Dead Heat

by Luke Eden

Harry Walsh works for the impoverished internet radio station, Speedway FM. He loves his job, his old Triumph Bonneville, and his lovely girlfriend, Rosie Higgins. Rosie is beautiful, intelligent, sensitive and loyal to the people she loves. She is also the niece and PA to Barry Leech who is the wealthy driving force behind an international group of companies and the innovative promoter who created the Battersea Bulldogs Speedway Team. The vibrant and exciting sport of speedway and the lives of Harry, Rosie and Barry are shattered and torn apart when a young speedway rider dies on the track after crashing during a race. The speedway world mourns his death in the tragic accident but Harry can't shake the feeling that something isn't right and the reporter inside him can't let it go but he and others will suffer the shocking consequences of his curiosity. This pulsating story uses the thrilling world of Speedway as its vibrant and exciting backdrop to its action. A world of speed, competition and danger echoes the events that disrupt the lives of many and in particular Harry Marsh and his friend Rosie Higgins. You will be rocked by the energy of the racing, the violence of a killer, the sensitivity of loving kindness and the volatility of romantic love. It IS 2016 and British speedway's final Elite League season provides the exciting back drop to that events that rocked the sport and in particular those people who organised and supported the Battersea Bulldogs Speedway Team! Harry Marsh works for the impoverished internet radio station, Speedway FM. He loves his job, his old Triumph Bonneville and his lovely girlfriend, Rosie Higgins. Rosie is beautiful, intelligent, sensitive and courageous, but should not be allowed anywhere near a kitchen. She is also the niece and PA to Barry Leech who is the wealthy driving force behind an international group of companies and the innovative promoter who created the Battersea Bulldogs. The Speedway world and their personal worlds are about to be viciously torn apart and their lives turned upside down as a ruthless killer turns his sights upon them. 50% of the profits from this book will be shared with the Speedway Rider's Benevolent Fund. This wonderful charity does wonderful work to help riders to deal with the effects of longer term injuries either by easing the financial pressures or helping secure the best treatment for their physical and emotional recovery.

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2018

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Heat by Luke Eden is an exciting contemporary murder suspense that gripped me from the start. I read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. It is the first book in The Speedway Series which promises to be fabulous.
Dead Heat is a wonderful novel for the speedway fan (I have supported Coventry for 49 years) but even if you do not watch speedway, you will enjoy the book. However, for the speedway fan, we meet many familiar names and teams from the 2016 season – I actually remember seeing the Chris Harris crash at Poole.
Putting the speedway setting aside, Dead Heat is a fast-paced thriller. As the suspense rose, so did my heartrate and my hands grew clammy. I truly ‘lived’ the novel.
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. I can definitely echo the sentiment of a character: “nature can’t compete with the deliriously intoxicating smell of methanol as it leaves the exhaust of a speedway bike.” There is nothing quite like it, and no better smell.
We see the dangers of being eaten up with grief and bitterness. There is a rapid decline in the morals of a character.
Dead Heat would make a fabulous early evening television drama. It is an exciting and entertaining read.