Murder at the Races

by Peter Haining

Blood pounding in the head... death in the saddle... killers at the finish... murder at the races.

More than any other sport, horse racing encompasses all walks of society - from the royal and the very rich to the gamblers and the frankly shadv characters who hover at the edges of its world of speed, thrills and big money.

Murder At The Races is a heart-stopping collection of tales Knuturing such famous races as the Grand National, the Gold Cup and the Kentucky Dcrbv; stories bv brilliant jockeys-turned-writers like Dick Francis, John Francome, Steve Donoghue; obsessive gambler-turned-writers like Edgar Wallace, Ernest Hemingway and Damon Runvon; and bv top crime writers such as Leslie Charteris, Julian Symons, John Galsworthv and Agatha Christie.

Murder At The Races as fast, furious and exhilarating as the Sport of Kings itself.

Genres: Mystery

487 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Peter Alexander Haining was an English journalist, author and anthologist who lived and worked in Suffolk. Born in Enfield, Middlesex, he began his career as a reporter in Essex and then moved to London where he worked on a trade magazine before joining the publishing house of New English Library.

Haining achieved the position of Editorial Director before becoming a full time writer in the early Seventies. He edited a large number of anthologies, predominantly of horror and fantasy short stories, wrote non-fiction books on a variety of topics from the Channel Tunnel to Sweeney Todd and also used the pen names "Ric Alexander" and "Richard Peyton" on a number of crime story anthologies. In the Seventies he wrote three novels, including The Hero (1973), which was optioned for filming.

In two controversial books, Haining argued that Sweeney Todd was a real historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800, was tried in December 1801, and was hanged in January 1802. However, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims. A check of the website Old Bailey at for "Associated Records 1674-1834" for an alleged trial in December 1801 and hanging of Sweeney Todd for January 1802 show no reference; in fact the only murder trial for this period is that of a Governor/Lt Col. Joseph Wall who was hanged 28 January 1802 for killing a Benjamin Armstrong 10 July 1782 in "Goree" Africa and the discharge of a Humphrey White in January 1802. Strong reservations have also been expressed regarding the reliability of another of Haining's influential non-fiction works, The Legend and Bizarre Crimes of Spring Heeled Jack.
He wrote several reference books on Doctor Who, including the 20th anniversary special Doctor Who: A Celebration Two Decades Through Time and Space (1983), and also wrote the definitive study of Sherlock Holmes on the screen, The Television Sherlock Holmes (1991) and several other television tie-ins featuring famous literary characters, including Maigret, Poirot and James Bond. Peter Haining's most recent project was a series of World War Two stories based on extensive research and personal interviews: The Jail That Went To Sea (2003), The Mystery of Rommel's Gold (2004), Where The Eagle Landed (2004), The Chianti Raiders (2005) and The Banzai Hunters (2007).

He won the British Fantasy Awards Karl Edward Wagner Award in 2001.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood]

Review in a bit.

Selections:

* "Introduction" by Our Editor.
* "Under Starter's Orders" by John Masefield. From Right Royal.

Part I: Sport of Killers: Mystery on the Course

* "The Protection Racket" by Dick Francis.
* "Nobbling the Favourite" by Nat Gould.
* "A Racing Swindle" by Thomas Gaspey.
* "Silver Blaze" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
* "Won By a Neck" by Leslie Charteris.
* "The American Invasion" by Frank Johnson.
* "A Derby Horse" by Michael Innes.
* "The Horse That Died for Shame" by Peter Tremayne.
* "Murder On the Racecourse" by Julian Symons.
* "The Body in the Horsebox" by John Francome and James MacGregor. From Eavesdropper.

Part II: Dead Weights: Mayhem In the Saddle

* "Calling the Tune" by Steve Donaghue.
* "To Win a Race" by Alfred Watson.
* "Dead Cert" by Leon Breaker.
* "Nat Wedgewood Trapped" by Jack Fairfax-Blakeborough.
* "The Phantom Jockey" by Bat Masters.
* "Thoroughbred" by Max Brand.
* "My Old Man" by Ernest Hemingway.
* "Saratoga in August" by Hugh Pentecost.
* "The Photographer and the Jockey" by James Holding.
* "Ellen Keegan's Revenge" by Mary Ryan.

Part III: Fixed Odds: Crime and the Gamblers

* "Straight From the Horse's Mouth" by Edgar Wallace.
* "A Story Goes With It" by Damon Runyan.
* "Had a Horse" by John Gaksworthy.
* "Morning in the High Street" by Barre Lindon.
* "The Crackler" by Agatha Christie. From Partners in Crime. A Tommy and Tuppence Beresford mystery.
* "Something Short of Murder!" By Henry Slesar.
* "Born Gambler" by Thomas Walsh.
* "The Later Edition" by Victor Bridges.
* "Two and a Half Percent" by Mark Daniel.
* "En Famille" by Ed Gorman.