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On the surface this book reminds me of Summer
of the Dragon
by Barbara Michaels. A young woman who is an expert in
her field is invited to participate in a hush-hush dig on
a remote estate owned by an eccentric and disreputable archaeologist.
That is pretty much where the plot similarities end. Verity
Grey travels to the cold and wet wilds of Scotland, not the
Arizona desert, and while both books are about archaeology,
Shadowy Horses focuses more on the mechanics of the
dig and less on the frailty and faults of the heroine.
There is a humorous and traditional triangle between Verity
and her old boyfriend who doesn’t want her, but also
doesn't want her to get close to Mr. Sexy-in-a-Kilt. But thank
goodness for cooler heads, graduate students and cool night
air!
While this book is categorized under “horror”
I didn't feel it. There is a ghost, and a young boy who can
talk to him when he has a Latin translator, but the book isn't
spooky. It is uncertain whether the Roman Sentinel following
Verity Grey thinks that she is his sister, or is just reminded
of that young woman from 2000 years ago.
There is a reasonable amount of suspense from both near and
ancient historical conflicts, the unstable weather in a northern
coastal city, family secrets and dissension, but the story
itself was not suspenseful. The ending was a surprise and
I really couldn't see it coming. There was no buildup; it
was just popped out like a jack-in-a-box in a flurry of noise
and hand-waving. Overall I enjoyed the characters and their
stories and will look for more books by Susana Kearsley.
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