The cover is a dead giveaway for fans of Dick Francis: this is probably the best Dick Francis thriller not written by Dick Francis. With its rich mix of books and horses, 'The Bookwoman's Last Fling' is a classic entry in John Dunning's acclaimed Bookman series of suspense novels, sure to bring this superbly talented author even more accolades.

And when he goes to the house where Candice died to look for answers, he finds more than he bargained for. A novice at racetrack life, he tries to remain inconspicuous while listening to the chatter among the hands. The trail of Candice's shadowy past leads Janeway to California's Golden Gate and Santa Anita racetracks, where he signs on as a racehorse hot walker. Janeway worries that her house contains something that could make her very vulnerable: half of her mother's fabulous book collection. Sharon has her own Idaho ranch where she takes in sick and injured horses. Candice's daughter, Sharon, may be one of the few people who can help Janeway discover the truth. Two decades after Candice's strange death, Janeway finds himself deep in a book mystery that may turn out to be much more than acataloging exercise. They traveled the racetrack circuit with some success, as evidenced by winner's-circle photographs - in which Candice is always a mysterious background figure dressed in white. The daughter of a wealthy industrialist, she married horse owner and trainer H. Why would a thief take one priceless book and leave an equally valuable volume on the shelf? Valuable titles are missing, replaced by cheap reprints. But one look at the books tells Janeway something's wrong. The estate can't be distributed until the books are valued, so there's pressure on Janeway to do the job quickly. Geiger, passes away and Janeway travels to their Idaho home to assess the collection. Janeway first learns about the juvenilia collection when Candice's elderly husband, H. Now, twenty years later, her books remain a testament to an extraordinary woman's remarkable vision. Sadly, Janeway and Candice Geiger will never meet.

Her collection of first-edition children's books is the best that Janeway ever hopes to see. She loved books with a true bookwoman's passion. Denver bookman Cliff Janeway would have liked Candice Geiger. Now he brings his memories of the horse world and his expertise in collectible books to this mesmerizing new Bookman novel rich with the lore of both books and horses.

As a young man, 'New York Times' bestselling author John Dunning earned his living for several years working behind the scenes on the racetrack circuit.

Company of heroes 2 trainer (fling)