In the Shadow of the Cat by Nick Thomas

Jake Hearne can almost feel the cold hand of Death reaching out for him. Starting with his days as a Navy pilot, the unwelcome acquaintance had watched him from afar, but lately it appeared to be growing increasingly impatient with the distance between them. As one of his generation's most elite race car drivers, Jake had always accepted that the road to victory was paved with danger, but as the 1957 race season begins, ominous signs tell a story of time running out.

From behind the pit wall, Isabella Brandolini has been eyeing Jake with the same intensity as Death. An adventurous Italian socialite and sister to one of Jake's competitors, she typifies the jet-setting world of playboys, starlets, and dreamers that make up the glitz and glamour of international sports car racing.

Follow Jake and his Jaguar through 1957 as he races around the globe, haunted by the choice of either surrendering to fear and retiring, or risking it all for the sport he loves. On the ancient roads of Italy and the long straightaways of France, he will not just battle the era's best drivers, but his own ego, self perception, and the lasting demons of his war. Under the sizzling hot beat of Caribbean bongos, Isabella will turn up the heat with promises of a different path. Between Buenos Aires and Caracas, a story will emerge of how a childhood dream can take twists and turns on its way to adult challenges. With a rich cast of family and friends behind him, Jake will finally find his answer in an unexpected ending.