Are races being fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and jockeys playing a dangerous game with stakes far higher than they realise? Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been called upon by Lord Enstone to make discrete enquiries into why his horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. But this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker, who, only a few hours earlier, had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle. Former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all too well but in his day, jockeys didn’t usually reach the finishing line with three. It’s the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than an eyebrow.

Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. Amazon Apple Books Kobo Google Play Under Orders by Dick Francis 'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman 'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Slay Ride is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis. A sensible man would leave it to the police and go back home to England.Įxcept, it turns out, that England isn't safe either. Now Cleveland knows the stakes are dangerously high. He thinks it'll be a straightforward job, and he'll get to spend some time with old friends.īut when the dinghy is hit by a speedboat and Cleveland almost drowns, he realizes that there is more to this case than some missing money - especially when a dead body turns up.

He's here to help the Norwegians find out why Bob Sherman, a visiting English rider, has done a runner with the racehorse takings. I enjoyed every word' 5***** Reader Reviewĭavid Cleveland - an investigator for the Jockey Club - is sitting in a dinghy in a pleasant little fjord in Norway. 'A gripping thriller combining drama with excellent characterisation. 'Takes the reader on a trip into another world' 5***** Reader Review Discover the classic mystery from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time

Slay Ride by Dick Francis