Silent Harmony: Fairmont Riding Academy—A Vivienne Taylor Horse Lover's Mystery, Book 1

Gr 7 Up—Vivienne Taylor, 17, is an expert horseback rider and has the uncanny ability to connect mentally with the animals and read what they are thinking and feeling. She dreams of going all the way to the Olympics, but realizes that it won't happen in her small town despite her intense training regime. Then she receives a full scholarship to the prestigious Fairmont Riding Academy, a prep school that has produced many Olympians, and she knows it is the ticket to her dreams. However, being the "scholarship" girl at a school of wealthy, beautiful, and talented students isn't easy, and Vivienne has her work cut out for her. Amy Mcfadden does a brilliant job capturing all of Vivienne's insecurities and vulnerabilities. Listeners can hear the strain and turmoil in her voice as she deals with a host of issues from normal teen angst to being thrown into a complicated murder cover-up on campus. McFadden's use of volume and pitch make her male voices realistic and distinct, and she easily keeps up with the fast-moving plot. Mystery fans, romantics, and horse lovers will enjoy Scott's first title (Skyscape, 2013) in a projected series and eagerly await the next adventure.—Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI