Safe Bet: A shocking mystery unravels in the world of horseracing - Couverture souple

Only when it's too late does Mike Powell realise that he's wasted his talents as a jockey and spoilt his marriage. His riding career is in decline; his beautiful wife, Tessa, has left him. And, to cap it all, he's almost bankrupt, having tried to build a future by pinhooking. Then, on the way to the Sports Personality of the Year Awards, Mike is killed in a car crash.

When his old friend Jed Harvard discovers that Mike's estate has been left to an American called George Parker - a man he's never heard of before - his suspicions are aroused. While tracking down George, Jed discovers that Mike's business deals have left a number of bitter enemies, and he realises that all is not what it seems...

'Francome... rivals Dick Francis for thrills and spills' Oxford Times

'Francome grows in stature as a thriller writer with each new book, and in SAFE BET, as always, he keeps surprises in store until the very end' Northern Echo

'Francome provides a vivid panorama of the racing world...and handles the story's twist deftly' The Times

'Francome brings authenticity to tales of the horse racing circuit and, like Dick Francis, goes beyond the thunder of the turf to the skulduggery of the trading ring...the twists and turns of the last few hundred yards prove Francome to be a winner on the home stretch' Mail on Sunday