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Sweet Revenge
Paperback
Publisher: Donna Arteaga
Published: Nov 3 2024
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.46
Height: 0.37 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Nestled in the heart of Ocala's rolling hills, the Ocala Thoroughbred Rescue and Rehab is a sanctuary for horses in need. To Diana Archer, it's more than that; it's her life's work, a refuge for the broken and abandoned. Alongside her daughter, Charlotte, her son-in-law, Blake, and her close-knit board, Diana has transformed the farm into a thriving, peaceful retreat for horses and people alike. But lately, that peace has been shattered.
First, Diana experiences an unsettling presence, one that hovers just beyond her sight. The ghost of Willie James, a man lynched on the land more than a century ago, has made himself known to her. His restless spirit seems to haunt the farm, shadowing Diana as she goes about her days and slipping into her dreams at night. His appearances come with an urgency, a warning Diana doesn't yet fully understand, but her unease grows as strange tragedies unfold on the farm.
A beloved horse is found dead under mysterious circumstances, then a loyal farm dog meets the same fate. Rumors stir among the staff, whispers of accidents that feel far too deliberate, and tensions among the board members begin to fray. Next, the farm's hay barn is consumed in a raging fire, leaving them short of essential resources and overwhelmed by fear. Worst of all, Ava Kirk, the farm's longtime attorney and Diana's trusted friend, is found dead under horrifying circumstances. The news of Ava's death sends shockwaves through the farm, especially when it's revealed that Ava was having a clandestine affair with Victor Martinez, the farm's veterinarian, both of them married, but to other people.
With the mounting tragedies, the farm's core is thrown into turmoil, and doubts creep into even the strongest of relationships. Diana is haunted not only by Willie's spirit but by the possibility that someone on the farm may be harboring dark secrets. The presence of the ghost becomes a grim warning, urging Diana to uncover the truth before more lives are lost. Suspicion gnaws at the board as they reel from the loss of Ava and the shocking revelation of her affair with Victor. The farm, once a sanctuary, feels poisoned by secrets, betrayal, and the constant threat of more violence.
Desperate for answers and determined to restore peace, Diana turns to Badr Aziz, an archeology professor from the University of Florida. Badr, a man with a mystery of his own, agrees to help. Together, he, Olivia, the farm's marketing director, and Diana uncover a surprising connection between Ava and the land's dark history, a connection that runs deeper than anyone suspected. As they investigate, Willie's ghost grows more insistent, and they begin to realize that the tragedies surrounding the farm may have been his attempts to communicate the truth.
When Badr locates Willie's bones, buried in a forgotten corner of the farm, they understand at last what Willie's spirit has been trying to reveal. In an ultimate act of justice, Willie's bones are laid to rest alongside Ava's in the family cemetery, and with that, the tragedies cease. The haunting ends, and a tentative peace settles back over the farm.
But as Diana stands over the graves, the weight of everything they've endured presses down on her, and she wonders: is it truly over, or are there still shadows waiting to be unearthed? Sweet Revenge is a haunting story of murder, mystery, and betrayal, set against the vivid backdrop of Florida's horse country, where secrets buried in the past resurface with chilling consequences.
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