Patty O’Donnell rides again in Pepper Smith’s latest, Rio Star. Pregnant, and frustrated at her husband’s insistence on coddling her condition, Patty is soon thrust into a plot of international intrigue. She is kidnapped by a shady cousin of her husband’s who intends to force her to train horses for him.

Her plight becomes decidedly more complex when she discovers the involvement of Mick Jarratt, the man who nearly took her life in Blood Money. Can Patty keep her training license, herself, and the new life growing inside her, safe in a circle of a race-fixing cousin, a cold blooded assassin, and her racing rival Emilio Ramirez, an ex-soldier of a defeated dictatorship?

When Patty discovers the kidnapper’s reason for needing her help, she is more willing to do her part. Revenge on Ramirez for the killing of his wife has driven Roy to the extreme. When the plot is over and the race won, however, will Patty be allowed to return home to her husband, or does Mick Jarratt have other plans for her future?

Pepper Smith’s writing has reached a new level with Rio Star. She’s developing into a name to watch in the world of mystery and suspense.

Her characterization and settings are once again crisp and clear, and the plot moves forward at a run.

Pepper Smith has brought home a winner. I give this book a Muse Review Mark of Great Read for its fast-paced plot, emotion and unique settings.

Reviewer: Mary Schneider, MUSE BOOK REVIEWS