Banker by Dick Francis

There is so much more to racing than the day of the horse race.   There is health care, trades, favors, enormous amounts of money and quite often some shading dealings.

Tim Ekaterin is a young banker, in a family firm that must prove his worth as the road he came by to arrive there involved an alcoholic father and a mother with a gambling obsession that cost the family all that they had.  Naturally there are some there that believe he will follow the road of his parents and take the bank with him in the process.

An opportunity arises for a large investment in a top racehorse that will be put to stud.  The potential money is astounding by 1982 standards, the year of publication.

Many twist and turns with deceit and intrigue.  Highly recommend.

Bloodline by Felix Francis

Mark Shillingford is happy in his life as a race commentator.  Most of all he loves getting to call races in which his sister is one of the jockeys riding a speedy Thoroughbred.  All that comes to an end with the apparent suicide of his twin.

Race fixing, blackmail, affairs, threats, betting, and a behind the scenes look at what goes into producing a seamless racing program for the live television audience.  All things combine for a face paced read that will make you gallop through the chapters.

This is the first novel I have read by Felix Francis and he does a good job of continuing the legacy of his father Dick Francis.