Book info

• Title Kickback
• Author Damien Boyd
• Year 2014
• Genre Thriller

A trainee jockey has been kicked to death by an aggressive stallion at the local stables. Deemed an accidental death, the case is closed. But when the jockey’s brother returns from active service, he sparks an armed siege, demanding the investigation be re-opened and the truth uncovered. Still recovering from the physical and mental scars of his last case, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon is dragged deep into a murky world of betting scams and murder, where people will do anything to keep their secrets. Even if that means silencing a DI who keeps asking the wrong questions about the wrong dead jockey...

Thoughts

There was a special deal on some of this Inspector Nick Dixon series, so having read through the first two, I figured it couldn’t hurt to go all in. These are relatively easy books to whip through, and getting invested and following regular characters can be a lot of fun. In this one, it felt like the relationship and partnership with Jane was building a lot more - they work well together and are going to have to navigate spending a lot of time together at home and at work.

The case under investigation was an interesting one, set in the world of horse racing, and whilst the intricacies of betting went over my head, the rest of it, and the conclusion, was fascinating to watch unfold.

Rating: 4 / 5