Not being from the horse world, it was fun to be taken into the world of horse trainer, Ike Cherney, the main character and the cast of characters that affect his life. Each chapter gets better and better, making the book hard to put down. I had a party to go to, and all I could think about was getting back home to read more. By the end, you are rooting for Ike and his horse at the World Championships while feeling all the emotions of the competitions. At the same time, the scenes are switching back and forth with deaths, relationships and murder investigations at the ranch. I could easily see this story being a Lifetime Movie. Very enjoyable read.
Reviews
"A fast-moving mystery. Brooks managed to capture the essence of the every day horse show world while unraveling a great fictional murder mystery bursting with twists and turns."
FRED NAVA - MORGAN HORSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW MGR.
"A must read! Brooks takes us into the depths of the equestrian world with a complex plot involving murder and conniving women. The details drew me in as though I was working the case myself."
JOHN H. BRIANT -- NY STATE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, RETIRED -AUTHOR OF THE ADIRONDACK DETECTIVE SERIES
A tale that sets off at a gallop by an author who clearly knows her way around horses. It has intrigue and sizzle, and the descriptions of the horse world ring with authenticity.
EILEEN GOUDGE, BEST SELLING NY AUTHOR OF MYSTERY AND ROMANCE.
"Given the lively twists and turns of the plot, the reader might not be expecting the kind of characterization Brooks delivers. Ike Cherney and the rest of the cast are not simply vivid; they possess real depth. In talking with friends about the novel, reader will have to remind themselves that the characters are fictional creations."
MARK SPENCER, DEAN SCHOOL OF ARTS & HUMANITIES - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
"All horse profiler Ike Cherny wants is to turn his wild filly into the next World Champion. Instead he stumbles upon murder...and worse! Well written and suspenseful. This thriller will keep you turning pages."
BONNIE HEARN HILL - AUTHOR OF THE STAR CROSSED SERIES
"Brooks weaves a complex tale that has it all: money, corruption mystery, sex and suspense. She keeps you guessing until the end with her intricate plots and multifaceted characters. Then throw horses into the mix, and you have a must-read for fans of mysteries and equestrian fiction."
JAMI DAVENPORT - AUTHOR OF "WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED"
The name alone should pique your interest! This new thriller novel by Patti Brooks has all the necessary elements to keep you glued to the pages -- twists and turns, corruption, sex, complex characters, and of course, horses!
Fame & Deceit is a valuable addition to the relatively small genre of horse-related adult fiction. The story follows horseman Ike Cherny as he struggles to make his filly a World Champion; however, he finds himself surrounded by suspicious and dangerous people. Since the novel is written by an experienced horsewoman (Brooks is the president of the Eastern Competitive Trail Riding Association), rest assured that the backdrop of the sometimes unscrupulous competitive horse world is completely believable, and her detailed description of life at a stable is refreshingly accurate for a work of fiction. The story is delightfully disturbing, portraying a quiet Connecticut stable caught under a dark cloud of unsettling murders and toxic waste dumping. As the plot thickens, you just might find yourself staying up late to read another chapter.
Go ahead, enjoy the (fictional) dark side of the horse world.
KATE TULLY, JOURNALIST FOR THE "HORSEMAN'S YANKEE PEDLAR"
As a protagonist, Ike Cherny is not easy to love at first. He's the type of man mothers warn their daughters about. Good looking, arrogant and as much a stud as the stallions he profiles. While testosterone flows freely in this fast paced novel, our hero seems to care more for the horses in his charge than any of his numerous female admirers.
But as he strives to turn the blue blooded horses on his employer's stud farm into world class show horses while his stable of two-legged fillies keep on handing him problems, we begin to feel for him. First, Lisa, the one woman he may have truly loved, departs leaving only a note; then, Billie, his assistant trainer with a temper to match her red hair, starts coming on a little too strong; and finally the body of his newest conquest, is found floating in a nearby river. An autopsy reveals that she was two months pregnant and Ike wonders if the child could have been his. At this point we begin to understand this complicated man.
It's not only the women in Ike's life that give him trouble. He has reason to wonder if the owner of the stable is involved in something highly illegal and, as well, clergymen in the area are being murdered and the finger points to one of his women.
"Fame and Deceit" is a well-written and exciting look into the fascinating world of breeding stables and world class horsemanship--a world with which both the author and her husband are totally familiar. With her inimitable writing style, it's not only lovers of fine horseflesh who will enjoy this book.
BETTY KALES, CANADA