Whip Hand is the second novel in the Sid Halley series, first published in 1979. The story follows Sid Halley, a former champion jockey turned private investigator, who is drawn into a web of race-fixing, fraud, and deception. As he investigates a corrupt syndicate, he faces personal and professional challenges, including threats from a dangerous aristocrat. The novel won both the Gold Dagger Award (1979) and the Edgar Award (1980) for Best Novel.