Who's Who!
A divergent cast of unforgettable characters with ambition, deception, and revenge on their minds jockey for high stakes as organized crime confronts the thoroughbred racing society in Dean DeLuke’s debut thriller, Shedrow.
The novel moves from operating rooms in New York City through the lush, rolling pastures of Lexington, Kentucky, to fabulous tracks like Gulfstream and Saratoga, where high society and the racing elite spend fortunes to win at all cost. It also moves from Manhattan’s tony ‘21’ Club into the dark and dirty back alleys of Newark, New Jersey. Everyone we meet along the way—Kentucky hill folk, dedicated veterinarians, gamblers and grifters, trainers and killers—all make Shedrow a cleverly drawn twist on the popular medical thriller genre.
When Dr. Anthony Gianni saw the colt as it neared the final sixteenth on the turf at Belmont and then extended its lead to five lengths to finish the mile at 134 and 2, he was thrilled he had entered the racing partnership that acquired the two-year-old, Chiefly Endeavor, a horse that had the breeding and spirit to go to the Kentucky Derby and, perhaps, a lot further. Not only was owning a thoroughbred a diversion from Gianni’s successful surgical practice, but it also brought some excitement to his own life which was suffering from an ailing marriage to an alcoholic wife. What he hadn’t counted on was that the major partner’s unsavory background could mean that he might lose everything he had worked for professionally, and even worse, his own life could be at stake. When a breeder’s nightmare becomes real, a dedicated veterinarian, Dr. Steven Highnet, also finds himself enmeshed in this complex mystery, and he too faces the same deadly risks.
Advanced Praise for Shedrow
“A strong debut. DeLuke paints a vivid cast of heroes and villains that leaves you guessing about the outcome and wanting more. Shedrow is one to read and DeLuke is a new writer to watch.”
—Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author
"DeLuke's out-of-the gate, spare-no-prisoners portrayal of horse racing, vets, racing elite and slimy underworld mafia types leaps beyond anything being published in the genre today. From its opening pages you'll be shivering on the edge of your seat while this thrill-ride of a debut has you chomping at the bit for more. I'm willing to bet the mortgage on a trifecta that DeLuke's next two efforts will be just a masterful as the first. Not a win, place and show. But a win, win, win!"
—Vincent Zandri, author of Moonlight Falls and As Catch Can
"A terrific whodunit, with characters wrapped in the singular culture that is thoroughbred racing." —Michael Veitch, senior turf writer for The Saratogian
“…A galloping series of twists and turns oozing with page-turning danger...this horseracing thriller is a heart pounding read.”
—Amy Wallen, bestselling author of Moon Pies and Movie Stars
“Tense from the first page, Shedrow is first-rate thriller. Dean DeLuke is a master storyteller, and the reader is happily taken on a pedal-to-the-metal thrill ride.”
—James Thayer, bestselling author of The Boxer & the Poet and eleven other novels
“Dick Francis meets Robin Cook in the pages of this thriller.”
—Mary Jane Howell, Director of Public Relations for Dogwood Stable,
“Right out of the gate, Shedrow draws you into a fascinating world of thoroughbred owners with shockingly different goals. DeLuke weaves a nifty tale of ambition, deception and revenge.”
—Richard Rosenblatt, Associated Press Racing Writer
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