Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield have been barred from racing—a devastating event for them both. The charge at the secret enquiry? Throwing a race for personal profit. It is a vicious frame-up, and worse, they have nowhere to turn to clear their names. Still, Hughes refuses to take the phony verdict lying down—even though his personal enquiry might have him lying down permanently.
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"A great story about a miscarriage of justice, as a steeplechase jockey is framed for offenses that result in his racing license being withdrawn and his reputation mangled. This is sure to mark the end of his career unless he can figure out who has it in for him and the trainer he rides for."
— Deirdre (4 out of 5 stars)
“[Has] everything required in a modern thriller…an intricate plot that unravels skillfully, mayhem, sex, suspense, excitement, and surprise denouements.”
— New York Times Book Review“Highly ingenious.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London)“As usual, Dick Francis is superb in his depiction of the horse-racing world, full of greed and betrayal. Equally superb is the clarity of expression that [Ralph Cosham] brings to the novel…The pacing is flawless.”
— AudioFile" What little I know about horse racing I owe to Dick Francis--I really like the way he interweaves his stories. I try to out guess him. "
— Gretchen, 11/23/2013" Really 3.5 stars. I do enjoy a good Dick Francis, and I'm bummed that I've read nearly all. "
— Anna, 10/19/2013" As usual very enjoyable. Francis is the master of creating engaging and likeable protagonists. Not my favorite but certainly enjoyable. "
— Beverly, 10/5/2013" The mystery wasn't much but the world he created was great. The steeple chase world is so well drawn and the class issues were fascinating. "
— David, 9/27/2013" Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield have been unfairly barred from racing for throwing a race. Hughes investigates who wanted them out of racing. "
— woody, 5/9/2013" One of my favourites of his. Never disappoints. "
— Sho, 4/5/2013" Haven't read this one yet. It was good. Short but fine. "
— Ange, 9/2/2012" This Francis novel somehow seems less eventful or perhaps tense to me than most of his others. The narrator, Tony Britton, does a fine job, including good work with an American accent. "
— Contrarius, 12/24/2011" Love his horsey intrigue. "
— Christine, 12/21/2011" I always enjoy a Dick Franics. I like the horse racing angle. This one was good reading during a long plane flight. "
— M, 12/15/2011" This is one of my favorite Dick Francis books. I particularly liked the pairing in this one of the jockey and the snobby trainer's daughter. His couples are frequently kind of different, and I like that about his books. "
— Candace, 9/29/2011" The "Recorded Books" guy reading it was pretty bad, which is unusual for that company. The story was very compelling. I only "listen" to Dick Francis--I can't stand reading him for some reason. I really enjoy them on cd in the car though. "
— Lisa, 7/5/2011" A clever and very enjoyble read. It is one of the better stories from the pen of Dick Francis. "
— Greg, 6/30/2011" Really 3.5 stars. I do enjoy a good Dick Francis, and I'm bummed that I've read nearly all. <br/> "
— Anna, 5/21/2011" The mystery wasn't much but the world he created was great. The steeple chase world is so well drawn and the class issues were fascinating. "
— David, 4/24/2011" Just finished. Think I prefer some of his later ones. <br/> <br/>It's interesting as a writer to watch how Francis builds tension. "
— Jenny, 4/20/2010" This is one of my favorite Dick Francis books. I particularly liked the pairing in this one of the jockey and the snobby trainer's daughter. His couples are frequently kind of different, and I like that about his books. "
— Candace, 4/13/2010" Haven't read this one yet. It was good. Short but fine. "
— Ange, 11/11/2009" The "Recorded Books" guy reading it was pretty bad, which is unusual for that company. The story was very compelling. I only "listen" to Dick Francis--I can't stand reading him for some reason. I really enjoy them on cd in the car though. "
— Lisa, 8/6/2009" What little I know about horse racing I owe to Dick Francis--I really like the way he interweaves his stories. I try to out guess him. "
— Gretchen, 5/4/2008Dick Francis, (1920–2010) a former champion steeplechase jockey, was the author of many bestselling mysteries set in the world of horse racing. The only three-time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for best novel, his awards include the Gold Dagger, the Cartier Diamond Dagger, the MWA’s Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Tufts University of Boston, and in 2000 he received a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.