Eddie Logan is one of the nation's leading standardbred horse trainers and racers. He has a passion for the horses he works with and the race. However, Eddie has been noticing that the sport is losing integrity. There is rampant cheating in multiple ways, Eddie notices that horses are being drugged, some to the point of death. He also begins to notice racing being fixed so owners can bet on certain horses finishing at certain places. Eddie can't compete with the horses on drugs and other drivers boxing him in and is losing money, Tom, his business partner, is not happy. Eddie's wife, Jean realizes that she'll have to bring in some extra money to keep the household and stable going. Jean takes a risk, and places multiple bets using her insider knowledge. At the same time, Tom encourages Eddie to do what he can to win. Refusing to drug his horses, Eddie suggests taking a good horse to several different tracks and holding him back a little bit before letting him race at full capacity to create a bigger payout when a bet is placed. When all else fails, Eddie puts all his hope into his colt, Skipper Creek and is determined to win on his own.
The Last Horseman is a realistic fiction story of standardbred horse racing and the people who truly love the sport. I have always loved horses and grew up with them and spent some time at our local racetrack. The author did a wonderful job of describing the racetrack, the horses and their care, the crowds and the anticipation and excitement before the race. I did have a difficult time placing the time period the story was supposed to be in, at first I thought the setting was potentially in the 1970's as the women spoke about how to dress at the racetrack and some racetrack rituals, but it soon became clear that we were in the present with mention of cell phones and other technology. The pacing of the story was up and down for me with growing excitement during a race and when Jean was placing a bet and lulls in between the races. The story was very interesting with all of the behind the scenes cheating and gambling, but did not develop the characters that well. I did feel like I knew Eddie's colt, Skipper Creek and his personality pretty well. Overall, an intriguing story of horse racing and gambling.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Last Horseman is a realistic fiction story of standardbred horse racing and the people who truly love the sport. I have always loved horses and grew up with them and spent some time at our local racetrack. The author did a wonderful job of describing the racetrack, the horses and their care, the crowds and the anticipation and excitement before the race. I did have a difficult time placing the time period the story was supposed to be in, at first I thought the setting was potentially in the 1970's as the women spoke about how to dress at the racetrack and some racetrack rituals, but it soon became clear that we were in the present with mention of cell phones and other technology. The pacing of the story was up and down for me with growing excitement during a race and when Jean was placing a bet and lulls in between the races. The story was very interesting with all of the behind the scenes cheating and gambling, but did not develop the characters that well. I did feel like I knew Eddie's colt, Skipper Creek and his personality pretty well. Overall, an intriguing story of horse racing and gambling.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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