Blood and Roses

Written by A.K. Alexander

Narrated by Christina Traister

Someone is torturing and killing high-stakes players in the horse-racing world; all signs point to an animal activist gone rogue. But San Diego CSI Holly Jennings knows better. She’s seen enough violence in her time to know the difference between a killer bent on revenge and a killer seeking sheer destruction.

To stop him, Holly must venture beyond the gleaming facade of jockey silks and Derby hats into the seedy underbelly of the racing world, where ambition and greed trump ethics and fair play, and people will do anything—even kill—to win. But just when she thinks the killer is within her reach, a ghost from the past returns to threaten it all: her case, her job…and her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781480544772

A.K. Alexander

A. K. Alexander dreamed of being a writer since the age of nine, earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California before tackling fiction. Today she is the author of almost two dozen books—women’s fiction, paranormal novels, mysteries, and thrillers—including her recently re-issued debut novel, Covert Reich. A lifelong equestrian, she helps to run her family business manufacturing sports-medicine products for horses. She is a native of San Diego, California, and still lives there today with her family, which includes three kids, nine horses, four dogs, and a cat.

Reviews for Blood and Roses

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

BLOOD AND ROSES was a plot driven thriller that was fast-paced. Characterization suffered a little because of the focus on plot. And what a plot it was, including murders, terrorism, a couple romances, a husband returned from the grave, and the dark side of the the horse racing world. The story is told from multiple viewpoints. Each chapter is told from on character's point of view. The chapters vary in length buy most are short. Because there are so many points of view, little time is spent on character development. Police Detective Holly Jennings is the main character. We know she is a widow of a fellow police officer who died in the line of duty while doing a drug bust. The warehouse burned and his body was never recovered. She was pregnant at the time of his death and now has a daughter who is about 10. She has met another man who also has two daughters and she is planning their wedding, or, she would be if she wasn't so busy trying to solve her cases. She is a dogged investigator who feels that she can know if any of the people she interviews are telling the truth. She is described as being intimidating to suspects.The writing was competent but not polished. I found the story readable but not emotionally engaging. Fans of thrillers and horses may enjoy this plot driven novel.