by Dick Francis
First published 2010
Captain Tom Forsyth comes back from Afghanistan missing a foot and carrying invisible wounds from an IED blast. The army has discharged him, and he has nowhere else to go but his mother's racing stable. He hasn't seen Josephine Kauri since he enlisted at seventeen. She runs Kauri House Stables and holds the title of first lady of British racing. Horses have always mattered more to her than family. Tom quickly realizes the tension in the house goes beyond their strained relationship. Someone is blackmailing his mother for substantial weekly payments. The blackmailer forces her to make her horses lose races. Josephine cannot retire because her tormentor threatens to expose secrets that would destroy her reputation and land her in prison. Tom decides to hunt down this hidden enemy. His military training gives him skills his mother lacks. He must discover who is behind the scheme and stop them. The question remains whether he can protect Josephine's career and freedom, or whether the danger will consume them both.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, contemporary, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, redemption
Setting: Afghanistan, Kauri House Stables
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence