Kit Ehrman / Press Kit
P.O. Box 1287
Columbus, IN 47202-1287
e-mail: use link on website
TRIPLE CROSS (2006)
The Plot:
A sinister plot unravels beneath the famed Twin Spires of Churchill Downs when a chance encounter triggers a series of events that plunge Steve Cline into the world of the ultra rich where greed and revenge and ambition lead to a power play that culminates in a bloody triple cross.
Great Lakes Book Award nominee
Priase for TRIPLE CROSS:
"At the start of Ehrman's engaging fourth outing for barn manager Steve Cline (after 2005's Cold Burn), Steve visits Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, courtesy of his newly found biological father, trainer Chris Kessler, who yearns to have his talented son work full-time. But Steve, who lives in Maryland, is considering getting a PI license and uses the time in Louisville to complete a class assignment: find out all you can about someone. He chooses as his research subject Nicole Austin, a Churchill Downs employee he met only once. When Nicole's corpse turns up, Steve quickly becomes the primary suspect. While working to clear his name, Steve is invited into the rarefied world of wealthy racehorse owners by Rudi Sturgill, a cheerful playboy who may be the killer. Though Ehrman has yet to master the tightly focused plotting of jockey-turned-author Dick Francis, equine-minded readers will enjoy his capable, savvy young protagonist and authentic depiction of the gritty world of horse racing. (Jan.)" ~Publishers Weekly
"This is the fourth book in Ehrman's (At Risk) Steve Cline series. Twenty-three-year-old Steve, supposedly on a two-week paid vacation in Louisville, KY, is actually working. His racehorse trainer father has asked him to muck out stalls and feed the horses he has entered in the Kentucky Derby. Steve soon discovers that managing the barn leaves him time to do some homework for a private investigations course he is taking. Then the subject he picks to investigate turns up dead, and Steve becomes a suspect. At the same time, he is pursued by various people who do him bodily harm. Sound familiar? It is no coincidence that Ehrman's books resemble those of Dick Francis. Ehrman admits it was reading Francis's In the Fame that influenced her to switch from a lucrative government job to barn manager at a horse farm and writer of equine mysteries. Like Francis's protagonists, Ehrman's Steve Cline is tough, intelligent, loves horses, and is curious about people and their complex motivations. Highly recommended for all public libraries."-Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. ~Library Journal
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COLD BURN (2005)
The Plot:
When Bruce Claremont quit his job working on a thoroughbred breeding farm and vanished, his sister Corey asks barn manager Steve Cline for help. They decide that the simplest way to find out what happened is for Steve to take Bruce’s place. So Steve slips unobtrusively into Bruce’s world, and the more he learns, the more he suspects that Corey may never see her brother again. Because all is not as it seems in this pastoral setting where secrets and jealousies and obsessions are the norm, and the present seems to be repeating its fiery past. If Steve’s not very careful, he just might get burned.
Ippy Award Bronze Medalist
ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year finalist
Praise for COLD BURN:
“COLD BURN is a terrific, engaging novel full of bits of horse breeding arcana, and a more complex and realistic view of life and death - and birth - than can usually be found in the standard mystery novel.” ~Mark Terry, special to The Daily Oakland Press
“Ehrman’s real strength, however, is her canny ability to carry the reader into the foaling barn so that its sights and sounds and smells and vitality are completely vivid.” ~Robert C. Hahn for Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
“Foul play among the thoroughbreds brings Ehrman's young Lochinvar riding to the rescue once more. Gallant Steve is increasingly irresistible in Ehrman’s best yet.” ~Kirkus
“Ehrman skillfully ratchets up the suspense en route to a surprising conclusion that nonetheless makes perfect sense . . . fully engages the reader, then leaves him or her satisfied. What more could you ask of a mystery?” ~ Dennis Dodge for Booklist
“The nitty-gritty grunt work that takes place…in the horse barns where mares are bred and foaled, is the backdrop for Ehrman’s absorbing third mystery to feature Steve Cline. He has a pleasing honesty [and] Ehrman’s knowledge and exposition of life on a horse farm is most impressive and enjoyable.” ~ Publishers Weekly
“COLD BURN is a hot read. Grab it.” Rita Mae Brown, author of FULL CRY, HOT SPUR, OUTFOXED
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DEAD MAN’S TOUCH (2003)
The Plot:
What do you do when everything you’ve held to be true, when your entire life, in fact, turns out to be a lie? When 22-year-old Steve Cline learns that he’s illegitimate, and his real father is a racehorse trainer, he heads to the Maryland track. Steve’s father recruits him to work undercover in an effort to discover who’s been doping his most promising horses, and he quickly gets caught up in the unique lifestyle inherent to the backside. But it is not a life without peril because some men are willing to do anything to get the right horse under the wire first . .
Praise for DEAD MAN’S TOUCH:
“Ehrman strikes a solid claim to this gritty territory with another heels-up thriller that takes up where Dick Francis left off.” ~ The New York Times
“Ehrman, who gave us the well-received At Risk, has produced a second solid, diverting and apparently authentic equine mystery. Along the way we get enough details of the hard, smelly, underpaid life in that part of racing called--not without humor--the backside to make up for several screenings of Seabiscuit.” ~ The Chicago Tribune
Leslie Doran, special to The Denver Post, says “Dick Francis fans rejoice. America now has its own version of stories about the horse-racing world and the people populating it. Kit Ehrman has created a driven, principled character and puts him into situations where he must fight for the moral high ground. Readers who love the excitement of the race will be thrilled with the arrival of this new addition to the field of mystery fiction." ~ The Denver Post
“From the labor-intensive work in the oppressive heat of a Maryland summer to the cockroach-infested living quarters of the help, Ehrman creates an authentic and vivid picture of the reality behind the glamour of the races. [and] . . . in this chilling sequel from Ehrman . . . with its sensitively drawn characters and enchanting horses with unique personalities, this is sure to be a contender for the winner’s circle.” ~ Publishers Weekly
“Ehrman’s second horse whodunit [with] his exceedingly likable hero . . . finishes in the money.” ~ Kirkus
“There’s plenty of action--murder, sex, chicanery [in] what should be a lengthy and popular series.” ~ The Drood Review of Mystery
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AT RISK (2002)
The Plot:
This stirring first mystery is set in Maryland’s rich horse country where Steve Cline seems, at twenty-one, much too young to be in charge of a major stable. Seasoned by summers on a dude ranch, his skills and stamina are sorely tested when he’s hijacked early one morning along with some of the stable’s horses. His escape turns him into a killer’s target in an environment where a complex scheme develops and everyone, no matter how innocent, courts risks . . .
