While waiting for a delayed airplane, old Henry Dailey, the Black’s trainer, tells young Alec Ramsay a story of his own youth, travelling with his brother, Bill. Bill Dailey’s talent as a horse-whisperer was unmatched in the days before the automobile and young Henry tells of an unscrupulous con-man who mistreats horses into behaving temporarily. Bill is determined to show that the man is a fraud, but can he unmask the con without getting hurt?

Walter Farley experimented with many genres of writing and here, in his only foray into historical fiction, he weaves a fascinating tale of life when horses were the primary means of transportation.

Simply put, The Horse Tamer is an account of Henry Daily’s younger days, working with his older brother for a cirus. As the title denotes, Henry tames wild horses, instead of breaking them. Along with an insight into Henry’s past, the book also provides excitement as it reveals a sinister plot unfolding. The Horse Tamer was a good book; while not GREAT, it still offered excitement and made me keep turning the pages. I liked this book because it was written by Walter Farley, and I like his stuff. Also, the plot was interesting, and it gave me a background on Henry Daily. It was also a fresh change of pace from all the books about Alec Ramsey. Overall, I’d say read it. Although it’s not Walter Farley’s best book ever, it’s still good enough to warrant a reading.

Alec and the Black’s latest adventure takes them to Ireland, where the Black has a chance to once again prove his brilliance as a racehorse. Then an injury forces them to prolong their stay. When a girl, Mora, finds a pony wandering the beach, Alec and the stallion are drawn into a mystery involving a kelpie. At first, he dismisses the tales about these shape-shifters but when Mora disappears, his search for her leads him and the horse into a deadly struggle to save her from this legendary creature. This is a carefully crafted novel, with Irish legend and daily life woven throughout. The suspense builds slowly but steadily. The lightly drawn characters support the story line, and Mora is typical of many girls whose greatest wish is to have a horse of their own. Devoted fans of the series will enjoy this latest adventure with a supernatural twist.

Steven Farley has taken his father’s beloved characters, Alec Ramsey and the Black, and edged them skillfully into the world of Irish legend, confronting a determined and sinister Kelpie foe. Mr. Farley has brought a smooth and engaging writing style to the task, for me delightfully reminiscent of his father’s work, so dear to my childhood. His Irish coastal scenery, evocation of dread and awe, and his character consistency are admirable. The 9 to14 year-old-age range touted by the sales blurb is accurate. Unfortunately, an obvious lack of proof-reading and continuity mar this otherwise engaging reemergence of old friends. There are a number of distracting errors a simple editing review should have eliminated, and the penultimate action sequence is almost unreadable, from a horseman’s standpoint. That reluctantly said, because this was otherwise a fine read, I definitely look forward to more by this promising writer and hope that Random House will pay more attention to detail next time.