Dead heat (Abridged ed)

'I wondered if I was dying. I wasn't afraid to die but, such was the pain in my gut, I wished it would happen soon.' The night before the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket sees the great and the good of the horse-racing community gathered for a prestigious black-tie Gala dinner.

It is a fitting testament to the glamour of the occasion that Max Moreton is cooking the evening's meal.

Max is something of a celebrity in Newmarket circles.

He is the chef and founder of the racing town's favourite Michelin-starred restaurant, the Hay Net.

However, spending the night in the throes of agony with chronic food poisoning is the last thing Max expects - such things simply aren't becoming of a professional chef. And the last thing he needs is to hear that his food is suspected of putting twenty-four of the guests in hospital.Within hours, Max's restaurant is being forcibly closed, his reputation is teetering on the brink of ruin, and a court case seems to be looming.

But the day is far from over, and soon Max Moreton finds himself desperately fighting for more than just his livelihood...