Dark Horse [Mass Market Paperback]

Bill Shoemaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 1997

World-famous jockey-turned-mystery writer Bill Shoemaker is back in the winner's circle with his newest racing mystery that begins and ends with the Triple Crown, the most famous and lucrative trio of races in the Thoroughbred business. . . .

At the Kentucky Derby, amateur sleuth Coley Killebrew discovers that prize race horses confiscated in drug busts are being undervalued and sold at auction. And no less a personage than Jim Carmody, a ruthless billionaire and arch-conservative powermonger, is involved. Carmody blows his stack when his filly, For Cupid's Sake, loses the Derby. But after an upset at the Preakness, Coley suspects that Carmody's passion for racing is a cover for a far deeper, far darker game. . . .

"Bill Shoemaker follows Dick Francis from the racetrack to the bookshelves."
--Chicago Tribune

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Always good company, ex-jockey and L.A. restaurateur Coley Killebrew is stuck in a somewhat less engaging story (after Stalking Horse and Fire Horse) about a jailed Colombian drug lord who plots revenge against a right-wing billionaire running for the U.S. presidency. Coley is mainly in the dark as he battles mysterious bad guys, the DEA, the CIA and his prospective father-in-law, Raymond Edgar Starbuck. While covering the Triple Crown races for a second-rank cable network, Coley finds the body of a PI working for Starbuck. He rescues his lover, Lea, Starbuck's daughter, from kidnappers, encounters various far-right nuts, beats back a couple of attempts on his life and, eventually, at the Belmont Stakes, saves the life of the billionaire candidate. The author's racing background and breezy story-spinning talent are shown to good advantage in Coley's first-person narrative. But the imperious, caustic, martini-swilling Starbuck is kept mainly offstage here, and his presence is missed. Shoemaker keeps the pages turning, however, with accruing corpses, complex romances and betrayals and a pretty little surprise at the end.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Jockey Coley Killebrew, an amateur sleuth and new restaurant owner, stumbles on dangerous information about drugs, confiscated thoroughbreds, and a high-handed billionaire. Devious dealings could affect the outcomes of the prestigious Triple Crown races, and Coley's fiancee might lose her life. A winner.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (April 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449150038
• ISBN-13: 978-0449150030
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,277,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a good surprise, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Horse (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a huge fan of Dick Francis, but not really knowing much about the racing world I hadn't a clue who the Bill Shoemaker was on the cover. But it looked good and sounded good and it had horses in it. So I checked it out of the library...and boy was I in for a surprise. Not only can Shoemaker ride, the man can write too. I have since read a lot of comparisons between him and Francis but I say that's unfair. Yes they both write about horses and races and yes they were both jockeys, but their style is different. They are each great in their own way. Shoemaker's Coley Killebrew series is definitely entertaining and it has quite a few thrills too. The main characters are well-defined and I found myself wishing I could meet them in person. Shoemaker's plots are always fun and take you along for a great ride. I wish he'd write some more. A trilogy is just not enough, I want some more fun.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great story!, March 26, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Horse (Mass Market Paperback)

After the third story, Bill Shoemaker is still ahead of Dick Francis on my racetrack. He has had a lot of personal experience in the racing world and isn't a stranger to the things that happen behind the scenes of the track. In the stories, this quality shows and makes his stories really interesting to read.