Rating: 
Summary: Not enough horse
Review: In a former life, Elena Estes was a cop. In her present life, she's an angry, blunt, and suicidal ex-cop who made a mistake on the job that cost another cop's life. When 12-year-old Molly Seabright searches Elena out for help in finding her missing 18-year-old sister, Erin, Elena's hiding out on a friend's Florida ranch with her horse. Elena protests that she's not even a PI, but Molly, wise and scared and painfully old for her years, is hard to put off. And it soon becomes apparent no one else is looking for the missing girl. Erin's parents don't care. Erin's former boyfriend tells Elena she's way out of line. At the stable where Erin worked, a valuable horse has been mysteriously killed. When Elena tries to bring the case to the attention of her former employers, she's handed over to Detective James Landry, who dislikes her on sight and refuses help. She shares his disaffection, but there's a girl missing and a lot of strange things happening in the horse show business and if he won't do anything she'll do it herself. Elena the dark horse finally has a second chance. A couple of days ago I took DARK HORSE out of the library again, forgetting I'd already read it five months ago, and so had another go at it. It wasn't much better the second time. The equestrian angle is very interesting and I would have enjoyed this book if it had spent more time in the stables and on the show ground, but after the kidnapping took the spotlight I grew increasingly bored and incredulous. Also, while I enjoyed the chapters written from Elena's first-person perspective, I found the jumps to the third person accounts disjointed. The best part of this novel is the high tension between Landry and Elena, and Tami Hoag would have done well to keep this strictly a horse mystery while stepping up the romance. Readers seeking tightly woven and credible mysteries would do well to look elsewhere, but equestrians and fans of Tami Hoag will probably find DARK HORSE worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: An Exciting Edition to Tami Hoag's Catalogue
Review: It has been about two years since Tami Hoag's last book, so I have been patiently waiting. Finally, the time has come, I read the book in one day. Different from her books before Dust to Dust, less emphasis on romance, and more on redemption and coming to terms with past mistakes. Elena Estes is so heart breaking to the point of making me depressed, but I digress, she comes into her own near the end of the book when she realizes that there is nothing as precious as life, and she has found her soul again as she gets into a mystery with major consequences. At the end of the book we are left with hope for Elena as she has found love and a new lease on life. Let's hope it is not two years until the next Tami Hoag.
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: Review of audiobook version.
Review: Since so many other reviews tell you the story I won't bother with that here: 1) The reader of the audiobook did a fine job, very good acting. She did some voice changes for different characters but not all, which is ok because it wasnt needed. 2) Characters are believable and their actions consistent. 3) Plot was well put together with enough red herrings and other dislikable characters that you couldn't quite guess the real end to very late in the story. I figured out most of it about 2/3rds of the way through or at least had my suspicions...but that only encouraged me to keep reading to see if I was right or not. Nice pace to everything...at no point was an action-freak like myself bored and wanting more, even though there is very little "action". 4) The protagonist is a character one would want to read in another story. Strong female detective type with a sharp sense of humor and insight. Enjoyable and a character with flaws (not perfect physically and personality-wise)...what more could you ask for. OVERALL: Worth getting into. Makes me want to check out more from this author.
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: A definite "skimmer"
Review: This book never really pulled me in. So I ended up skimming through it, skipping the meandering paragraphs that didn't help the story line at all. A. The "feelings" between the two main characters seemed thrown in just to have some sort of "relationship." B. The only character who was at all appealing was Molly and she was 12 years old! C. And a lot of the lines made me think I was in a Sam Spade novel. "She flashed a thousand-watt, toothpaste-ad smile that was nothing more than jaw muscles flkexing." A few lines like this would have been amusing. But a few hundred is overkill! I will say this is one of the few Tami Hoag books I wasn't too jazzed about. So, I'm sure I'll buy her next!
Rating:
Summary: A definite "skimmer"
Review: This book never really pulled me in. So, I ended up skimming through it, skipping the meandering paragraphs that didn't help the story line at all. A. The "feelings" between the two main characters seemed thrown in just to have some sort of "relaltionsbip". There was no chemistry between the two at all! B. The only character who was at all appealing was Molly, and she was 12 yers old! C. Many of the lines made me think I was in a Sam Spade novel. "She flashed a thousand-watt, toothpaste-ad smile that was nothing more than jaw muscles flexing." A few lines like this would have been amusing. But, a few hundred is overkill! I will say, this is one of the few Tami Hoag books I wasn't too jazzed about. So, I'm sure I'll buy her next.
Rating:
Summary: Not Impressed
Review: This book was a let down if you are familiar with Tami Hoags other books. I just didn't have that get up and go ZING that her other books have. I usually read a book in 2 days if not less and it took me a week to read this. I could not get into this book!!! She also writes in the 1st person, which is different from her other books. I don't usually read 1st person books, they just aren't for me, but with this being Tami Hoag I read it anyways. I was very disappointed!!! I truely hope that she goes back to her old style of writing!!!!
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