| Title | : | Whip Hand (Sid Halley, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0425203549 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780425203545 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1979 |
| Awards | : | Edgar Award Best Novel (1981), CWA Gold Dagger (1979) |
Now medical and engineering science have provided him with a marvelous mechanical substitute for his whip hand. But there are no substitutes in Halley 's life for his two great loves: his beautiful, bitchy ex-wife., and thoroughbred racing.
And they're both in trouble ..trouble that has led him into a battle of nerves with an elegant, vicious aristocrat -- where losing could be worse than the loss of his hand, his career or his wife -- and where surviving means a desperate confrontation with his own worst fear.
Whip Hand (Sid Halley, #2) Reviews
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The protagonists in Dick Francis novels rarely ever made repeat appearances, but one of the exceptions is Sid Halley who we see for the second time in Whip Hand. Halley is a former jockey whose career was ended when a horse rolled over on him, crushing his left hand. The hand was ultimately amputated and he now has a prosthesis. But it's impossible for him to continue riding under these circumstances.
Halley has thus become a private investigator and, not surprisingly, a number of his cases involve the racing world. In this instance the wife of a trainer approaches him and asks him to ensure the safety of one of her husband's prize race horses. In the past couple of years, two of his horses which were virtually guaranteed to win major races, fell way short and ultimately developed health problems and had to be retired from racing.
The woman is afraid that it's going to happen again with a horse that's set for a big race in a couple of weeks or so. She wants Halley to make sure that no one interferes with the horse, but she also wants him to do so without letting her husband know that she has hired him. Naturally, this might be somewhat difficult, but Halley accepts the assignment.
Inevitably, of course, there is something rotten, if not in Denmark, then at least in the racing world, and vicious, malevolent forces will attempt to prevent Halley from completing his appointed mission. As usual, Francis spins an entertaining tale and this book will appeal to his loyal readers and to others who might find a mystery set in the English racing world intriguing. -
Reread February 2023
Sid Halley #2
This novel is about a lot of things - crooked races, con games, corruption in high places but I think it is mostly about fear. Fear and various reactions to it - giving in to it, resisting it, overcoming it. The main characters did not plan well for the attacks they suffered. In the end, the main threat just caved in and went away, making the ending a little weak.
I really didn't like Sid Halley's response to physical attacks and real threats of serious bodily harm and death. Maybe it's the difference between British culture and attitudes and those of the Southern U.S.A. If you are positive, with no doubt, that they are out to get you, get them first is a more rational response. -
Winning was all. Winning was my function. What I was there for. What I wanted. What I was born for.
In the dream, I won the race. The shouting turned to cheering, and the cheering lifted me up on its wings, like a wave. But the winning was all; not the cheering. I woke in the dark, as I often did, at four in the morning.
There was silence. No cheering, just silence.
I could still feel the way I moved with the horse, the ripple of muscle through both of the striving bodies, uniting in one. I could still feel the irons round my feet, the calves of my legs gripping, the balance, the nearness to my head of the stretching brown neck, the mane blowing in my mouth, my hands on the reins.
There came, at that point, the second awakening. The real one. The moment in which I first moved and opened my eyes, and remembered that I wouldn’t ride any more races, ever.
Sid Halley is the quintessential Francis hero. It is no surprise for me that in a long list of stand-alone novels, he is the only one to be given a second and third chance in the limelight. He is probably the closest the author has come to talk about himself, about the former top steeplechase jockey whose whole life turned around the racing track, who was forced to give up the love of his life and start a new career. And who brought to this new career all the will to get to the top, all the dedication and the professionalism that defined him on the back of a horse.
This particular novel has an additional personal appeal to me, as it is the very first thriller by Dick Francis that I ever read, back in the early 1990’s. Twenty five years later, I am still one of the faithfull fans of the author.
Sid Halley has been forced out of his chosen profession by a horrible accident that mauled his ‘whip hand’. In his first novel (Odds Against), he is trying to deal with the trauma, and to find a new purpose in life by joining a private investigation agency focusing on the racing world. In the beginning of this second novel, Sid is still investigating crooks and liars around the racetrack, is self-employed, and rather too well appreciated for his success. This fame and his rate of success translates in the bad guys trying to drive him out by threats and physical violence.
