This stirring first mystery is set in Maryland's rich horse country where Steve Cline seems, at twenty-one, much too young to be in charge of a major stable. Seasoned by summers on a dude ranch, his skills and stamina are sorely tested when he's hijacked early one morning along with some of the stable's horses. His escape turns him into a killer's target in an environment where a complex scheme develops and everyone, no matter how innocent, courts risks. REVIEWS "It's amazing what horses can do for a mystery. Kit Ehrman's debut novel, AT RISK . . . reeks of authenticity, and the hunters and jumpers have personality to burn. When seven of these horses are stolen in the dead of night, Stephen Cline, the 21-year-old barn manager . . . in the honored tradition of a Dick Francis hero, vows to track down the thieves . . ." ~ The New York Times "With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again." Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. "The smart money could make the unusually likable protagonist a favorite in the Francis Stakes." ~ Kirkus "At best, only a small fraction of first novels turn out to be first in a series (why assume that success for At Risk?) The overarching reason is that its author is thoughtful and clever, as well as skilled. Ehrman's writing is unobtrusively crisp . . . The plot is intricate, intriguing, and solid in the best traditional style . . ." ~The Drood Review --Reviews refers to the hardcover edition.
