Murder at the Billingham Races: A Harriet Harbinger Mystery

A day at the races. A triumphant victory. A murder that could ruin everything.

Retired Oxford law professor Harriet Harbinger has grown used to a quiet life of tea, books, and village routine. But when her beloved nephew Bobby invites her to the Billingham Races, she finds herself drawn back into a world of ambition, secrets, money, and danger.

Bobby’s ride on the magnificent Black Volga should be the turning point of his career. Victory brings applause, champagne, and the promise of a life-changing contract from the horse’s wealthy and theatrical owner, Dewey Dimitriev. But before the celebrations can settle, Dimitriev is found dead in the owners’ enclosure — poisoned in full view of the racing crowd.

When suspicion quickly falls on Bobby, Harriet knows the police are looking at the wrong man. The evidence against him is too neat, too convenient, and far too carefully arranged. A bloodied riding crop, a torn betting slip, missing documents, old debts, hidden wills, and bitter rivalries all point toward a conspiracy buried deep in the glamorous world of country racing.

With her legal mind sharpened by decades in courtrooms and lecture halls, Harriet begins her own investigation. But Billingham Hall has more secrets than anyone expected — and someone is willing to kill to keep them hidden.

Murder at the Billingham Races is a classic British cozy mystery full of country-house intrigue, racing scandal, sharp observation, and an amateur sleuth who refuses to be underestimated.