Under Orders

Sid Halley, is a former jockey, forced to retire when he lost his arm after a race fall. He now earns his living as a Private Investigator.  Sid is at the Cheltenham Gold Cup day races when there are three deaths. Two are explainable; a horse injured in a fall and a winning owner dying of a heart attack after his horse finished first. The third, however is much more sinister. After riding his mount to a victory, jockey  Huw Walters has an altercation with the trainer in the mounting yard after the race. He is later found shot dead near the horse box. The trainer is the prime suspect.  He does have a reputation for not being entirely reputable and he has recently discovered that his wife has been having an affair with Huw.   Sid finds himself more involved than he’d like when he is hired to find out why the trainer’s horses don’t run to form.  It’s part of a wider government enquiry into online betting websites.  The jockey’s father also wants to know who murdered his son.

Sid is a determined character. He doesn’t let a little thing like only having one arm get in the way. He is not also easily intimidated, When his fiancée Marina is threatened and seriously hurt, even Sid begins to have second thoughts.