"When Black Beauty was born one sweet spring day, he could not have imagined the life ahead of him. Following his mother's advice to do his work with a good will, he enjoys the adventures of country and city life, makes new friends, and suffers from the cruelty and greed of his human masters. Beauty faces each challenge with bravery and kindness -- and then a chance encounter with an old friend brings him the greatest joy of all. Anna Sewell's classic...

"Jeff Hinkley is an undercover investigator for the British Horseracing Authority. He secretly follows a banned racehorse trainer through the crowds at the Cheltenham Racing Festival only to witness a bloody murder taking place right in front of his eyes. Could it have something to do with the reason the trainer was banned in the first place - the administration of illegal drugs to his horses? Then many more horses test positive for prohibited stimulants...

Max Moreton is a rising culinary star, until nearly all the guests who enjoyed one of his meals at a private catered affair fall victim to severe food poisoning. At his next obligation, an exclusive luncheon for forty in the glass-fronted private boxes at the 2,000 Guineas, a bomb blast rips through the private boxes, killing some of Max's trusted staff and many of the guests. Two close calls are too close for comfort, and Max vows to protect his...

"When race caller and television presenter Mark Shillingford calls a race in which his twin sister, Clare, an accomplished and successful jockey, comes in second when she could have won, he believes the worst: that she lost on purpose, and the race was fixed. That night, Mark confronts Clare with his suspicions, she storms off after an argument--and it's the last time Mark sees her alive. Hours later, Clare jumps to her death from the balcony of a...

Seabiscuit, a funny looking horse with a losing streak, is bought and given a second chance by Charles Howard, and after new training and a loving jockey, Seabiscuit starts winning more races, but must prepare to run against War Admiral, the top racehorse in the country.

Bookmaker Ned Talbot, dealing with having to pay out a large sum of money after the first day of Royal Ascot, is reunited with his father, who he believed was dead, only to see the man killed an hour later, leading Ned to race to uncover secrets in the man's past and the reason for his murder.

A superbly crafted collection of thirteen tightly plotted tales that treats readers to murder, mystery, and mayhem in the world of horseracing. With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis proves that he is as much a master of the short story as he is of the novel in this thrilling collection.

Reclusive Alexander Kinloch is called from his home in the wilds of Scotland to the death bed of his stepfather in London, not realizing that he is being drawn into the very dangerous company of polite society.

At age eighteen, Benedict Juliard pledged never to do anything that would destroy or hinder his father's political career, but years later, with George Juliard headed for the office of prime minister, Benedict is attacked by an allegation of drug abuse and must scramble to find out who is publishing the false reports and why.

Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men come to investigate, the carcass disappears, leaving only a trail in the sand. Before long, two people report missing horses - Rachele, a champion equestrian, and Lo Duca, one of the richest men in Sicily. Then Montalbano's home is broken into and is ransacked and he is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates the...