Cold Burn
by Kit Ehrman
Summary
When Bruce Claremont quit his job working the night shift on a thoroughbred breeding farm and vanished, his sister Corey asks Steve for help. To find out what happened, he slips unobtrusively into Bruce’s world where secrets and jealousies and obsessions are the norm, and the present seems to be repeating its fiery past. If Steve’s not very careful, he just might get burned. . .
Excerpt
When the alarm blasted me out of a dead sleep, I bolted upright and slammed my palm on the snooze button. In waking, I was intensely aware of the unfamiliar smell of the dark room, of the feel of bed sheets that weren’t mine, of the heavy comforter that had slid down to my waist. The memory of where I was, and why I was getting up at eleven-thirty in the middle of the goddamn night, kicked in like a toggle switch being flipped. I groaned and flopped back on the mattress.
Four hours sleep before my long day.
I didn’t bother with a shower. If I was going to get drenched in amniotic fluid and horse urine, what was the point? When I got to Stone Manor just before midnight, every single barn was lit up. A flutter of anxiety churned through my stomach before I realized that the lights were most likely controlled by timers. Greg, my landlord, did the same thing. Extending the perceived daylight hours brought the mares into estrus earlier than nature intended, and in the thoroughbred industry, the earlier in the calendar year a foal is delivered into this world the better. Each month of growth and development he gained over his contemporaries would work to his advantage. He’d be just a little stronger, just a bit more coordinated, and with luck, faster than his stablemates. I punched my timecard, picked up the keys to one of the farm trucks, and went in search of Maddie.
A plume of exhaust drifted from a Stone Manor truck that idled by the doors to barn six. I pulled into the drive and spotted Paul Genoa’s car parked on the grass. I left the engine running and approached the doorway, mildly annoyed.
My annoyance shifted to concern when Maddie’s shrill voice cut through the still air. “I am not!”
I strode into the barn.
“And even if I was,” she yelled, “it’s none of your damn business.”
They were midway down the aisle, and Paul had his left hand clamped around Maddie’s elbow. “Come on, honey. Don’t do this to me. You’re my--”
“Don’t you get it?” Maddie shrieked and yanked her arm free. “I’m not your anything.”
Paul latched onto her arms, and she pulled back.
“Let her go, Paul,” I said, and their heads whipped around at the sound of my voice. I walked calmly toward them.
Reviews
"Ehrman's best yet." ~Kirkus
"Terrific, engaging novel..." ~The Daily Oakland Press
"Skillfully ratchets up the suspense” ~Booklist
Author's Biography
Award-winning mystery author Kit Ehrman pens the equine-oriented mystery series featuring barn manager and amateur sleuth Steve Cline. The series has received outstanding reviews in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, The Denver Post, and the Chicago Tribune among others. To learn more, visit http://www.kitehrman.com.