Leigh McRae leads a quiet life in a small Florida town, surrounded by horse farms and alligators. For the sake of her daughter, she has traded her own happiness for job security and a truce with her ex-husband Kenneth, a poster boy for control freaks. But her peaceful existence is shattered when she discovers the body of her friend and fellow horsewoman, Rita Cameron. The police conclude Rita died in an accidental fall from a hayloft. Leigh is sure the death was a murder and she sets out to convince the police to investigate so her friend can rest in peace.Meanwhile she has to deal with escalating demands from Kenneth, demands that may cost her her horses as well as her home. And on top of everything else, she has to help her cousin Sammi, who's dating a burglar. But Leigh doesn't let personal problems stop her from sleuthing, even though she admits she is not the world's greatest detective. While digging for evidence, she discovers a secret in Rita's past. Now Leigh and her daughter are in danger, and only Leigh's desperate actions can save them.
Talented Horsewoman is now available for Kindle!
Random excerpt from Chapter 5:
Excerpt
I snorted. “Why should your wedding plans concern me for
even one second?” The new city park was practically deserted. I
yanked the Honda’s wheel to aim it into the nearest parking spot.
Kenneth frowned. “I wanted to go back to my office so I can
show you some other floor plans.”
“Uh-uh. I’m done playing real estate.”
“You’ve gotten awfully…I don’t know. Snotty.”
I rolled my eyes so far up in my head they hurt. What had I
ever seen in this man?
We sat across from each other on trendy little benches the
city had recently installed as part of the Keep Del Canto People
Friendly campaign. So far the local citizens had hardly noticed
such people-friendly touches as the benches and a row of spindly
gardenia bushes bordering the new sidewalk. I expected they’d
perk up, though, when the restrooms and water fountains were
completed.
I stared at the harbor while Kenneth shifted around, trying
to get comfortable. A mix of sailboats and bulkier cabin cruisers
dotted the dark blue water, and the sky had pinked up behind the
arch of the I-75 bridge as the sun plunged lower on the horizon.
Too bad I was in the presence of my ex or I would have enjoyed
the scenery a lot more.
Kenneth finally settled himself on the hard concrete seat and
cleared his throat before steepling his fi ngers. “This matter with
the horses—I’ve had time to give it some thought.”
“Really? I thought you were too busy writing contracts for
pricey estate homes to do any thinking.”
He shot me a warning glance. “You once fell off a horse and
broke your arm, correct?”
“You know it is. But why should that matter?”
“Use your brain. What if Whitney had been the one who broke
her arm?”
“Then I’d take her to the ER and get it casted. I told you,
horses aren’t vicious. An accident can happen to anyone.”
“When it comes to my daughter, I’m not willing to take that kind
of chance. After all, you wouldn’t let her ride a motorcycle.”
It didn’t take a psychic to see exactly where he was going with
this. My blood pressure shot up a couple hundred points. “You
have really got your nerve. I knew you were controlling, but this
is too much.”
“You’ve had your way with this horse hobby long enough.
You’d better find buyers for your little herd, starting with the new
one, the one I paid for.”
“Sonny Joe? You paid half. I traded a filly for my half,
remember?”
“Half, a whole, a sixteenth, who cares?” He dismissed my
argument with a contemptuous wave of his right hand. “I want
this done quickly and painlessly. Someone named Brenda Harper
called me this afternoon and made an offer on the horse. She tried
calling you directly, but couldn’t get an answer.”
“I know Brenda; she’s part of the horse crowd. But I’m not
selling to her or to anyone else. And you can’t make me.”
“Can’t I? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m part owner of your
house and your ten acres. I want my half in cash.” He snapped his
fingers. “Unless you can afford to buy me out, we’re selling. And
don’t look at me like that. It isn’t as if you and Whitney are going
to end up in the street.”
“Yeah, I know. That model in Hansen Haven is waiting in the
wings.”
“It’s very affordable for the location, and convenient to my
new place so Doreen and I can spend more time with Whitney.
You might as well grab it while you can. But if you want to get
something closer to your job, your share of the equity might be
enough to buy a condo.”
“What about Whitney’s feelings? You know she’s crazy about
horses.”
“She’ll have to learn to deal with life’s little disappointments.
