Knockdown

Jonah Dereham is a bloodstock agent. He helps find good horses for people that suit their needs and for an honest price within their means. He is hired to find a horse for a woman to give to the son of a man she is hoping to marry. He finds a good horse and they go to the auction and buy it but then they are accosted in the parking lot. A couple of men want the horse they just bought. The woman now needs another horse in two days. Jonah manages to find another one and they get it but the same two men try to take that horse too. Jonah manages to fight them off that time but odd things keep happening. One night his horses get lose and he has to go chase them down in the night and in a busy road. He realizes that the horses were let lose intentionally and begins to wonder who is messing with him. He finds out soon enough. The other independent agents that require kickbacks and use other dishonest dealings to make more money are threatening him to do the same and join their group or he'll be sorry. Jonah refuses and starts thinking of how he can get back at them.

This book was not great but it was better than some others. This one has a character that is an alcoholic and is depressed so that made the story mean more to me. I have a brother who is an alcoholic and he means a lot to me. DF does not make light of those issues and really seems to understand how it is to love someone dealing with alcoholism. The ending did seem a bit abrupt though and I wish there was a little bit more.