The Chase

by Christopher Kremmer

When young scientist Jean Campbell is invited help root out drugs in sport, she enters a murky world where power, privilege, money and illicit practices mix easily. It is Australia in the 1940s, the war is over, and Jean and her charismatic boss Howard Carter risk everything to expose the cruel underbelly of the 'sport of kings'.

But old-school racehorse trainer Martin Foley refuses to go quietly, and his influence and 'connections' go straight to the highest echelons of polite society. Success or failure turns on a surly young stable hand from a broken home named Frank Littell, and the fateful decision he is forced to make...

From the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Carpet Wars comes a brilliant new novel full of sin, iniquity and unforgettable characters.

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney and the Australian horse-racing world in the early 1950s is the setting for this story of Jean Campbell, a young scientist employed to uncover drugs and doping in the industry. A young jockey, Frank, and the less successfully rendered Howard Carter, her immediate employer, are other major characters in a novel where the impact of the War and her lost US boyfriend loom large for Jean and the harshness of the racing world is well-evoked. The action culminates in a race in front of the Queen in 1954 in a novel which is involving but a little uneven

[Judith Yeabsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as it was an interesting subject and one I knew little about. Unfortunately the subject was better than the characters. We met and heard from too many and so they became transparent rather than real. I thought the ending fizzled too rather than the build up becoming a crescendo.

[Anne Peachey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book based on the true dealing of drug use in the horse racing industry.
Bit heavy in places but for someone who enjoys this topic it will be very enjoyable.