A chef, with a restaurant at a racetrack, turns sleuth to save his business and life.

A book written by two authors it seems, but reading the jacket reveals that Dick Francis is the story writer and his second-youngest son, Felix Francis, does the background research.

The main character, Max Moreton, is a rising culinary star and his Newmarket restaurant, The Hay Net, has brought acclaim. But two disasters fall. Food poisoning fells banquet attendees, and a bomb explodes the private boxes at a race, killing guests and employees.

In a number of places, the text includes a lot of detail about how chefs and restaurants work, how not cooking beans can poison you, and about the horse racing industry. This makes it an interesting read.

Overall, it’s a good, light read that keeps the reader curious about who poisoned the guests and who bombed the restaurant. Although I find the “bestseller” claim a bit hard to believe.