Riding High

by John Francome and James Macgregor

He was a jockey called Jose Ramirez. His arms were scarred with needle tracks, but it was a knife that killed him. Alistair Rye was the last man to see him alive. Now the police are after him. Two people knew he was innocent - himself and his wife. She could clear him. And she would. Wouldn't she?

Genres: Mystery, Sports

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Kay Townsend]

Yet another brilliant book by this author. I really do enjoy his books so much. Already got a few more of his to read.

[Sarah Sammis]

Riding High is set in France and England. It's centered around horse racing, drug trafficking and betting. Things start to go awry for horse owner Alistair Rye when first his jockey throws a race and later when he ends up dead of an apparent drug over dose. Soon Rye finds himself as a person of interest in a homicide investigation.

Although the book has gangsters, drug dealers and bookies, the book reads like a cozy mystery. It's a thin volume, only 205 pages. There's a light hearted approach to the mystery, making it more of a caper than a thriller

Riding High isn't the best mystery I've read but it was a decent enough just before bed book. The chapters are short. The plot has enough red herrings to be interesting but is still straightforward enough to follow late at night.
I think fans of Agatha Christie and similar mystery authors will like Riding High.

[Helle]

I thought it was an excellent mystery set in the wide world of horse racing. There are plenty of twists and strange characters, without getting too complicated. On the downside, the image of French police seems very negative and unrealistic. The ending was slightly predictable, but still well-crafted.