Balancing Act — Toni Leland

Author Toni Leland continues the series of Kovak & Quaid in this second book. Kim Kovak is a well-known equine photographer, a profession she adopted after recovering from a shooting accident that maimed her leg, killed her police horse, and forced her retirement from the Columbus Ohio Mounted Police Unit.

When a simple magazine assignment in Chicago involves an encounter with a runaway carriage horse, Kim is catapulted into the news, and the owner of a new equestrian attraction begs Kim to find the person responsible for the deadly epidemic sweeping through the barn. Horrified by the brutality of human nature, Kim accepts the job, but not without reservations. She may be retired law enforcement, but she's no private eye.

Insurance fraud investigator Garrett Quaid is also in Chicago, looking into a client's suspicions about an unfaithful husband. When Kovak calls to ask for help, Quaid finds himself again working with the woman who both hindered and helped track down a horse theft ring in Ohio the previous summer. Only this time, the working relationship is different.

A nasty scheme for revenge takes Kovak & Quaid on a roller coaster ride through professional jealousy and love-hate relationships in the world of talented and valuable performing horses. Will the two of them catch the perpetrators of a treacherous plot to put the Dream Horse Ballet out of business?