I thought this was a good book even though it took me a bit to get used to the different British lingo. I guess I haven't watched enough BBC TV. Peter Darwin works for the Civil Service and is given a new assignment in Gloucestershire, England where he lived as a child. His mother worked as a secretary at the horse races then so he grew up around them and had wanted to race himself one day. He is interested in seeing his old neighborhood again. He befriends a man named Ken there that is a local Vet and surgeon to the racehorses. He confides in Peter that he is worried about his reputation because recently several horses have died unexpectedly. As Peter begins to learn more about this mystery he is also recognizing names and places from when he was a child. Things begin to get more serious when part of the Vet clinic burns and a body is found inside. More horses die mysteriously and Peter has to figure something out fast before there is nothing left of Ken's career.