Last seen in bestseller Hoag's Dark Horse, Elena Estes, a former undercover cop turned PI, is devastated at the start of this captivating thriller when she realizes a body she finds in a south Florida canal is that of her friend Irina Markova, a beautiful groom with whom she once worked at a horse stable. Assisted by ex-lover Det. James Landry, the tough-as-nails Elena immerses herself in Irina's murder investigation. One of the suspects happens to be Bennett Walker, the ex-fiancé Elena hasn't seen in 20 years, who was previously tried and acquitted of rape and attempted murder despite her testimony against him. The suspense builds when Elena learns that Bennett is a member of the Alibi Club, a group of wealthy Palm Beach "bad boys" who cover for each other when trouble befalls them. Elena believes she can trust no one, especially after Russian mobster Alexi Kulak insists that Elena help him unearth Irina's killer. Elena, who eschewed her elitist Palm Beach family to preserve her integrity, is a heroine readers will want to see more of. (Mar. 27)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Beth McDonald renders this hard-boiled detective fiction in just the right manner. She captures the weariness and cynicism of Elena Estes, a former Palm Beach County detective now on disability retirement. Yet she projects the characters softer side as well. The authors use of both the first- and third-person points of view makes listening difficult. In audio the switches are abrupt--especially when the narration goes from Elena speaking in first person to the author writing about her in the third person. The story focuses on the polo set of Palm Beach. A beautiful Russian groom is murdered, and a local socialite is the most likely suspect. McDonald has a little trouble with accents--specifically, her Spanish and Russian characters sound alike. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Elena Estes, former policewoman, former member of the elite of Palm Beach, Florida, is thrust back into both aspects of her former life when she discovers a woman's body in a canal. Physically healed from the wounds she sustained while working on a meth-lab bust, she has yet to recover emotionally from causing another officer's death and has been living and working at her best friend's horse farm. When she realizes that the victim is the farm's beautiful, vibrant young groom Irina, Elena is determined to bring her justice no matter what. Her search leads to the creme de la creme of Palm Beach society and the powerbrokers who hang out at the tony polo fields, including her ex-fiance, who, Elena knows, is capable of committing the crime. Hoag revisits her tragically flawed and reluctant protagonist from I^ Dark Horse (2002) in a superbly taut thriller. Written in a staccato style that will have readers racing through the pages, Hoag conducts a whirlwind tour of the high-flying world of the superrich and its tawdry underbelly that will leave readers breathless and satisfied. Patty Engelmann

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"A superbly taut thriller…. Hoag conducts a whirlwind tour of the high-flying world of the superrich and its tawdry underbelly that will leave readers breathless and satisfied."—Booklist

“A heroine readers will want to see more of.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

"A superbly taut thriller…. Hoag conducts a whirlwind tour of the high-flying world of the superrich and its tawdry underbelly that will leave readers breathless and satisfied."—Booklist

“A heroine readers will want to see more of.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Hardcover edition.