Picture of Perfection

Quest Stables' veterinarian Dr. Carter Phillips knows he is a key focus of the scandal that has rocked his employers and the thoroughbred world. He desperately wants to clear his maligned name, which will likewise clear his stables' reputation. At an auction, he is stunned to see a painting up for bid. The horse is a twin to his stables' Leopold's Legacy; winner of the Derby and the Preakness before his pedigree became an issue and the Triple Crown dream apparently vanished before the Belmont Stakes was run; fraud became his new name. Carter asks the artist about Picture of Perfect and whether she and her family will allow DNA testing; outraged and worried about her family's future Gillian Cameron says no. However, as they fall in love, she wants to assist his investigation. Kristin Gabriel provides a terrific romantic mystery tied to a horse racing scandal that rocks a major stable on the verge of a Triple Crown. The story line is as fast as Secretariat raced the Belmont as Carter and Gillian fall in love, but Picture of Perfect divides them. Horse racing fans will especially enjoy this engaging tale. Harriet Klausner