[bar49]

"I've never read Dick Francis--I'm not a fan of the horse-racing milieu."

Like you, I also am not a big fan of horse-racing so avoided reading his books. However, some of his books do not concern themselves with horse-racing or only to a very minimal degree. I have found him to be a wonderful writer and it seems that most of his books are stand-alones.

You might want to try To the Hilt. It has nothing to do with horse-racing:

"Home for Alexander, an artist, is a small bothy on a remote mountain in Scotland. One day, his peace is shattered when he returns home to find some strangers waiting for him. After a scuffle, he is left for dead with only the wind and the words, "Where is it?" ringing in his ears."

and also The Edge which does have horse racing as a backdrop:

"A story of drama and intrigue set on the sinister side of the international racing circuit. Tor Kelsey, an undercover agent for the Jockey Club's Security Service trails Julius Apollo Filmer, a blackmailer and murderer, onto a luxury train carrying several racehorse owners across Canada."