Front Runner
A Dick Francis Novel
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4.4 • 87 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
British investigator Jefferson Hinkley is back in this compelling Dick Francis thriller by the New York Times–bestselling author of Crisis.
In his role as an undercover investigator for the British Horseracing Authority, Jeff Hinkley is approached by a multi-time champion jockey to discuss the delicate matter of losing races on purpose. Little does he know that the call will set off a lethal chain of events, including the apparent suicide of the jockey and an attempt on Hinkley’s own life. Never one to leave suspicious events alone, Hinkley begins investigating the jockey and the races he may have thrown. But there are others out there who intend to prevent his inquiry from probing further...at any cost.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of bestseller Francis's entertaining second novel featuring British Horseracing Authority investigator Jeff Hinkley (after 2014's Dick Francis's Damage), Dave Swinton, a champion steeplechase jockey who's the public face of the sport, confesses to his friend Jeff that he intentionally lost a race, a breach of the BHA's rules that could bar him from racing for a decade. Dave refuses to say more, though he later tells Jeff in confidence that he was blackmailed into doing so by a person who threatens to tell the tax authorities that the athlete neglected to report sizable gifts. This makes the situation even more awkward for Jeff, who urges Dave to admit he made an error and pay what he owes to the revenue service. When Dave's burned corpse turns up in his car in what appears to be a case of suicide, Jeff investigates. Francis again offers an imaginative variant on the racetrack-related thriller plots of his father, Dick.
