Conviction; The Bold Thing; Pity the Sinner; Sleek Bodies; A Killing Joke

London: Michael Joseph; Barnie & Jenkins, 1980-1995 . First edition. Cloth. Near Fine/Very Good Indeed. 9.5" by 6.5"; 9" by 6". None. A smart collection of first editions featuring stories where horse racing meets thriller. First editions of the work, in the original publisher's cloth binding, with the original, unclipped dust wrappers. British author and journalist, Mark Daniel, wrote these novels inspired by his own experiences as the son of a Lambourn trainer and equine artist. Daniel was raised in the horse-racing world, visiting race courses around the world, particularly in France. He is known for his varied writings, from children's verse to intense adult thrillers, such as these. Daniel has written ten novels of this horse-racing theme, between 1980 and 1995. These novels all show a more sinister side to the racing world, with different settings, including France, Ireland and Cheltenham. The Bold Thing (1990), follows the story of Mickey Brennan, a man just out of prison who finds himself stuck in a world of trouble, after being offered a job on a stud farm in Ireland. Pity the Sinner (1993), tells the story of jockey Neil Munrow who randomly receives $100,000 in his bank account, setting up a chain of events leading to an ultimate betrayal. Sleek Bodies (1994), see's protagonist Philip return from France to run the family stables, due to his brother being unwell. Philip soon realises that there is more afoot than he had expected. A Killing Joke (1995), follows Jago, who hopes to win the Pardubice, the Czech equivalent of the Grand National. However, with a smuggling ring on the side, this is not as simple as it seems. Conviction (1980) has a slightly different theme, with the focus being away from horse-racing, and instead being on the prison system. The story follows Sebastian Foy, a barrister who sets out to discover why his friend Trevor Abbott died in prison.Each novel is in a bright, eye-catching dust wrapper. In the original publisher's cloth binding, with the original, unclipped dust wrappers. Externally, excellent, with light bumping to the extremities and the odd mark to boards. Dust wrappers in very good condition, with light edge wear and the occasional handling mark. The odd instance of sunning, mainly to the spine of The Bold Thing. Internally, firmly bound. Pages very bright and clean. Near Fine