Praise for AT RISK:
“It's amazing what horses can do for a mystery. Kit Ehrman's debut novel, AT RISK . . . reeks of authenticity, and the hunters and jumpers have personality to burn. When seven of these horses are stolen in the dead of night, Stephen Cline, the 21-year-old barn manager . . . in the honored tradition of a Dick Francis hero, vows to track down the thieves . . .” ~ The New York Times
“Both horse lovers and crime fans who’ve never stepped into a stirrup will relish Ehrman’s riveting debut . . . Ehrman treads Dick Francis territory with a sure foot . . . [and] has created a memorable cast. With his youthful zeal and perseverance, Steve Cline makes a captivating hero and sleuth, one readers will be eager to see again.” ~ Publishers Weekly
“The smart money could make the unusually likable protagonist a favorite in the Francis Stakes.” ~ Kirkus
“At best, only a small fraction of first novels turn out to be first in a series (why assume that success for At Risk?) The overarching reason is that its author is thoughtful and clever, as well as skilled. Ehrman’s writing is unobtrusively crisp . . . The plot is intricate, intriguing, and solid in the best traditional style . . .”~ The Drood Review
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Author Bio
Kit Ehrman is the author of the highly praised, equine-oriented Steve Cline Mystery Series, published by Poisoned Pen Press. The series follows the adventures of Steve Cline, a young man who grew up privileged and wealthy but ends up alone in the world and penniless at the age of nineteen when he drops out of college and is disowned by his overbearing parents. He takes a job as barn manager at Foxdale Farm and is hooked. From the fancy hunters and show jumpers that display their prowess as they soar over challenging obstacles to the sleek, often high-strung, thoroughbreds that compete at the racetrack, the horses and settings are as integral to the stories as the mysteries themselves. Titles include At Risk (2002), Dead Man’s Touch (2003), Cold Burn (2005), and Triple Cross (2006). Ehrman has worked as a groom, veterinary assistant, and barn manager at numerous horse facilities in Maryland and Pennsylvania and currently lives in Indiana. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. She can be reached at kitehrman@usa.com. To learn more, visit http://www.kitehrman.com.
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Bibliography
Poisoned Pen Press
Publishing Excellence in Mysteries
6962 E. First Avenue, Ste. 103
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: 1-800-421-3976
Facsimile: 1-480-949-1707
TRIPLE CROSS
Copyright: 2006 (Dec)
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 336 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $24.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-302-7
LCCCN:
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
TRIPLE CROSS
Copyright: 2007 (May)
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 326 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $14.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-478-3
LCCCN:
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
TRIPLE CROSS
Copyright: 2007
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 336 / Trade / 1st Large Type
Price: $22.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-303-5
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
COLD BURN
Copyright: 2005
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 334 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $24.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-143-1
LCCCN:
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
COLD BURN
Copyright: 2005
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 334 / Trade / 1st
Price: $14.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-293-4
COLD BURN
Copyright: 2005
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 487 / Trade Paperback / 1st Large Type
Price: $22.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-157-1
LCCCN:
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
DEAD MAN’S TOUCH
Copyright: 2003
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 306 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $24.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-089-3
LCCCN: 2003110853
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
DEAD MAN’S TOUCH
Copyright: 2003, 2005
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 306 / Trade / 1st
Price: $14.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-292-6
DEAD MAN’S TOUCH
Copyright: 2003
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 487 / Trade Paperback / 1st Large Type
Price: $22.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-090-7
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
AT RISK
Copyright: 2002
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 292 / Hardcover
Price: $24.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-036-2
LCCCN: 2002108993
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
AT RISK
Copyright: 2002, 2005
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 292 / Trade / 1st
Price: $14.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-265-9
AT RISK
Copyright: 2003
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/General
Pages: 292 / Mass Market Paperback OUT OF PRINT
Price: $6.99 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 0-7434-7506-2
Published by ibooks
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER – More Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers
Joe Grossman and Robert Weibezahl
Copyright: 2003 / Nonfiction/Cookbook
Pages: 206 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $19.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1-59058-077-X
LCCCN: 2003110517
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
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Derby Rotten Scoundrels--an anthology of crime fiction surrounding the Kentucky Derby from members of Sisters in Crime/Ohio River Valley Chapter
Copyright: 2004 (Spring)
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/Anthology
Pages: 0 / Trade Paperback / 1st
Price: $13.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 157072279x
Published by Overmountain Press
Derby Rotten Scoundrels--an anthology of crime fiction surrounding the Kentucky Derby from members of Sisters in Crime/Ohio River Valley Chapter
Copyright: 2004 (Spring)
Fiction/Mystery & Detective/Anthology
Pages: 0 / Hardcover / 1st
Price: $23.95 (US Dollar)
ISBN: 1570722781
LCCCN:
Published by Overmountain Press
