A fun and entertaining read but it slowed down for me at the end. I learned a lot about horse racing which I enjoyed.
Many thanks to Black Rose Writing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for my honest review.

I am really conflicted about this book. I love horses and horse racing, my son is a leading handicapper for NYRA Bets, and I also love thrillers. So this book is set up at the starting gate for a really good ride, and for the most part it is. It is a story of a man who sets the betting lines for Vegas and various underworld figures. He is a math savant and can see patterns and numbers others cannot. People win huge amounts of money based on his ability to move the odds at the right time. And yet at the Kentucky Derby all his picks end out of the money and one person loses $17 Million and we find out that Donnie has lost his abilities because he has early onset dementia. And do he tries to recruit his daughter, from whom he is estranged to help. Sound good and it starts good, as we head for the back stretch. The book picks up the pace as we are introduced to a lot of underworld figures all of whom are trying to figure out what went wrong with Donnie since nobody knows of his dementia situation. We also discover that Donnie's 7-year old granddaughter may even be more gifted than anyone else in the family. Things get a bit better for the Preakness, but everyone is concerned about the Belmont Stakes since that is the deadline for making back all that lost money and more.. And out of the blue Donnie's granddaughter, Lexy is kidnapped to force more focus on making money since she will only be returned if things get back to normal. We are rounding the far turn and heading for home, and the book is set up for a runaway victory as it heads down the stretch, and then it runs out of gas. It was pretty easy to figure out who was behind the kidnapping, there were gratuitous and gory torture chapters, Lexy's escape was predictable and by the end the police arrive at the track in time to make arrests for murder. Horse racing, betting, the mob. Had some really great moments, but in the end, as is the case with many front runners, it ran out of gas. Still it was a fun and fast read, So give it a 3.5*** and if you are a better the $2 show bet will be your winning ticket.

Very good. This is a very entertaining story and mystery. I seem to like these kinds of stories even though I don't gamble or go to the track. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I initially thought this book might be similar to Dick Francis books, although it is not at all, it stands on its own as an existing mystery with a family that is blessed with a unique talent for handicapping horses, xnd almost flawless ability, until the head of this family gets Alzheimer's that is.

Read on to discover the unusual solution that the main character takes to resolve this quandary - do you admire his imaginative "solution" or are you mortified by it, because I guarantee you will have a reaction

An exciting, enjoyable and imaginative read. I would be interested in seeing more from this author (perhaps a series?).

One of the good things about reading books is you learn things about subjects you wouldn't otherwise learn. This story takes you to the world of American horse racing but in addition, you get criminals, treachery, twists and turns. This is good story well-told.

Math savants in a family: grandfather, mom, and daughter. All can see numbers and how they work together. Grandfather Donnie has been so get that he has been setting the betting line for horse races, but his memory is fading, and his predictions have suffered. He needs help, but his estranged daughter wants nothing to do with him. Lots of bad guys get involved as they see their cash cow not doing his job. Kidnapping seems like a good solution — for awhile. But chaos prevails as betrayals abound and trust disappears.