Featured Review: Tabikat by Harriet Redfern

[kimmyschemy06]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tabikat" by Harriet Redfern.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Tabikat is a crime and mystery novel written by Harriet Redfern.

The book begins with a prologue that contains news reports about the discovery of an unidentified body alongside the A40 outside GCHQ then flashes back six months earlier.

James Sampfield Peveril, known to his friends as Sam, the wealthy horse trainer and owner of Sampfield Grange, receives an unexpected and strange visit from a long lost childhood friend, Frank Stanley. Stranger still is the request Frank makes, that is, to give a certain Isabela Hall a temporary job as his office manager.

Isabella’s arrival in the house creates turmoil among the household staff of Sampfield Grange as each employee feels threatened by the newcomer and suspicious of her presence. As they speculate about Isabella, another surprise rocks Sam’s monotonous and predictable life. Tabikat, a talented racehorse bred in Ireland, is transferred to his property to train for the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup. Who really is Isabella Hall? and Why is Tabikat transferred to his care? are only two of the questions nagging at Sam’s mind.

With a steady pace and told in the third person perspective, the book was a suspenseful and thought-provoking story not just about horse racing and horse training. It was also about organized crime, murder, cybercrime, drug dealing, obsession and revenge. Moreover, the author described how people react to change. Some people were threatened, some were suspicious, and some were even scared. Generally, however, people were apprehensive over things they did not understand. Furthermore, the book portrayed how a disability could limit and even hinder a person even someone as wealthy as Sam.

Initially, I got interested in this book because it reminded me of the British novelist Dick Francis. After only a few chapters, I felt glad I decided to read it. It was exciting and suspenseful, with the mystery getting deeper and deeper every chapter. The settings were described in details and the characters, even the minor ones, were well developed, complete with interesting backstories. The variation of dialogues from formal to informal English, to Welsh, then to Irish, made the story amusing and, consequently, more interesting. The author created fascinating characters including Sam, the wealthy man with an uninteresting life; Susan, the tough and brave woman; and Eoghan, the determined and diligent boy, among others.

However, the story had not only too many subplots but also too many characters, which may be confusing to other readers. The abrupt shift of topic and introduction of new characters can also be vexing. Moreover, I found the backstory on Tabikat lengthy and, in some instances, verbose. I also noticed some errors like missing words and typos, which are, thankfully, very few.

Though there were still questions left unanswered and events left unexplained, I give this book the rate of 4 out of 4 stars. It is interesting, exciting, suspenseful and entertaining with a nice and satisfying ending. I recommend it to fans of mystery and crime novels. However, there are sexual contents and violent scenes, which may not be suitable for young readers.

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Tabikat
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[Kdonegan91]

Great review! I have been debating whether to read this book or not for some time. After reading your review, I am convinced to read it. I love a good book that keeps me intrigued and flows nicely.

[kimmyschemy06]

Great review! I have been debating whether to read this book or not for some time. After reading your review, I am convinced to read it. I love a good book that keeps me intrigued and flows nicely.

Thank you very much. I hope you get a chance to read it

[Guppy]

Sounds like a great mystery! I like books that begin with a bang (or a body) and move at a good pace. A great review.

[kimmyschemy06]

Sounds like a great mystery! I like books that begin with a bang (or a body) and move at a good pace. A great review.

Thank you. I hope you get a chance to read it

[MarisaRose]

This is a great review! The book sounds really interesting; I love a good mystery and this one sounds like it is full of many twists and turns. Too bad about the over abundance of characters and subplots. I can find the confusion caused by these elements incredibly frustrating at times. Glad you liked this one!

[kimmyschemy06]

This is a great review! The book sounds really interesting; I love a good mystery and this one sounds like it is full of many twists and turns. Too bad about the over abundance of characters and subplots. I can find the confusion caused by these elements incredibly frustrating at times. Glad you liked this one!

Thank you very much. It's an enjoyable book

[The Researcher]

Thank you for the detailed insight into the book. I myself get frustrated remembering a lot of characters and subplots. Too bad for the not up to the mark editing.

[kimmyschemy06]

Thank you for the detailed insight into the book. I myself get frustrated remembering a lot of characters and subplots. Too bad for the not up to the mark editing.

You're welcome and thank you for the comment.

[blacksun77]

hank you for the detailed insight into the book.

[kimmyschemy06]

hank you for the detailed insight into the book.

You're welcome. I enjoyed the book a lot.

[LivreAmour217]

This sounds like a great mystery story. I like that the author explored the various reactions that each character had to change. I imagine that it added an element of realism to the story. Great review!

[danielleurban23]

I haven't read any books by Harriet Redfern, however, after reading this review, I feel compelled to check it out. The genre is one that I enjoy. The characters you described sound interesting to follow. I'm always looking for a new book to read. Your reviewis well-written and accurately portrays everything readers need to know about deciding whether or not they should read it and why.

[kimmyschemy06]

This sounds like a great mystery story. I like that the author explored the various reactions that each character had to change. I imagine that it added an element of realism to the story. Great review!

Thank you very much. It's an enjoyable read

-- 16 Feb 2017, 23:06 --

I haven't read any books by Harriet Redfern, however, after reading this review, I feel compelled to check it out. The genre is one that I enjoy. The characters you described sound interesting to follow. I'm always looking for a new book to read. Your reviewis well-written and accurately portrays everything readers need to know about deciding whether or not they should read it and why.

Thank you very much, I enjoyed the book a lot. I hope you get a chance to read it

[Heidi M Simone]

Great review, kimmyschemy06! I love books that are both suspenseful and and thought-provoking. Sounds like the author put together a good one! Was there a fantasy/sci-fi element? I'm wondering because it is under the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre, but it sounds more like it should be C/T/M/H genre.

Congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!