Review: Off to the races
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 16, 2013
This is a mystery thriller set in the world of British horse racing and written very much in the style of Dick Francis.  Like Dick Francis' heros, the main character in this story, Eddie Malloy,  was a former jockey who had been forced to give up the sport.  In this case Eddie had been falsely accused and convicted of a crime which had caused him to be banned for life.  Eddie was obsessed with finding and bringing to justice the man who had framed him.  When a member of the racing commission, the very group that had falsely convicted him, asked him to assist in an investigation Eddie agreed to undertake the task despite the danger involved.  Eddie's quest leads him into danger but ultimately opens possibilities as well.Even though there are many comparisons between Francis and the team of Pitman and McNally's styles (the racing setting, the stoic, suffering hero who endures much suffering before he ultimately triumphs) this novel is not quite up to Francis standards.  The backstory in this novel is not clearly revealed, leaving the reader with a few unanswered questions, also Eddie is not quite as fully realized as Francis' hero usually are.  Still this is a fun read, one that fans of this sub genre will undoubtedly enjoy.  There are additional books in this series that perhaps will resolve these issues.