Outside Chance

by Lyndon Stacey

Book Overview

Ben Copperfield is a freelance journalist who specialises in all things equine, so when he is called with the news that the hot favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup has been kidnapped, just a few weeks before the race, he wastes no time in following the story up. This could be the racing scoop of a lifetime. But as the date of the Gold Cup draws ever closer, it is unclear whether the missing horse is still alive. Where could a valuable racehorse...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0091800277
• ISBN13: 9780091800277
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Hutchinson Radius
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Entertaining

This was an entertaining story which had multiple twists. Several parts were predictable but that didn't ruin the story. Many interesting characters.

Equine Mystery

Ben Copperfield is a freelance journalist who writes about horses, but he takes a side job investigating the disappearance of a racehorse, Cajun King, who was kidnapped from a horse van while Ben's younger brother Mikey slept behind the cab. Mikey rides for Cajun King's trainer, Eddie Truman, so when Truman finds out he told a journalist his prize racehorse is missing, he offers Ben an exclusive if he will help find the horse. Ben starts investigating, but while Cajun King stays stubbornly missing, Ben gets pulled into Truman's family dramas and an old family secret. Meanwhile, Ben follows a group of touring equestrian gypsies from performance to performance in preparation for a story. He befriends a number of them, especially Josef, an older man who senses both Ben's fascination and fear of horses, and encourages Ben to get back in the saddle. Ben also has a few run-ins with some animal rights activists who are against using animals in any kind of sport. Naturally, all three of these elements tie together before it's all said and done, as Ben unravels ugly Truman family secrets. Lyndon Stacey is falsely touted as the new Dick Francis, but hype is always just hype. Stacey is an engaging writer, and this was a decent mystery with a likeable protagonist who gets knocked around a lot. It's obvious this writer is familiar with all things equine, too. Nobody writes like Dick Francis, but Lyndon Stacey is a good choice for a horsey mystery.