"Too Close To Call" by Graeme Roe was launched at the Cheltenham Festival this year.  Whenever 'Racing Thriller' is mentioned you can be sure 'Dick Francis' is the first name to trip off the tongue so it was nice to be invited to review a thriller by a different author. Several retired jockeys and trainers have tried to follow the tried and tested formula for racing thrillers in recent years, with mixed success. Graeme Roe could be said to fall into both categories as he has experienced the ups and downs of racing as both trainer and jockey. I was therefore, not at all surprised to find the book quickly taking me inside the racing world and I have to say that the racing sequences provide by far the most entertaining aspect of the book. The story itself is woven around a battle for the amateur jockeys championship with suspicions of sabotage.  Two casino owners from Las Vegas become embroiled in a plot to gain control of a group of racecourses and the plot thickens with the introduction of a couple of very dodgy bookmakers and some east-end heavies. The story continues at a fast pace before all the parts of the jigsaw begin to fit into place. If I had any criticism it would be that the characters are never fully developed as the storyline flashes from the mysterious American investors to gangsters and back again to the racing stables. But for anyone who enjoys a good thriller with the backdrop of the racing this could certainly be recommended. BUY IT HERE £5.29 + p&p Persian Punch - The Authorised Tribute by Lee Mottershead was published in 2004, only months after his tragic death at Ascot racecourse which seemed such a cruel way to bring the curtain down on a glorious career. Few racehorses get a public following in the way that Punch did, in recent times only Desert Orchid and Best Mate have become legends in their lifetime to the extent that Persian Punch achieved. When you become so attached to a particular horse the temptation to give them human characteristics becomes unavoidable but it is a rarity when it happens to a flat racer. What struck me most when reading this detailed account of his racing career was the way in which he affected the lives and emotions of those people closest to him, his owner Jeff Smith, the numerous jockeys who rode him and most particularly his trainer David Elsworth. Elsworth is a hardened trainer of vast experience under both codes who has trained horses of all types from the great Desert Orchid to the classy In The Groove. And yet, he leaves you in no doubt as to the affection he held for Punch and the absolute sadness that he did not get to share the old boy's retirement in the way he was fortunate to share many years with Dessie when his racing days were over. If you follow racing at any level you will enjoy reading this book. The ups and downs of his long career are described in great detail and his famous hard-fought victories will live long in the memory to everyone who witnessed them, a fitting tribute to a great warrior of the turf. Auction price £8.99 email Racingbookshop@aol.com Hosted by NYK Media / Cyberdosh Links