Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Slickrock: A Gail McCarthy Mystery (Gail McCarthy Mysteries)
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Slickrock: A Gail McCarthy Mystery (Gail McCarthy Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Laura Crum (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.



Book Description

Gail McCarthy Mysteries October 29, 1999
Equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy is up for the challenge of a lifetime: two weeks alone deep within the winding trails of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Needing a break from the stress of everyday life and a somewhat trying long-distance relationship. Gail is eager to depart on a solitary pack trip with only two horses and her faithful new puppy for company.

The night before Gail is to leave, she stumbles across a wounded man lying in an open meadow next to a gun. He has apparently tried to kill himself, and despite the immediate help that Gail gets, he sadly succeeds. But not before he mumbles several enigmatic words, leaving Gail to wonder if this might have been more than a simple suicide.

Unwilling to let anything get in the way of her long-planned trip and unable to do anything about the man's death, Gail sets off. But it isn't long before she becomes aware of an eerie lurking presence following closely in her footsteps, threatening to close in and make Gail his next victim. It will take all of Gail's strength to survive the trip, and all of her intelligence to figure out who her stalker is and how he might be related to the dead man.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gail McCarthy (Roped, etc.), a smart and stubborn veterinarian fast approaching middle age, is looking forward to a trip in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, accompanied only by her two dependable horses and one frisky dog. Crum spins a solidly built story that pits the independent and savvy woman against a heedless natural world and some nasty humans. Gail leaves the pack station after an unsettling incident: she has watched a local die after a self-inflicted gunshot wound and has listened to his last few, cryptic words ("Green fire in their bellies. I couldn't save them. Dying"). Although still uneasy (several intrusive packers are extremely interested in those last words), Gail heads off alone into a territory that is familiar but enchangingAbrilliant wildflowers, magical, open green meadows, white water. But storms, rock slides and an attack by wasps wear down her and her animals. Worse, she feels she is being stalked, as a felled tree, a snare set for horses and a sabotaged bridge are set in her path. And when she is joined by an enigmatic yet attractive packer she had met earlier, she is deeply ambivalent: Is he a protector or a menace? Some finely drawn portraits, a tight plot that keeps its secrets until the end and a spectacular assist from Mother Nature make for memorable reading. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Despite discovering an apparent suicide victim in the wilderness, Santa Cruz veterinarian Gail McCarthy begins a planned vacation alone in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The much-anticipated isolation never happens, though. Other campers and horse people pop up everywhere, including her boyfriend's resentful ex-wife, the suicide victim's ex-wife's one-time boyfriend, a strange anti-horse and -cattle environmentalist, and a furtive ill wisher. Descriptions of breathtaking natural surroundings abound, as do adept equine and human characterizations. Steadily paced but lively; a good series bet.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (October 29, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 031220910X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312209100
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The best book yet by Laura Crum, November 16, 1999
By 
R. Beal (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Slickrock: A Gail McCarthy Mystery (Gail McCarthy Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I discovered Laura Crum by accident and have read all her books. This new one is the best yet! The mystery is interesting and believeable right to the surprising twist at the end. A great read, especially for those who like horses and the high sierras.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book for anyone who loves the cowboy life, December 26, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Slickrock: A Gail McCarthy Mystery (Gail McCarthy Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Slickrock is the first Laura Crum book I've read, and I will definitely read more. The characters remind anyone whose ever met a cowboy about their way of life. I love the independence that the main character shows. This is definitely the book for all horse lovers out there.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What do you mean I can't give it 6 stars!, January 16, 2000
This review is from: Slickrock: A Gail McCarthy Mystery (Gail McCarthy Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I've published a number of stories myself and If I could write this well, I'd die happy. This book is absolutely first-rate, with a fascinating main character, marvelous use of the language, a tremendous setting, and an interesting mystery. I collect first editions and it's off to the auction site to start collecting Laura Crum's. This could be the best book of the year!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews



Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
The roan colt rocketed around the bullpen, making every jump high, wide, and handsome. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pack rig, pack station, cutoff trail, dun horse, lead rope
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Dan Jacobi, Blue Winter, Bill Evans, Crazy Horse Creek, Benson Lake, Snow Lake, Wood Lake, Cherry Creek Canyon, Little Witch, Deadman Meadow, Wilma Lake, Kerrick Meadow, Red Can Lake, Lunch Meadow, Seavey Pass, The Roughs, Wheat's Meadow, Buck Lakes, Relief Peak, Summit Meadow, Bonn Pass, Brown Bear Pass, Dead Horse Corner, Groundhog Meadow, Santa Cruz County
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3 books:


Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
Sierra North by Kathy Morey
 

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject