Thraxas at the Races
Martin Scott
245 pages
published in 1999

I saw this for sale at a local charity shop for only 30p, so I bought it. Sometimes you got to take a gamble...

Thraxas at the Races is apparantely the third book in a series about Thraxas, a private dick in Turai, a fantasy city reminding me of ancient Rome in its political setup, if not its climate. It's similar to Glen Cook's better known Garret P.I. series, though far lighter in tone and with less depth to it. Not that there's anything wrong with a bit of light entertainment at times.

In this volume, like every good private dick, Thraxas is down on his luck: dragged throught he courts by an old enemy and fined almost every guran he has, with several death threats behind him and desperately needing a winner in thechariot races, but with insufficient funds to place a large enough bet. So when his old army commander turns up and offers him a job tracing some stolen artwork, he jumps at the change to earn some money. Unfortunately, when he finds the artwork, he also finds the commander --murdered. And of course he is accused of the murder. If that is not enoguh trouble, he is also saddled with the job of protecting an Orcish prince wanting to enter the Turan Memorial Race, the biggest chariot race in Turai. Need I mention that Thraxas is a veteran of the Orcish war of a few years back and Orcs are not particularly well loved in Turai?

Thraxas at the Races is a nice little diversion, ideal to read in the bath. No, it won't challenge you much and there's not much depth to it, but it is quite enjoyable. The plot moves fast, the dialogue is sharp and funny and Thraxas and friends are more than just cardboard cutouts. Recommended if you're looking for well done entertainment.