If you are a fan of Dick Francis' horse racing mystery novels, you should find this collection of real-life mysteries intriguing. Twelve tales of mystery and scandal are presented with quotes from the original news items, interviews with witnesses, and information from the author's own investigations and research. The author attempts to give readers the full background and circumstances on each story along with the prevailing theories in an unbiased fashion to allow them to decide for themselves what to believe.

The cases investigated are:

• Phar Lap's Last Race - was his death an unfortunate accident or foul play?
• Strange Undercurrents - the disappearance of Citation's original jockey Al Snider in the Florida Keys
• Red McDaniel's Sudden Leap - why did he suddenly leap from the San Francisco Bridge?
• Woodward's Smoking Gun - Was it an accident or murder when Ann Woodward shot her husband?
• Scandalous Image - Dancer's Image was disqualified from his Kentucky Derby win for a medication violation but who gave him the drug?
• Hot at Hawthorne - the grandstand fire at Hawthorne Racecourse in 1978
• Shergar - Into Thin Air - is he still alive in Ireland somewhere or was he really killed by the IRA?
• What Joost Knew - did the Texas Racing Commission official really kill his family and then commit suicide or were they murdered for something he knew?
• Calamity at Calumet - the downfall of a racing dynasty and the possible murder of Alydar
• Ron Hansen - The Joker - was he murdered or was was it all a horrible accident?
• Holy Bull - Undone in the Derby - was he drugged in the Kentucky Derby?
• Bluegrass Conspiracies? - William McCandless who stole Fanfreluche in 1977 and then was discovered as the "sponger" at Churchill Downs in 1998 whose whereabouts are still unknown

If you are wanting cut and dried explainations for each case, this is not the book for you. These cases are truly unsolved mysteries and it is left up to the reader to decide which theory has the most merit based on the evidence presented. Part of the attraction of the book is you feel like a detective reviewing the files for new angles on old cases. Each tale is well researched and presented in a logical and entertaining manner which should appeal to any fan of horse racing or true-life mysteries. Definitely on the recommended reading list and a great gift idea for the upcoming holiday season.

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