KENTUCKY SUNRISE

In the final installment of the Kentucky Coleman Thornton series, Nealy Littletree has to face her daughter's inadequacies, as well as her own. While each woman struggles to meet her inner demons, both prepare their horses to run in the Derby. Laural Merlington gives each character a clear voice and a clear soul. Nealy's steel betrays a soft hint of vulnerability, and Emmie's weakness displays a core of iron. While they sometimes overlap, the men in the story, for the most part, speak in their own voices, especially the delightful old codger helping an escaped murder suspect flee around the world. While the story occasionally drops a plot line or character development thread, Merlington never loses track or enthusiasm. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]