The Alibi Man [Mass Market Paperback]

 

 

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The original formula that many thriller writers favored was to have young, beautiful, enviable, and pleasant heroines who needed help from handsome, aggressive action heroes. Fortunately, we've learned to expect more from the characters in genre since then.

Of all the tough, no-prisoners-taken heroines I've read about since then, Elena Estes is very special. Adopted by a rich family, she found they really didn't care about her except for what benefits she might bring them. An early potential benefit was marriage into the influential, wealthy Walker family. That value blew up when Walker raped another woman and tried to use Elena for an alibi. Elena had the good judgment to not stand behind this man, and she paid a big price. Elena's father became Bennett Walker's defense attorney and proceeded to make her look bad. Elena hasn't been on speaking terms with the family since then. First, she was a cop and later chose to do some investigating privately while exercising horses for a friend on the edges of the Palm Beach society she once was part of.

Twenty years later, fate steps in again when Elena spots an arm dangling from the water at the end of an unexpected gallop on a fast horse. The arm turns out to belong to her co-worker and slight friend, Irina. The autopsy shows that Irina has been busy with several men. Elena decides that she will find the killer. That search soon leads to the doorstep of Bennett Walker who is again represented by her father. Elena has another prod. Irina was the "niece" of a vicious Russian mobster, Alexi Kulak; Kulak wants Irina's murderer found so Alexi can mete out "justice."

In the course of her investigation, Elena finds that many of the rich, powerful men in the polo crowd have formed an alibi club to cover for one another's' crimes. Who's covering for whom this time?

In a scene that's reminiscent of the opening for Sunset Boulevard, the book's first chapter powerfully sets the stage for that premise with these words:

"She floated on the face of the pool like an exotic water lily . . . She was dead."

"He opened his cell phone and punched in a number."

"'I need an alibi.'"

Elena finds herself at odds with almost everyone involved. But she trudges on, despite the discomfort of having to rely on help from her secret boyfriend (whom she has just dumped), Detective James Landry. The bright surprise is the irresistibly handsome and charming polo player, Juan Barbaro, who seems taken with her. Why her?

As you can see, the book has an amazing background for the heroine/detective and a fascinating premise that seems fresh from the headlines of powerful people who've gotten away with sexual assaults.

But what makes the book special is the racing pulse of momentum towards raw confrontations from which many are likely not to survive. The danger is palpable. The excitement continuously rises. Your disgust with the bad guys will make you want to shout at someone. It's great.

The book has only a few flaws that keep it from being one of the best thrillers I've ever read. First, the coincidence of Elena finding Irina's body so quickly after the murder seems like one in a billion. It's hard to swallow. Second, the good ole polo boys are painted a little too negatively. It seems overdone. Third, Kulak's misconception late in the book seems hard to understand. It didn't seem credible. Fourth, Barbaro's interest in Elena doesn't quite ring true. If minor points like those don't bother you, The Alibi Man could be one of your favorite suspense stores of 2007.

Book2 Elena Estes series

Ex-narcotics detective Elena Estes wants to live in peace training her horses. But when she discovers the abused body of a young female co-worker dumped in a canal, she is drawn back into action and launches an investigation. 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. She is now more determine to uncover the truth...

Tami Hoag brings us once again into the world of Polo clubs, priceless horses and the unscrupulous rich. She uses her knowledge of horses and her quirky, multi-dimensional characters to provide more than just your typical murder mystery. The plot is slow moving and pulls you through a series of predictable intrigues. I like the gutsy in your face style of her main character Elena, her personality is a wise-cracking cynic, persistent and comfortable using unorthodox means to get to the truth. The secondary characters are ridiculous; the good ole polo boys are painted a little too negatively, Kulak's misconception is hard to understand and Barbaro's interest in Elena doesn't quite ring true. It seems overdone. What I found most boring was the redundancy describing Elena's accident and her fixation about her past as a rich kid. If these points are overlooked the book in its whole is not bad.

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