Slayride by Dick Francis

This was a very cold story. No doubt, part of that was the psychological effect of the Norwegian setting, but when the first attempt on the hero's life involves dumping him out of a small boat into the fjord, you know it is going to be a cold one. The title is not one of his greatest. One of the people killed is strapped to a sled and pushed down a slope and over the cliff above the fjord.

David Cleveland is neither unduly depressed nor does he pursue teenage girls. I like this change, which began in Smokescreen but the titles do not make me happy.

A British jockey riding in Norway disappears and so do the gate receipts for the race day - all this serves as a reminder of how close together everything in Europe is - it's a day trip.

Cleveland is an investigator for the Jockey Club in England and goes to Norway at their request (in response to a request from the Norwegian Jockey Club) to try and find the missing man. He does - and a whole lot of trouble besides. The mystery, including the murders, has very little to do with horse racing, but everyone involved is connected to racing.

In spite of the differences noted and the setting this seemed almost formulaic. Maybe it is time to let them rest and read other stuff for a while.