Review: Horses and Heroin by Bev Petterson

Title:  Horses and Heroin
Author:  Bev Pettersen
Genre:  Romantic Mystery
Book Size:  306 pages (Amazon didn't show the eBook for some reason. I purchased this book in 2015 and just now got around to reading)

Jockey School Is Not What It Seems.

A talented rider disappears without a trace.
His frantic sister poses as a student.
A private investigator's plans for quiet recuperation are shattered.

Megan is determined to find her missing brother even though no one else at the illustrious California Jockey School seems to care. Her only ally is a recuperating PI who unfortunately is the owner's best friend. Soon she is caught between a blossoming romance and a far-reaching conspiracy...and misplaced trust can be deadly.

I almost passed on this book because of the title. Yes, I'm against hard drug use, but that's not the reason why. Frankly, it's just a stupid title when another could have worked better. That said, I'm glad I read the book's description because that's what sold me to click the BUY button.

This is my first novel by Bev Petterson and I'd be interested in reading others. I like horses. I like horse racing. Put the two together and she wrote an outstanding, fresh story. There were slow sections of the story where I admit to quickly skimming over to get back into the action. Especially the part authors call "The Sagging Middle".

The heroine Megan enrolls in jockey school (I didn't know there were such things) to investigate the disappearance of her brother. Enter the hero, Scott. He's a P.I. who'd been grazed by a bullet to the head during his last job and he needs to recuperate away from the hustle of his busy P.I. office. Of course, any man in his right mind who'd recently been shot in the head would naturally choose to hide-out at jockey school that just so happens to be owned by his buddy. (who just so happens to need a drug addict instructor)

Throw in the Mexican drug cartel, a few bad jockeys, a few goofy sidekicks, and this turned out to be quite an enjoyable read! I was never quite sure "whodunit" until the author divested the truth. Good job on the part of Bev Petterson and her superb writing skills.

Mystery, suspense, sexy characters as well as despicable ones, and plenty of Thoroughbred racehorse track action to keep you standing in your stirrups until the very end.

**** Four Stars