

>As featured in THE QUARTER RACING JOURNAL and THE QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL

“DARK HORSE brings readers smack dab to the center of the complex and fascinating world of horse breeding and racing, and will take readers on an intense and nerve-shattering ride that is bound to please.”
—ROMANTIC TIMES

“DARK HORSE should put Falk in the Winner’s Circle.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author TONY HILLERMAN

“…joins the ranks of Nora Roberts and Janet Dailey with her wonderfully fresh tale of mystery and romance. A book rich in character and place, where the reader experiences firsthand the fascinating world of Quarter Horse racing and the mélange of people drawn to it. DARK HORSE marks the arrival of a most welcome new talent in romantic suspense. Gripping. Satisfying. A keeper!”
—CAROL DAVIS LUCE, author of THE NIGHT STALKER, NIGHT PREY, and NIGHT PASSAGE.

“Suspense and romance combined with the excitement of Quarter Horse racing and thrill of competing in a million-dollar race make DARK HORSE a winner.”
—AMY OWENS, THE QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL


What readers say about DARK HORSE:

“I finished reading DARK HORSE last night (at 3 AM). I loved it and couldn’t put it down. … I had to tell you how much I enjoyed it and thank you for writing it. There isn’t a boring page in it. You have it Just Right. Thanks again – I’m glad I found you.”
—Alva B.

“I wanted to tell you of my recent excitement in reading your novel DARK HORSE. I purchased it because of the attractive cover and the praise of Judy Jance… a great lady and a wonderful writer. I am also a fan of Dick Francis. Your work is as good, if not better than his. … Thank you for the good read.”
—Dan M.

“I received a copy from you at the All American Futurity. I am the Navajo Indian racehorse owner from Colorado. … It was interesting to talk to you and see how you did your own track research. This research showed, as it really brings out realism in this book and makes it very enjoyable from my perspective as a horse owner.”
—Ross A.

“I have just finished reading your book DARK HORSE. To say that it was great is putting it mildly. I have been involved with horse racing, both at recognized tracks, as well as match racing all my adult life. … I won the 1985 All American Futurity with Mr. Trucka Jet. … I read all of Dick Francis’s books, as well as Shoemaker’s two, and I must say that I enjoyed reading your book every bit as much as anything they have written. If not more. Keep up the good work.”
—Wade N.

This edition of DARK HORSE includes the Special Bonus Short Story, PONY RIDES, the Tucson Weekly Magazine Words and Images Award-winning short story by J. Carson Black

Product Details

• File Size: 676 KB
• Print Length: 349 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Breakaway Media (January 19, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004K1F8M0
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,189 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done! May 15, 2011

By Dianna R. Dennis

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A fine book about Quarter Horse racing in the southwest. Well written - though sometimes a little wordy - with excellent insight into a side of horse breeding and racing that differs from the TB's. All out 1/4 mile for a million dollars!

While I still do not believe 2 yr olds of any breed should be raced, that's not the author's fault! He gets the training and conditioning near perfect, proving that he has been around the backstretch.

And of course, there is the mystery and a love story to add to the thrill. Hopefully the mystery will surprise you.

Recommended reading for those who love horses and horse racing!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars RARE CHAMPION IN HORSE-DRIVEN SUSPENSE February 21, 2011

By Bonnie Toews

Format:Kindle Edition

If you loved the movie SECRETARIAT, you will find the same love of racetrack competition in DARK HORSE by J. Carson Black, an electrifying tale about quarter horse racing. Suspense and mystery gallop through the character-driven plot, but for someone who has experienced backstretch life, Black's action-packed and distinctive style of writing captures the authenticity of horse breeding and racing, from the birthing of a foal to a struggle-to-the-death chase in the desert.

Following her father's sudden death, Dakota McAllister is shoved back into her father's horse breeding business in Arizona just as she is about to marry and realize her own dreams of the life she wants in California. Returning to ranch life reawakens buried memories, and the more she becomes involved in settling her father's estate, the more she believes her father's death was murder, not suicide, but how can she prove it? He's gone from a winning stable to a horse operation so deeply in debt that no one questions his desperate way out. About to sell the land and horses, Dakota discovers her father's trainer is a big part of the operation's failure and fires him. Loyalty to her father stirs her racing blood. She delays the sale to race the one hope left in the stable that could restore her father's reputation - a filly named Shameless. But she can't train the filly on her own. The only one she can trust is her former husband, Clay Pearce, but all they do is fight. As Shameless wins more races in Dakota's bid to enter the filly into the American Futurity, attempts on Dakota's life escalate. Who hates her father so much and wants everything he owned and everyone he loved destroyed?

I love, love, love this story. And not because it's about horses, though I find this story far surpasses anything Dick Francis ever wrote. If I had come across DARK HORSE when it was originally published in 1995, I would have been a dedicated fan already. As it stands, I can now feast on J. Carson Black's full collection of mystery thrillers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It! April 4, 2011

By shopper2010

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am not really into "horse" stories so I was a little skeptical that I would really love this book even though I love J Carson Black's other books. I know that people like Dick Francis books but I am not a fan for some reason. If you like his books I am sure you will like this book too. Yes, it is about quarter horse racing but it is not all about that subject. It is a mystery with a little romance which makes it highly entertaining. It is not too short or too long but just right.

Since another reviewer has pretty much summarized the story I am not going to add anything else. It is just a really really well written book that makes you want to keep turning the pages. As usual, J Carson Black makes you feel like you are a part of the story because of her wonderful descriptive writing style.

If you do not like swearing there are about two in the whole book. There is a very well done sex scene (only one that is a little more descriptive). It is not too graphic though and is a build up of the two main characters who have not rushed into a sexual relationship (they were previously married). Neither of these things bother me but since so many people tend to leave bad reviews based on that I felt it was worth mentioning.

If you have not had the opportunity to read any of this author's books I recommend that you check them out. You will not be sorry.

More About the Author

As witness to the ongoing changes in publishing, J. Carson Black knew she had to raise her game. She'd always read and studied the best authors in her genre, but to survive, Black knew she must grow. And so she determined to expand beyond her comfort zone and write a big thriller.

A political junkie, J. Carson Black loved the cable TV news circus--the media's mad scramble to find sensational stories. So when a suspected child-killer's plane landed with all the pomp and circumstance of the space shuttle in Boulder, Colorado, Black took note. As it turned out, John Mark Karr did not kill JonBenet Ramsey; he'd merely played the media and fed their insatiable 24/7 appetite. This was the New American Way: celebrity for its own sake.

That seed grew into J. Carson Black's thriller THE SHOP, published by Thomas & Mercer.

Using social media, Black has made friends who share her passions and interests. Some of these friends are experts in their fields: homicide detectives, retired military, military analysts, a computer forensic expert, and even a Navy SEAL. Over time, these friends grew to trust Black and gave her entree into their world, and THE SHOP is the better for it.

A Tucson, Arizona native, J. Carson Black's ICON, a thriller set in the New West, was published in June 2012. She is currently at work on her next thriller for Thomas & Mercer.