Doreen says she’s dying to take Whitney to ballet and art
classes.”
“No!” I exploded. “You’re crazy if you think Whitney is going
to give up her horses so she can prance around in a tutu with your
girlfriend.”
“Fiancée.” Kenneth rose to his feet, signaling he was done.
He could issue all the orders he wanted, but there wasn’t any
way I was going to let him control me. I gave him a minute’s head
start before I got up and stomped back to the car.
I had taken only a few steps when I saw Adam stroll by with
a redhead, and it wasn’t even a month since we’d broken up. I
knew I’d have to pay close attention to my driving or I’d drive the
Honda into a tree without even trying.
Professional Reviews
http://www.premierbookreviews.com/book.php?ID=1047
Reviewer: Sabrina Sumsion Review Posted on: 2008-09-11 22:32:13
Rated: Thumbs Way Up!
In Talented Horsewoman, L.C. Evans weaves a realistic tale about Leigh McRae and her efforts to find balance and independence. Leigh is a divorced woman trying to raise her daughter to be beautiful, intelligent and strong even though her ex-husband is is the epitome of controlling and demeaning. One of Leigh's ways of relating to her daughter is through their shared love of horses. It is also through horses that Leigh and her daughter know and love Rita Cameron.
When Leigh is late for an appointment with Rita and discovers her dead body, Leigh's life begins to spiral downwards. It's not bad enough that her good friend is dead and Leaigh is the one to find her but her ex-husband begins to get more controlling and orders her to sell her horses and house. Some local horse people are encouraging Leigh's ex and trying to convince Leigh to sell one of her finest for pennies. Leigh's daughter, Whitney, starts avoiding the horses because she is convinced Leigh's ex will get his way and doesn't want it to hurt as bad when the horses are gone.
When Leigh finds out Rita's death is ruled an accident, something doesn't add up and Leigh tries to remember what was out of place. when she figures it out, it seems like a small detail but it is enough to have Leigh searching for more clues. As she searches she uncovers secrets from Rita's past.
For her debut mystery novel, L.C. has done an exceptional job! There was a twist at the end I wasn't expecting so I think most mystery lovers will enjoy having Talented Horsewoman in their collection.
LC Evans' "Talented Horsewoman" is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good murder mystery.
The story's main character, Leigh McRae, lives in a small town in Florida. She is a single mother and divorcee to an annoyingly controlling ex-husband. When the story begins, she is on her way to meet a fellow horsewoman, Rita, at Rita's farm. She finds Rita, but unfortunately finds her dead. It is up to Leigh to follow her hunch and prove that Rita's death was not an accidental fall from a hayloft: it was calculated murder.
Evans' fine attention to detail makes even a stranger to the Florida area understand the sights, sounds, and feelings of heat, dust, humidity, bugs, ominous storms and the like... as though he or she had lived in the area his or her whole life. Needless to say, given this fine skill, if Evans wants the reader to think Kenneth (the ex-husband) is annoying.....know that he will be under the reader's skin.
Talented Horsewoman was crafted by nothing less than a Talented Author.
The story held together well, with believable characters, settings, and storyline.
The characters were well developed and you either love or hate certain characters very quickly.
The story of a single mom raising a teenage daughter and still at odds with her ex-husband. All of these things bring real life situations to the storyline.
The single mom finds the body of her friend at what looks like a terrible accident. She slowly determines that the supposed accident is really murder. It is apparent she is no super sleuth, but she certainly tries hard to unravel the mystery and find the culprit.
The perpetrator is well masked until the end of the book when all is revealed in an entertaining manner.
All in all a pleasent read with no vulgarity, gore, or extreme language. It contains very good and well-paced "PG" rated dialogue. This is a mystery novel acceptable for the entire family.
All Carson Reno Mystery Series Books are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order.
A famous author is murdered, Carson is at the scene of the crime and considered a prime suspect – but he doesn’t remember anythi
All Carson Reno Mystery Series Books are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order.
A famous author is murdered, Carson is at the scene of the crime and considered a prime suspect – but he doesn’t remember anythi
Revenge is Fun series. Cameron and Kate unravel twists and turns in this clever crime caper. Kim and Kate pay a visit to Cameron in Los Angeles, but never dream they will go undercover to help crack an ingenious drug money laundering scheme.
