“This little gem of a mystery centers around murder, mayhem and race-fixing at a fictional racetrack named Edgewater Downs in Northern California… Dawson confesses to being a longtime racing fan and has really done her homework well… California racing fans should enjoy the local flavor of A Killing at the Track.” California Thoroughbred – “I don’t know how much Janet Dawson knew about racing … about racing before writing A Killing at the Track but she makes you feel as though she’s gotten up at dawn to watch the horses work out all her life. She makes the most of her setting and peoples her story with wonderful characters. Highly recommended.” Sally Powers, I Love A Mystery –
Oakland private eye Jeri Howard likes to play the longshots at Edgewater Downs. Handicapping is a foreign language. She bets on horses because she likes the way they look. It’s a lot of fun and she doesn’t mind losing a few bucks.
But some people will do anything to make a killing at the track. Dope a horse, bribe a jockey – or murder a trainer. Jeri discovers dangerous odds on the track’s backside.
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This is another superlative entry into the Jeri Howard series, which I love. It’s time to saddle up for a look into the world of horse racing, which the author brings to life in vivid detail as she takes us behind the scenes. From the first few pages, you know someone’s going to be killed.
It’s not long before a jockey’s body is found and Jeri is on the case. Already investigating a series of threatening phone calls to one of the trainers, she now has a murder to investigate. The police are there, but she’s got a head start in a couple of areas and uses the knowledge and contacts she’s making at the track to ferret out the truth. A second death raises the stakes.
Like all of the books in the series, Jeri works hard to piece together the clues to uncover the secrets that provide the motives for the deaths. While there are no surprises, it’s all deftly handled as she puts together the pieces and builds the tension to an exciting climax.
If you’ve never tried this series, you’re missing out on a great private investigator and some fascinating backgrounds that make the stories that little bit different and more interesting as a result.
Well I didn’t see that coming and I was really surprised at the end. The author is as meticulous as her sleuth and investigator Jeri Howard. Tearing the pieces of that onion apart until you get to the center and you know the whole truth!! I really love this series and I’ve enjoyed the journey of reading each book!!
PI Howard takes you on the journey as she follows the clues. Great job in describing the setting so you recognize it if you know the area. Nothing obvious, but she puts it all together.
This book is about a murder at a horse track that was initially thought to be natural causes. The people killed were about to expose a cheating scandal.
Totally new twist of a murder/mystery and I learned a lot about what goes on at a horse racing track! Besides being informative, it keeps one interested in finding out what’s next, as it isn’t just about murder.
Well, dumb me. The book looked interesting and the subject was something I enjoyed, so I ordered it. As it turned out, I had read it long ago, but did not remember the ending, so read it again. Thoroughly enjoyable. The author knows what she is talking about and every horse lover will enjoy it. The insider story of horse racing today.
Will definitely be reading another by this author!
I enjoyed learning more about horse racing, and some of the ways unethical jockeys and trainers try to cheat the system.
Always enjoy Jeri’s adventures and I learn a lot about whatever venue she’s in.
The author has developed a series of interesting characters, sufficiently described without becoming cumbersome and without injecting romance to sustain a faltering plot or to add length because of lack of depth.
The plot is intriguing enough to continue the reader’s interest but not so complicated as to escape the reader’s understanding. The events leading to the conclusion are presented in a logical sequence.
Jeri, the main character, is intelligent, feisty, and dedicated to achieving her goal as well as any others arising during her investigation.
For readers who unfamiliar with race traces and horse racing it is informative
A bit more detail than I needed to know about race tracks, but still, a good insight into that world.
I especially liked that it is set it and area that I’m familiar with.
This is the 1st book I read by Janet Dawson. I’m sorry I stopped reading this story at chapter 3 because horse racing doesn’t interest me.
This was a very informative book as well as a page turning thriller. Full fleshed characters. Easy to read. I had to finish this book before I could do anything else.
A good book but full of spelling mistakes.
An excellent read! Who could ask for more–a murder mystery, horses, wine country, good-looking men, and strong, smart women. Yay!