Dancer (A Novel) Shelley Peterson

Hilary James (Mousie) is just 16 when she wins The Fuller Trophy at the Royal Winter Fair, with her stunning horse Dancer. Her triumph is rewarded by an invitation from the Queen (of England) but it also attracts the attention of Samuel Owens, who will stop at nothing to acquire Dancer for his niece. Rebuffed in all attempts to buy Dancer he sets off down a more sinister path by instructing his employee, a somewhat colourful character, Chad Smith, to get Dancer at whatever cost! Mousie is injured in a fall, a sabotage attempt by Smith, and while she is rushed to hospital, Dancer is stolen. This plot is thwarted by Rory and Sandy Casey, a father and son with an ulterior motif of the love variety, coming to the rescue and recovering Dancer. But before long smith strikes again this time with fatal consequences. With Smith out of the picture Christine (Mousie's widowed mum) and Mousie think that their troubles are over and set off for England, where they stay at Clusters built by the fourth Duke of Dewsbury, in the room belonging to his wife Arabella.

Sam Owens is a dangerous, not to mention angry man, he has set his sights on Dancer and intends to have him....dead or alive.....This is where the book goes a little 'odd' and almost off the plot. Mousie has another dream of a lady riding side saddle who warns her Dancer is in danger, just as she did on the night Chad Smith died. She rushes to the stables and sure enough another kidnap attempt is in progress and adverted. Meanwhile a vintage hunting whip belonging to Lady Arabella mysteriously appears where ever Mousie and Dancer go. Before they leave England Mousie is given the opportunity to hunt Dancer where they are joined by the mysterious side saddle rider and narrowly escapes tragedy when another, not so lucky combination, plough into them. On arriving back at Clusters Mousie comes face to face with the side saddle lady (okay in a portrait) and it's Lady Arabella! It appears she died in an hunting accident just like the one Mousie and Dancer narrowly escaped from. Why she appeared the others times was never really explained (or if it was I didn't pick up on it). With another nemesis out of the way they return home, positive that nothing else can go wrong. The budding romances between parents and children continues to blossom until Christine, after a visit from her dead husband Peter, gives in and decides to marry Rory. Before the happy ever after ending disaster strikes again. Sam Owens decides if a job needs doing right, do it yourself and has one last attempt at Dancer. Rory's young sister is hurt in a riding accident and while Mousie and sandy attend her and get help he strikes......and Dancer is left fighting for his life........

I have probably spoilt it already but i will leave you guessing.

A lovely enjoyable book, which was very well written. I am not a royalist, afr from it, but as other Country's appear to have a fascination with our Royal family, I can forgive the Author that and it is a little ott and unbelievable in places but on the whole very well done. I am a little less sure about the 'supernatural' element and in the case of Lady Arabella what bearing it really had to the story (okay it warned Dancer was in danger but why? What was the connection between Lady Arabella and a Canadian horse?) We are told in the blurb that this story began as a dream, Shelly Peterson was in Prague when one night she awoke from a vivid dream about a girl and a horse and wrote it down...maybe this explains the 'odd' bits.

The characters were super, well developed and likeable and the budding romances were done in an unobtrusive way while remaining central to but not over shadowing the plot. A somewhat unique pony book and my first Canadian pony book (as far as I am aware).

Highly recommended to all!