It is 1886 and the greatest of all jockeys, Fed Archer, has put his gun to his head and shot himself. An inquest is arranged with indecent haste. His mind was unhinged by typhoid, say the jury, despite conflicting evidence.
Bertie, Prince of Wales, is suspicious. He admired Archer. He knows the Turf better than anyone on that jury and he has personal experience of typhoid. When he learns that Archer's last words were 'Are they coming ' he decides on action. He will turn his unique talents to solving the mystery and tell us in his inimitable fashion how he does it.
Read MoreHugely entertaining ... It's Dick Francis by gaslight - Peter Grosvenor, Daily ExpressThank heavens for Peter Lovesey, who has produced another accomplished novel - London Evening StandardA lively evocation of fin de si?cle Paris - Publishers Weekly