Nominated for the Man Booker Prize, an exquisite tale of romance and rivalry, gambling and greed, from one of England’s finest writers As the shadows lengthen over the June grass, all England is heading for Epsom Down—high life and low life, society beauties and Whitechapel street girls, bookmakers and gypsies, hawkers and thieves. Hopes are high, nerves are taut, hats are tossed in the air—this is Derby Day. For months people have been waiting and plotting for this day. Everyone’s eyes are on champion horse Tiberius, on whose performance half a dozen destinies depend. In this rich and exuberant novel, rife with the idioms of Victorian England, the mysteries pile high, propelling us toward the day of the great race, and we wait with bated breath as the story gallops to a finish that no one expects.

The history and traditions of the Kentucky Derby, for horse lovers of all ages.--

Derby Day is a story of death and life and the fragile path to happiness by Diane Murphy, a young woman of passion and resolve who vows never to feel the pain of loss again. Mourning the recent passing of her father and living with the memory of a husband who died when they had all of life before them, she is determined to resist any chance for happiness lest it be taken away once more. Then one Christmas, a note from a special aunt invites her to a family reunion in their beloved Kentucky for the running of the Derby. Can she go back? Should she go back? As the months unfold and Diane struggles with the past and the future, those who care for her and the man who loves her try to point the way. But in the end, only she can measure her steps in walking the fine line between triumph and tragedy.

Summer, 1954. As Louisville, Kentucky simmered, society struggled to maintain ties to the old ways, which had seemed so correct. An air of gentleness existed then. Methods of doing business lacked the tense, high-pressure atmosphere found in northern cities. And a family name meant more then money, for it indicated a status earned though 200 years of Kentucky history. But, Louisville was changing with the tide of people and new industry moving in. To this setting, middle class Dusty Burton finds himself caught in a frustrating web of worries as he enters his third year of college. Fraternity parties, lifeguarding, the Draft, and Communists in America were surpassed by his love for ‘social girl’ Cindy York. What Are You Doing Derby Day? Dusty believed that question and the spectacular Kentucky Derby would work magic as he tried to win Cindy’s love forever. Here is a peek at youth in the 1950’s through the eyes of Dusty and Cindy during a restless year of conflicts. It is a light-hearted American Graffiti type story packed with humor and memories from that ‘innocent generation’.

From the New York Times–bestselling “master of crime fiction and equine thrills,” a jockey turned investigator tackles crime in the horse racing world (Newsday). Dick Francis, Edgar Award–winning master of mystery and suspense, takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing. A hard fall took hotshot jockey Sid Halley out of the horse racing game, leaving him with a crippled hand, a broken heart, and the desperate need for a new job. Now he’s landed a position with a detective agency, only to catch a bullet from some common thug. And things are about to get even more hectic. The agency is giving him a case to handle on his own. The case brings him to the door of Zanna Martin, a woman who might be just what Sid needs to get him back up and running. But he’s up against a field of thoroughbred criminals, and the odds against him are making it a long shot that he’ll even survive . . . “Dick Francis is a wonder.” —The Plain Dealer “An imaginative craftsman of high order.” —The Sunday Times “Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at a full gallop.” —Chicago Tribune “Few match Francis for dangerous flights of fancy and pure inventive menace.” —Boston Herald “[The] master of crime fiction and equine thrills.” —Newsday “[Francis] has the uncanny ability to turn out simply plotted yet charmingly addictive mysteries.” —The Wall Street Journal “Francis is a genius.” —Los Angeles Times “A rare and magical talent . . . who never writes the same story twice.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune

A highly illustrated middle-grade series that celebrates new friendships, first crushes, and getting out of your comfort zone—now in paperback Ever since they can remember, fifth graders Kenzie (aka Kenzilla) and Shelly (aka Bomb Shell) have dreamed of becoming roller derby superstars. When Austin’s city league introduces a brand-new junior league, the dynamic duo celebrates! But they’ll need to try out as a five-person team. Kenzie and Shelly have just one week to convince three other girls that roller derby is the coolest thing on wheels. But Kenzie starts to have second thoughts when Shelly starts acting like everyone’s best friend . . . Isn’t she supposed to be Kenzie’s best friend? And things get really awkward when Shelly recruits Kenzie’s neighbor (and secret crush!) for the team. With lots of humor and an authentic middle-grade voice, book one of this illustrated series follows Kenzie, Shelly, and the rest of the Derby Daredevils as they learn how to fall—and get back up again.