Only when it's too late does Mike Powell realise that he's wasted his talents as a jockey and spoilt his marriage. His riding career is in decline; his beautiful wife, Tessa, has left him. And, to cap it all, he's almost bankrupt, having tried to build a future by pinhooking. Then, on the way to the Sports Personality of the Year Awards, Mike is killed in a car crash.

When his old friend Jed Harvard discovers that Mike's estate has been left to an American called George Parker - a man he's never heard of before - his suspicions are aroused. While tracking down George, Jed discovers that Mike's business deals have left a number of bitter enemies, and he realises that all is not what it seems...