Dark Horse

Rating:
Summary: slow plot with no twist.
Review: "Dark Horse" centers on Elena, a ex-cop kicked off the force after a drug bust goes bad. The story begins 2 years after the bust, when Elena has become a bit of a recluse and is hiding out in the guesthouse of an old friend and is confronted by a young girl who believes that Elena is a private investigator who can help find her sister. While it starts off at a gallop, the plot tends to do little more than plod along after the first few chapters. While the final "whodunnit" was a surprise, it wasn't a huge plot twist that seems to be typical of this author.

There are a LOT of characters in this story, and only 3 of them are likeable. Many of them are very under developed, and after a while I didn't care who was the villian at the end of the book, I hoped they were all were guilty and put away for life.

However, the bright spot in the book is the incredible accuracy that Hoag describes the "horsey set". Hoag uses her own experiences with this group of notoriously snobbish and backstabbing folks to give the story a very realistic feel.

Rating:
Summary: Good horses' book
Review: First of all let me tell you that I don't know anything about horses, at least at the end of this book I learned something. At first the book is an interesting reading and learning about horses, but after some pages of the same you will bore reading it. Nonetheless this is only the first pages of the book, because the rest of it is an excellent thriller and the end of the book is outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: Dark Horse or Not
Review: First time I have come across this author - Liked the book very much, it kept me interested and keen to read upto a point. There was a part of the book that seemed to dwell and dwell on the family (bit boaring at this point). After that we progressed along and finished in style. A great holiday read which my friend has now snaffled. It appealed to me because I like Crime/Thrillers/Fiction and Horses. In the Horse world - descriptive and authentic. Would rate the book as Excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: I don't understand why other reviews say this book was disappointing or confusing. Once I got into the book, the characters were fairly easy to keep track of and there wasn't that much about the horse world to make it confusing. I will admit, I did figure out who the real criminals were before it ended. Nonetheless, it was a great read and I read it in a day or so.

Rating:
Summary: Not for comic book readers
Review: It is interesting that reviews often tell more about the reader than the reviewed book. It is clear that many readers want a book that is one step above a comic book. An easy to understand story with cardboard characters. Books by the likes of James, George and Hoag, authors that take the time to create a highly develop plot and fleshed out characters, seem to leave some readers cold.
This is a good book for those who want more in the books they read.

Rating:
Summary: The Plot Plods!
Review: Tami Hoag is one of my favorite authors of suspense-thrillers. I usually buy or borrow her books as soon as they come on the market knowing that I will enjoy an entertaining read. "Dark Horse," however, is not a dark horse. This one comes in close to last on my list of winning titles. The plot plods. That pretty much says it all. And it plods for 557 pages. I specifically marked the page where I became somewhat interested - page 272. I did so because I had faith in the author and was determined to finish the novel. It was hard going. There's too much padding here and not enough mystery.

Elena Estes, a ballsy Florida narcotics detective took too many risks. She jumped the proverbial gun during a stakeout and her actions cost her partner's life, her own health and her career. Years later, after much surgery and physical therapy, Elena is back on her feet but still feeling pretty down and out. She is approached by a 12 year-old girl, Molly Seabright, and asked to find her missing older sister. The sister was working as a horse groomer among Palm Beach's rich and famous when suddenly she disappeared. Molly knows Elena through an equestrian magazine where her picture is displayed prominently along with the information that she is a private investigator. Elena, Molly, Molly's sister, and just about everyone in the novel are involved in equestrian competition, as is the author. One of the reasons I thought the plot would be fascinating is because in the "Author's Note" Ms. Hoag implies she will write about the equestrian sport of dressage. She does not deliver. She does write about people involved in the sport and in international horse breeding. I hope she has exaggerated her characterizations as most of the folks who populate this mystery are despicable people. She could, unintentionally, give the sport a bad name. I mean, aren't there any good guys? Her characters are not three dimensional. They are either good or evil, with no gradations.

I don't recommend "Dark Horse," even if you are, as I am, a fan of Tami Hoag. I remain hopeful and wait for her next book.
(...)

Rating:
Summary: Another great novel
Review: Tami Hoag is probably (alongside Ruth Rendell) my very favourite female author. I love her plots, i love the way she sometimes mixes romance and suspense, i love her range (she's written everything from straight-romance to serial killer novels) i love her punchy writing style (she can come up with some really glittering sentences) and, most of all, i love the way she draws her characters as realistic, fully realised people.

This novel tells the story of a simple kidnapping, which evolves into something altogether more sinister and complex. The heroine is one Elena Estes, an ex-cop who, once upon a time, made a bad decision that cost a colleauge his life. She has retreated to the world she knew before, the world of horse rearing which she so loves. But then, one day, a young girl comes to ask her for help, and Estes finds herself unable to refuse, drawn into a web of intrigue and crime which depresses her, but that she feels must be fought against.

Estes is a brilliant character...(this is Hoag's first novel in the first person, and it works very well, by the way. Some authorsd find the transition ahrd...Hoag has found the way with ease.) She is likeable, quirky, and extremely entertaining throught the adventure. She more than makes up for the intense unlikeableness of many of the other characters.

Another wonderful (and moving) aspect of this book is the delightful youngster Molly Seabright, sister of the missing girl. She is a wonderful, wonderful presence and brightens the book in every single scene in which she appears. She is brilliantly and emotioanlly. Her innocence contrasts frighteningly with the darkness and crulety of many of the other characters and events. (In fact, some may find that there are a few too many unpleasant characters in this novel, and would prefer some more nice, likeable ones. At times it would have been great to have a few more nice people to read about, instead of the selfish and insular indivudals which populate this novel). However, these nasty characters all help to create a sense of fear and tension which fairly ratchets up, and towards the end blossoms with a sense of inevitable awfulness about to occur.

I will admit that no, this is not Tami Hoag's best book (i myself will always think that that is "Cry Wolf", a masterpiece of a story) it's not even second or third, but it still gets five stars, which can only demonstrate the sublime quality of her books. The plot is complex and interesting, it is easy to understand, despite its complexity, there are some hreat characters and some nice twists to the story (particularly the one at the end...) which help keep it fresh and interesting. Her writing style is quirky and brilliant, eminently readable and entertaining. This novel is original (giving insights into the world of horse-rearing) and always manages to sustain interest by the fact that Hoag explores many plot-paths, (as she always does to marvellous effect and enjoyability, helping to build a multi-layered and full novel) down the lives of characters, who, by the end of the story, you will either love or loathe.

Rating:
Summary: A Horse Story for Grown Up Girls
Review: The world of international horse breeding and training forms the background for another exciting story by Tami Hoag. Set in Florida this book is different from her two previous novels. The suspense is still set high, but it shares center stage with the skullduggery involved when millions of dollars worth of horse flesh meets limitless greed.

Former cop Elena Estes is asked by a young girl to find her missing older sister who was working as a groom for a trainer with a bad reputation. Elena is trying to physically and emotionally recover from the loss of her career. During the course of the investigation Elena rediscovers qualities she thought she had lost.

While not as intense as some of her other books this is a good solid read for a lazy afternoon.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing.
Review: This is the first Tami Hoag book that I've read and I'm not sure if I'll read another. Her books came highly recommended by someone who is an avid suspense/thriller fan. I just found that this book jumped all over the place. The author makes the story confusing by having way too many characters and switching from using their first name to their last name. If you want to start with a Tami Hoag book, I don't recommend this one. Even the ending left me hanging.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: What a great book....the heroine in this story is one of the best drawn characters I've read in ages. Great mystery.