High Stakes
Dick Francis
Hardcover
(Gardners Books, Aug. 31, 1988)
Steven Scott's nine racehorses are his pride and joy and he insists on having them trained by this great friend, Jody Leeds. Then, gradually, unwillingly, Steven learns that Jody has been systematically cheating him of very large sums of money. Not unnaturally he removes the horses from Jody's care, but this simple act unleashes a chain of unpredictable consequences. Overnight, Steven's peaceful existence erupts into a fierce and accelerating struggle to retain his good name and, eventually, his life. "High Stakes" takes a look at several plausible fiddles and frauds, some of them funny, some vicious, but all of them expensive for the fall guy.