M.L. Rowland

The Cover for Murder on the Horizon by M L Rowland may have you thinking this is a cozy mystery, but it is so much more.

Gracie has a big heart and gives it freely. Why people would wish her harm, well….you have to read about her to find out for yourself. She will have you trekking the Mojave and saving people from burning buildings, befriending an abused eleven year old child and dodging bullets from the extremists…

When I first started reading Murder on the Horizon, I never anticipated the suspense and horror between the pages. The storyline kept expanding and taking me deeper into a world filled with hate.

My only complaint…I didn’t like when she entered….but what happened while she was there added some great elements to the story. This is fiction, so I will let the author take me where she will. Thanks for a exciting journey, M.

This is my first foray into M L Rowland books and I don’t feel I missed anything by starting on Book III…missed anything except more good books. So if this is going to be your first purchase of her books, why not start at the beginning, or grab all three in the series pack?

To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com… (mer)

Loved the descriptions of the camp itself and the surrounding region. The climax dragged on and on...hard to believe all this could've happened in a few hours, under these circumstances. Like an action movie where the final battle isn't really the final battle, and the REAL final battle goes to ridiculous lengths. Gracie can be annoying. Gracie's love life is annoying--she pushes both her suitors away, then leans on them heavily. Why both these men would be so in love with her, I don't know. Finally, I wouldn't call this series "cozy."… (mer)

M.L. Rowland's Search and Rescue mystery series became a favorite of mine from the very first book, Zero-Degree Murder. Rowland is extremely adept at writing action sequences that have you turning the pages as fast as you can go.

But most of the reason for my preference is her main character, Gracie Kinkaid, a very likeable, intelligent, and brave young woman who loves to help others. (Through her, readers also learn how to prepare for emergencies.) Gracie has several personal issues to deal with in Murder on the Horizon: her mother, her stepfather, as well as Rob and Ralph, the two men in her life. Her personal issues are made more difficult because she feels as though she's at a crossroads in her life, and she's not sure what she wants her future to hold. Of course, all heroes have flaws, and one of Gracie's is her impulsiveness. There's a scene with one of the extremists in which Gracie puts herself in unnecessary danger-- a situation that certainly had me wanting to have a heart-to-heart with her about the wisdom of zipping her lip.

Yes, I enjoyed all the action sequences, and yes, I enjoyed putting my nose right in the middle of Gracie's business, but another thing that I found a lot of pleasure in was the relationship between Gracie and Baxter, the little boy who kept running away from his father and all the other extremists in the compound tucked away in the forest. Baxter is funny, smart as a whip, and sometimes very exasperating. A little boy caught in a situation not of his making when all he wants is to be "typical." Baxter made me laugh, and he broke my heart.

Murder on the Horizon has an ending that made me wonder what is going to happen next. One thing I do know for certain is that I hope I'll be seeing Gracie again soon.… (mer)

I was so impressed with the first book in this Search and Rescue series, Zero-Degree Murder, that I knew I'd be reading the next one as soon as I possibly could. With Murder Off the Beaten Path, M.L. Rowland's mysteries are now quickly moving towards the top of my favorite series list.

Rowland's search and rescue scenes not only give readers a better understanding of what these brave men and women do for us every single day, they add tension to the story, place us right in the middle of the action, and help define Gracie as a character. They are definitely one of the things that make this series (and this book) so special.

Speaking of Gracie, she's evolving in this second book. Her job situation-- which at first appears to be much more stable-- has landed her right in the center of a snake pit, and we get to see how she deals with it. To be honest, she does much better with that than she does her love life. There's romantic tension aplenty in Murder Off the Beaten Path. Gracie has attracted the affections of two outstanding men, and even I don't know which one she should choose.

Gracie's waffling never detracts from the main focus of the story however. With all the various nefarious characters coming in and out of focus here, I'm beginning to think I'm better off not knowing what really goes on in the more remote sections of this country. (Yes, I do realize that what I don't know can hurt me!)

With enough action, danger, and romance for any reader, as well as a main character who's smart and incredibly brave, who's growing and changing with each book, I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. Write faster, please!… (mer)