The murderer doesn´t make the dying easy for his victims: They get the same brutal treatment like their racing horses. Broken legs, pin firing, frog juice – racing is not healthy for a horse.
San Diego CSI Holly Jennings already saw much violence, but this case really gets to her and puts her on an emotional rollercoaster, even privately.
This book provides a disturbing insight into the hard business of horse racing. The horses get tortured in order to bring better results, because money is considered more important than the wellbeing of the animals. Reading about methods like frog juice almost grows a little sympathy for the murderer.
But soon it gets obvious that, first, the murders are not committed by animal-saving-activists and second, there are two killers. This story has international dimensions, and highly influential people are involved. This case gets more and more disturbing for Holly, and then she is confronted with her own past. Which puts her and her daughter in danger.
I like this down-to-earth protagonist who has to manage a demanding job and at the same time a not less demanding family.
This book is well written in best Dick-Francis-tradition and provides a good story with many twists and turns.