Book Review: ‘The Dark Side Of Town’ Is The Next Fia McKee Thriller

by | Apr 8, 2018 | Books | 0 comments

Fia McKee is back as the central character in Sasscer Hill’s second novel with her as the lead character The Dark Side Of Town. She is once again at the race track, this time in Saratoga. A story with twists, turns, shootouts, the mob, quirky characters and a hot love interest.

After a stint with the Baltimore police department where she was accused of excessive force and basically made to quit, she got a job with the TPRB (Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau) investigating things in the racing industry undercover. Last year she was in South Florida and almost lost her live on that case. She has a problem listening and trying to do things on her own.

She has now been assigned to Saratoga Racetrac to investigate a racehorse trainer named Mars Pizutti, whose horses’ seem to keep winning in weird ways and getting big purses. She’s undercover as a goth looking girl, working the stalls, cleaning, feeding and helping to cool the horses down. She witnesses the death of a jockey and soon starts her investigation of what may be going on at the track.

She sniffs around and finds that one of the jockeys is being blackmailed to lose races and sees shady people all the time. She also hears from her estranged mother (it’s been 17 years) and she decides to meet with her. She finds out her new stepfather is involved in racing as well and soon it all ties together. There are murders, kidnappings and Fia again finds herself staring death in the face, as she won’t listen and tries to go rogue on her own.

By the end of the story she is involved in a serious mob shootout, saving her mother’s life and even finding a man and potential love. All in a day’s work for Fia.

Author Sasccer (cool name) has worked in the horse racing industry in all facets for thirty years in Maryland. So she knows of what she writes. Aside from the illegal aspects of the mob story, it’s a great look behind the scenes at the how the tracks work. From training, to feeding, to cooling the horses down, to grooming and everything else involved with racing a horse.

You can pick up The Dark Side Of Town in stores on Tuesday, April 17, from Minotaur Books.