 |
The majority of the action and intrigue in this contemporary cozy mystery occur in and around San Diego, California. In addition to a very different type of kidnapping tale, readers get a winner's bouquet of fascinating information about the history, heritage, and everyday goings-on at the city's famous Del Mar Race Track.
Shy is a young woman who is accustomed to being an independent individual. Her husband, a military man, was killed while serving overseas, and Shy has managed to do very well for herself. She's particularly adept at betting and winning at the race track. Her expertise soon becomes the talk of track personnel and wagerers alike. After one financially fruitful race (a forty to one winner), she finds herself abducted and spirited away to a mountain hideaway. But here's the kicker. There's no ransom request. Her winnings aren't even stolen. She's treated more like a guest than a hostage. Why does this happen? What do the kidnappers want? Readers soon learn. Then the plot takes even more unexpected turns when authorities get involved, a trial follows, and the famous Stockholm Syndrome gets turned on its head.
Author Harvey fills her story with one twist after another. She adds insightful backstories to both the kidnapped and the kidnappers, so readers understand each of their motivations. Her prose style is descriptive when appropriate yet straightforward enough to keep her chronicle moving at conversational speed. For those who like their mysteries less crude and more congenial, this one is likely to fill the bill.