Ice on the Track

by Brad T. Smith

A veterinarian is found murdered in a wooded area outside Miami, a few uncut diamonds matted into her bloodied hair. A gentleman's club performer is found dead in a park, presumably mugged while walking her dog. In Cape Town, South Africa, a financial executive of De Beers Mining is found in his home, bludgeoned to death. Three seemingly unrelated cases on two continents, assigned to three different teams of detectives. As their investigations deepen they will find themselves drawn closer together until they are all racing against time to stop an international group of diamond smugglers from completing their biggest, and final, score. Set against the backdrop of Greyhound racing in Miami and Cape Town, South Africa, this novel is the second in the 4th Precinct detective series. The reader is lead seamlessly from continent to continent on a roller coaster of plot twists and intrigue.

305 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2006

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, Ice on the Track was a good and enjoyable read. The story was engaging, making it easy to stay invested in the characters and plot.

However, I was disappointed by some incorrect comments regarding racing greyhounds. The book suggested that greyhounds couldn’t move around in their crates, that many had bare spots on their flanks from rubbing against kennel walls, and that the use of muzzles was portrayed as cruel. In reality, racing greyhounds are typically kept in crates large enough for them to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Bare spots on their flanks are usually due to thin skin and frequent lying down, not mistreatment. Additionally, muzzles are standard safety equipment used to prevent minor squabbles between these fast, playful dogs, not a sign of cruelty.

While these inaccuracies were disappointing, they did not ruin the book overall, and I would still recommend it — the book was a quick and easy read.

#racingproud #letthemrace #learnthetruth