Elena Estes, former undercover cop and private
investigator, is dismayed when she finds a woman's body in
a south Florida swamp. When she realizes that the dead
woman is Irina Markova, her friend and previous coworker at
a horse stable, Elena is determined to find out who did
this to Irina and bring that person to justice. Despite a
distrust of men in general, Elena calls on her former
lover, Detective James Landry, to help figure out who
murdered her friend.
One of the main suspects is Bennett Walker -- a man Elena
was engaged to 20 years ago but left after he was tried and
acquitted for the rape and murder of another woman, despite
Elena's testimony against him. Through the investigation,
it's revealed that Bennett is part of a group of men who've
dubbed themselves "The Alibi Club" -- super wealthy men who
stick together and cover for each other when one of their
members gets in hot water. Elena must immerse herself in a
world she gave up long ago in order to find Irina's killer.
As if she needed more incentive to do that, she's visited
by Alexi Kulak, a remorseless Russian mobster who threatens
to kill her unless she helps him find who murdered Irina.
Tami Hoag weaves an intricate tale of murder and
deception. She doesn't introduce extraneous characters, so
the story is easy to follow. I did have a problem with how
often she reveals that Elena is a tough woman who can trust
no one, especially men. She hits you over the head with
this theme throughout the book. That, however, is the only
thing I would've liked done differently. This follow-up to
DARK HORSE (9/02) is a very well-written and thought-out
murder/mystery. Hoag is able to keep you guessing and
you'll be left breathless until all the threads are unwoven
and the killer is revealed.
She was a vision. She was a siren. She was a nightmare. She
was dead. Now he needed her to disappear. And he knew just
how to make it happen. The Palm Beach elite go to great
lengths to protect their own-and their own no longer
includes Elena Estes. Once upon a time a child of wealth
and privilege, Elena turned her back on that life. Betrayed
and disillusioned by those closest to her, she chose the
life of an undercover cop, the hunt for justice her own
personal passion. Then a tragic, haunting mistake ended her
career. Now Elena exists on the fringes of her old life,
training horses for a living. But a shocking event is about
to draw her back into the painful vortex she's fought so
hard to leave behind.
First she finds the body-a young woman used, murdered, and
dumped in a canal. Not just a victim, but a friend. As
Elena delves into her dead friend's secret life, she
discovers ties not only to the Russian mob but also to a
group of powerful and wealthy Palm Beach bad boys known for
giving each other alibis to cover a multitude of sins. A
group that includes a man Elena once knew very well-her
former fiancé, Bennett Walker, a man she knows has already
escaped justice at least once in his life.
Finding her friend's killer will put Elena at odds with her
old life, with her new lover, and with herself. But she is
determined to reveal the truth-a truth that will shock Palm
Beach society to its core, and could very well get her
killed.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy