Danny Rawlings Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Danny Rawlings Mysteries Books

Danny Rawlings is the hero of a series of crime fiction novels written by Ben Osborne and set in the world of British horse racing.

+The Story

The Danny Rawlings Mysteries series began publication in 2009 with ‘The Hyperion Legacy’. The book wasn’t the first of its kind. Authors like Jenny Pitman and Felix Francis have experimented with the concept of horse racing and crime.

However, by the time Ben Osborne appeared on the scene, the horse racing genre was a little quiet, with even prominent authors in the field like Felix and Pitman publishing so rarely that one couldn’t be faulted for assuming that the horse racing sub-genre of crime fiction had died.

That might explain why Osborne’s Danny Rawlings series elicited so much interest from audiences in the early 2010s. The author’s novels filled a gap in the publishing industry that had been largely ignored.

This might explain why even those reviews that are generally critical of the Rawlings novels tend to end on a positive note. It’s almost as if Osborne’s fans are more than happy to contend with some of his failings as a writer if it means getting to scratch their horse racing crime fiction itch.

Danny Rawlings eats, sleeps and breathes horses. Once a Jockey, Rawlings has already put his horse racing days behind him by the time he is introduced to readers in ‘The Hyperion Legacy’.

But that doesn’t mean the ex-jockey has shelved his love for horses. Danny is still heavily involved in the occurrences and goings-on of the British horse racing circuit. Unfortunately, the British horse racing circuit is a dangerous place, and Danny never seems to steer clear of trouble.

‘The Hyperion Legacy’, the first novel in the series, finds Danny Rawlings on the run from the police. A friend of his, a stable lad called Daeno, is dead. And even though all the evidence against him is flimsy, the police have determined that Danny is guilty. So they will stop at nothing to bring him to justice, even if it means framing him.

Unfortunately for the lot of them, Danny Rawlings isn’t one to go quietly, not when his life and the lives of his loved ones are on the line. Danny sets in motion a plan that will reveal the true murderer even while allowing him to exact revenge on his enemies.

The other novels in the Danny Rawlings mysteries series do not differ that drastically from the structure of first one in that Danny is always on the run from something or someone. And his troubles typically begin with whatever role he has chosen to play in the horse racing arena.

In the first novel, Danny is a betting guru who doesn’t know if one or more of his betting schemes might have landed him on the wrong side of someone’s wrath. In the second novel, Danny is back in the racing game.

This time, the protagonist wants to buy a tiny mare that has underachieved as a result of the incompetence of its trainer. On that particular occasion, Danny must deal with the consequences of a race in which he participated years earlier.

The hero’s third outing finds him training horses for a mysterious but wealthy owner with shady business dealings.

Danny Rawlings has a good head on his shoulders. In fact, that is often the cause of his problems. Danny sees things that other people miss, especially when it comes to horses, regardless of whether or not they are in his care.

Even more troublesome is Danny’s stubborn streak. Most people in the situations he encounters would happily sit back and allow the law to run its course. But Danny’s enemies know exactly what he’s capable of, so they do not pull their punches when they act out against him.

And when Danny is forced into a corner, he will not hesitate to hit back. It doesn’t matter how terrible the odds are. Danny Rawlings does not stop fighting until his loved ones are safe and his attackers are stopped.

Unfortunately for the racing enthusiast, his actions and the risks he is willing to take to deliver justice have a tendency to strain his personal relationships.

The Danny Rawlings Mysteries series has been praised for its rapid pacing, intense action, and suspenseful plotting. Ben Osborne doesn’t give his hero a moment to breathe before throwing him through countless mysteries and conspiracies.

People that hate these novels criticize them for being too convoluted. Danny never contends with just one enemy. Each mystery is always a cover for another mystery. And because the nefarious plots that assail Danny Rawlings are always so layered and complicated, he has to execute outlandish plans to emerge as the victory at the end of it all, plans that test believability on the part of the reader.

Fans of this series compliment it for being perfect escapist literature, and they admit that one has to turn their brain off to enjoy the stories that Ben Osborne tells here.

+The Author

Ben Osborne attended Cardiff University where he studied accounting and economics. His life has been spent reporting on horses and horse racing as a journalist. As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Danny Rawlings series features a lot of details about horses and the horse racing industry.

+The Hyperion Legacy

Danny Rawlings is an Ex-jockey whose life was predictable. But then his friend died and Danny was accused of the murder. He thought going on the run from the law was the worst thing that could happen to him.

He didn’t expect to encounter added resistance from an unseen force or to watch a loved one get executed. Now Danny is out for revenge. He enacts a plan that will see him expose the true killer and clear his name, not to mention making his enemies hurt.

+The Rule of Lazari

Danny Rawlings is back. An assistant trainer, Danny’s finances take a dive after he attempts to buy a tiny mare from its struggling trainer. With his mind occupied by his economic woes, Danny is more than a little surprised when he is attacked and beaten by a mysterious figure.

He learns later on that all the jockeys that participated in a race from his past are being murdered and he might be next.