Horses, romance, insurance fraud and murder are the main ingredients for IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY.
IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY is dedicated to those horses lost to man’s greed and inhumanity, and to those humanitarians who make it their mission to save and protect them.
HORSES, ROMANCE, INSURANCE FRAUD, MURDER
When the death of a racing stable’s prize horse and his trainer is blamed on the stable’s owner; his son, Adam Blakely, goes undercover convinced that the trainer’s partner, Maggie McGregor is the killer.
Determined to leave the tumultuous world of horse racing, Maggie returns home to try and find peace. When a handsome horse owner moves his horse into her father’s boarding stable and asks Maggie to train his horse, family finances dictate that Maggie accept--and that’s when the accidents begin.
Drowning in deception and lies, Maggie and Adam search for a killer and uncover an insurance scam so insidious, it threatens to rock a horse racing empire and bring the killer to their doorstep. They need to learn to:
Keep your friends close; but your enemies closer.
Excerpt
Keep your friends close; but your enemies closer.
It was a great day to catch a killer.
"Attacked," she said, displacing any romantic notions, "who would want to attack you?"
"Find me a million dollars."
"Disappointment chipped away at his heart. Damn you Maggie. I'll protect you all right. Protect you until I get enough evidence to have the police cart you back to Kentucky in handcuffs."
Professional Reviews
Affaire de Coeur Reviewers pick
In the Arms of the Enemy
Patricia A. Guthrie
Artistic Endeavors
Trade Paperback
978-0979203084
*****
Soon after Maggie McGregor leaves the racetrack and her fiancé behind, she learns of his death as well as the champion horse she trained, Black Autumn. Ricky Lane was a deceitful cheat, but she can’t imagine who would want to kill him or the beautiful animal she cared so much about. Maggie heads home to her father’s ranch to get her life back together. There’s a new boarder, Adam, whose act of being clueless around horses is discovered early on. When it’s clear that Maggie’s life is in danger Adam’s protective instincts kick in, but the suspicions between them may actually thrust Maggie right into the path of a killer.
With the loss of his father, a trainer, and a prized horse, Adam Blakely’s sure that there’s more to the story. Going undercover to get to know Maggie is the only plan he has left, but he hadn’t planned to fall for the woman the moment he laid eyes on her. There has been a rash of strange horse deaths, and they’re fairly certain that there is an insurance scam at work, but discovering how it’s connected to his family is where the real mystery comes in for Adam. He’s quickly falling for Maggie and can’t help but want to prove she’s innocent. Adam knows he has to set things straight, whether Maggie wants to listen or not.
In the Arms of the Enemy is a romantic suspense that leads readers on a danger filled quest for justice. Maggie is trying to move on in her life after walking away from horse racing and a terrible shock, but Adam has no intention of letting the matter go that easily.
With a strong mystery and a sizzling romance, Ms. Guthrie captivates readers from the start. This is an enjoyable thriller with a plot that will keep you guessing until the climactic end.
Reviewed by Kimberly Swan
AuthorsDen.com By G. A. Bixler
In The Arms of The Enemy
By Patricia A. Guthrie
Artistic Endeavors
ISBN: 978-0-9792030-84
159 Pages
"But don’t go leaving here with the idea that I don’t love you. That would make your leaving way too easy...If it’s a case that you’re expected to marry a Kentucky Blueblood socialite rather than a good, Scottish woman, that’s a different story. Then, be on your way..."(p. 154)
Meet the fiery and beautiful Maggie McGregor, horse trainer extraordinaire, in Patricia A. Guthrie’s wonderful first novel, In the Arms of the Enemy. Guthrie’s book is an exciting blend of suspense and sexy romance, within the sometimes dangerous world of horse racing.
When Maggie’s fiancé, Ricky Lane, showed up with a beautiful woman on his arm, along with George Blakely, owner of the horse, Black Autumn, she was suspicious and jealous. But her feelings quickly turned to anger when he left her alone to attend Black Autumn during the race. Then when the horse she had trained won, Ricky was quick to identify himself as the winner’s trainer!
It didn’t take any more than that for Maggie to finally end her engagement, quit and leave.
Even so, when Black Autumn, Ricky Lane and George Blakely, were all murdered within a week, it was Maggie that was most suspected—especially by Blakely’s son, Jonathan Adam!
As may be expected by the title, Adam and Maggie were instantly attracted to each other. Adam had come to investigate Maggie, posing as, first, a novice who wanted her to train his horse, and then later as a private investigator and also, sometimes, as an owner of a software company, aka a playboy entrepreneur. The clumsiness with which Adam tries to be undercover provides a thread of humor for readers since Maggie is quite adept at seeing the many mistakes he makes. But Maggie seems quite willing to play along with his various roles, at least until she figures out why he’s really there!
Guthrie’s inclusion of Maggie’s father as an important minor character also provided an unusual perspective to the emerging relationship between his daughter and Adam—whoever he was!
Fortunately while this antagonistic couple is falling in love, there are sufficient, real lawmen that are working to solve the murders of the two men and high-priced horse! Adam had at least been able to feed his friend and FBI agent important information, even as he struggled between wanting to prove who destroyed his father and his growing love and need for Maggie.
And then a series of accidents start—with Maggie as the intended victim! Adam now found himself the protector, rather than the investigator out to prove her guilt, as he strives to keep safe the woman he must admit to himself he loves. A scene between Adam and his former mother-in-law was one of the best in the book and revealed the author’s sensitivity to detail about her characters’ lives that was especially impressive, in my opinion.
Guthrie has a fast-paced, fluent writing style that makes reading her book fun! Only problem...I wanted more! Maybe there will be a series coming up, or at least a sequel. Maggie McGregor is too good a character and too good a horse trainer not to find another mystery to solve in her life, especially as Adam’s wife!
So, readers, are you planning a quiet Sunday afternoon for yourself sometime in the future? Grab a cup of tea and Patricia Guthrie’s, In the Arms of the Enemy! And Enjoy! You’ll be so glad you did!
A fun romance story with deception, mystery, and horses!
A fun romance story with deception, mystery and horses!
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
“In the Arms of the Enemy” has romance and a murder to solve. I immediately liked the main character, Maggie, who is a horse trainer. She finds herself in circumstances beyond her control, with deception, mystery, and love. The setting on a ranch gives so much depth to the story. I loved the horse theme and love interest, “Adam”, who attempts to hide who he is. Not only was it a fun romance, but the detective work and horse training made it a page turner--and quick read. This is for not only romance readers, but horse lovers, and those who like a good old-fashioned mystery.
Thank you to Glenda and Alexey for your kind words regaring "Arms."
Glenda, I hope you enjoy the story (although, I've never thought of myself as the next Dick Francis, having a reader make the comparison is a wonderful compliment)
Guthrie takes us for a ride on the murkier side of thoroughbred racing. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and I thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of the characters. Dick Francis fans will not be dissapointed.
Alexey Braguine
Author of the Espionage thriller Kingmaker
Revenge is Fun series. Publisher Vinny Vitali deserves to be whacked, but for some reason he's like a cat with 9 lives. He's holding a mob widow's memoir hostage and the authors want to kill him, but he won't die.
