King of the Roses

Jockey Chris Englund has won a record-tying five Kentucky Derbies, horse racing's jewel. But his uncompromising honesty in a world where cheating pays has stalled his career.
Out of the blue, he gets the leg up on the odds-on Derby favorite, Knidos. But Derby week turns to ashes when he's offered half a million dollars to hold Knidos and set off a betting bonanza for criminal cartels around the world.
The drive to the Derby wire tests Chris Englund's courage and a great horse's heart in a brutal battle against insurmountable odds. If he throws the race, he'll betray the honor he's fought for all his life. If he rides to win, he'll destroy the horse and lose the woman he loves.
KING OF THE ROSES is the story of a champion rider's choice between temptation and truth, between honesty and his life. The prize isn't just a garland of Derby roses. It's a love that demands more than he's ever been asked to give.
"No racing novel since the advent of Dick Francis's series of mysteries has captured my admiration like this book."—Maryland Horse
"The Derby is run in less time than it takes to describe it—but the description itself is one of the most exciting whodunit chapters you're ever likely to come across."—San Diego Magazine
(horse books, mystery thrillers, equestrian romance, horse racing suspense, run for the roses, Kentucky Derby)