Review of Cause for Elimination

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cause for Elimination" by Marla A. White.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Emily Connors’ focus should be on her career comeback after a severe horseback riding accident. Instead, she’s lost in the mire of processing the death of her boss, trainer Pamela Yates, after discovering the disfigured body in an occupied horse stall. When the devastatingly handsome detective, Justin Butler, arrives to investigate the scene, clues are not forthcoming. As the search for the killer continues, the list of Pamela’s enemies seems to keep growing, and so does the attraction between Emily and Justin.

It turns out that Yates has some dark secrets, but so do the rest of the equine community, Emily included. When the murderer’s actions become more desperate, Emily finds her life on the line, and her destructive habit comes to light. Will Emily be able to put her life back together and help Justin solve the crime? Or will the remaining pieces of her life come crashing down before they can stop the killer?

I have nothing negative to say about this heart-pounding mystery novel! Cause for Elimination by Marla A. White was entertaining, suspenseful, steamy, and hard to put down. I loved how well this author captured the emotions of her characters and presented the mystery and romance. As the suspect list kept growing, I enjoyed making guesses, only to have another piece of well-placed evidence send me down another rabbit trail. There was also a great deal of rising suspense as Emily dealt with personal issues, confronted dangerous attacks from unknown enemies, and fell in love with the handsome detective. The success of their romance remained a mystery as Emily and Justin went from hot to cold in their relationship as the case progressed.

This book was fast-paced, with authentic human interactions and realistic dialogue. I found myself laughing at the conversations, cringing when Justin made horrific mistakes with what he said to Emily, and laughing out loud about the characters around the barn. The addition of a horse whisperer/psychic was pure genius! Having the horses share vague warnings and predictions about the murderer was haunting and hilarious. I was delighted with the ending and loved how the author handled the wrap-up of the case.

The book was exceptionally well edited, with only a few lingering minor typos, and there was nothing that I disliked. I highly enjoyed this author’s writing style and look forward to reading more from her in the future. Therefore, I give Cause for Elimination five out of five stars.

I recommend this excellent mystery novel to horse lovers, equestrian competition fans, and those who love swoon-worthy male characters. It should also appeal to murder mystery lovers and fans of strong female characters. The book includes heterosexual and homosexual relationships, but the erotic content focuses only on heterosexual intimacies. Those scenes would fall into the mild to moderate category and focus more on the characters’ emotions. Non-borderline swearing exists throughout the novel.

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Cause for Elimination
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[Ilze Herholdt]

I am a big fan of mystery novels. I would consider myself a fellow horse lover although I don't ride myself. Thanks for your review.

[Ogunkoya Mayowa]

A crime book that talks about how Pamela's death case was investigated by Justin but the list of his enemies kept on growing. The book also talks about how the relationship between Emily and Justin went from hot to cold. The book was interesting and had great suspense. Nice review.

[NetMassimo]

I'm not sure about the romance element, as it's not my kind of stuff, by the thriller part seems interesting and suspenseful, so it makes me curious. Thank you for your great review!