As you can see from my opening quote, the thriller is written in the first person narrative, and a liking for the protagonist is key to the enjoyment of the ride. When I try to picture Sid in my mind, I’m thinking of one of those ‘tall-in-the-saddle’ cowboy heroes of the 50’s, like Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper or Gregory Peck. The quiet types, unassuming, soft spoken and serious, but unbending and relentless in the pursuit of justice. Sid may be viewed as bad news by the rascals he chases, but in his own mind he is daily battling with feelings of inadequacy, with loneliness and regrets over his broken marriage, with the empty places left in his life after he was exiled from the racetrack
- When you look at me, what do you see?
- You know what I see.
- Do you see a lot of fears and self doubts, and feelings of shame and uselessness and inadequacy?
- Of course not, you never show feelings like that.
- No one does. Everyone has an outside and an inside, and the two can be quite different. [...] To myself, I’m a jumble of uncertainty and fear and stupidity.
I believe Sid is saved by this very insecurity, which pushes him to try harder and to fight back. I also admire his stoicism, his sense of humour, and his curiosity about the world and the people he meets. In a cynical world that eyes only profit and where the end justifies the evil means used to achieve it, Sid is a breath of fresh air and hope in the chance of the underdog to bring down the fat cats of business.
I will not go into details about the plot, it is good and clever but not exceptional. Three separate lines of investigation weave in and out of focus: the mysterious death of champion colts, an internal investigation of corruption at the top level of the Jockey Club and a private request from Sid’s former wife to unmask a confidence trickster. The obligatory scenes of brutality and physical injury are starting to annoy me a bit, after encountering them in every single novel by Francis that I read, but they serve their purpose in the plot and in separating the bad guys from the good guys.
In conclusion, my rating is a subjective (rabid fan) one, but I would recommend the first two Sid Halley novels as a great ‘entry drug’ for readers as yet unfamiliar with the books of Dick Francis. -
Basically,the Dick Francis hero in each of his racing thrillers is the same person.He is decent,morally upright and very likable.But in each of the Francis books,he appears with a different name and profession.
Sid Halley,the protagonist of Whip Hand,makes multiple appearances in his books,however.He has had a nasty racing fall,and one of his hands is useless.It also makes it easier for villains to torture him,where he is most vulnerable.
His wife has left him,but he still has a great friendship with his former father in law.Despite his handicap,he has become a private investigator.
Some horses not running well and Sid Halley is asked to investigate.Along the way,there is plenty of violence and threats directed at Halley.The theme of torture is part of many a Francis novel,which is not my favourite element of his books.
Halley investigates and beats the odds.Along the way,he has a memorable ride in a hot air balloon flying at a high altitude to make good his escape from the baddies.
Another solid entertainer from the Francis stable. -
Jan 5, 930pm ~~ Since I finished 2022 with some books about horse racing, I decided to start 2023 with the same topic, just a different genre. My first print book of the year was Odds Against, by Dick Francis, the first of three of his that feature ex-jockey turned private detective Sid Halley.
Whip Hand, published in 1979, is the second. At first it seemed less intense, because unlike in Odds Against, Sid did not start the book in the middle of a mess. We needed a few chapters to get the story properly rolling, but when it got started, it didn't stop until the very last sentence. Whew!
Here Sid deals with investigations into apparent fixing of races, but he also has to try and help his ex-wife face the truth of a mess she has gotten herself into. Besides this, Sid will need to face the reality of his life as a man with only one naturally functioning hand, and his fears.
What, you might ask, would Sid Halley be afraid of? He had loved the thrill of riding steeplechase horses, and we learned in the previous book that he was cool and in control during difficult and scary detective work.
But there is a deep fear to stand up to. Or to run from. Which will it be?!
I think I liked Odds Against better than Whip Hand (and I also think I am a little in love with Sid's partner Chico) but this book was still full of classic Dick Francis intensity. I don't remember a thing about the next book, 1995's Come To Grief, even though I know I have read it. I think it will be interesting to see any changes in DF's work after nearly 20 years since Sid had last appeared. I know that as time went by, I went from being thrilled with every new DF title to being much less enchanted, so I wonder if I will still like Sid in Come To Grief?
There is only one way to find out, so off we go! -
My first Dick Francis read and it was great!
Not all that fond of books set abroad but didn't know that when I began reading. Can say though that it didn't bother or annoy me at all that it was set in England. Actually learned much about England by reading the book.
Story was unique and the writing was way, way above average. Clear, clean with no excess words. Dick Francis, from what I've read, had no training in writing but he was a jockey so he knows his subject. Look forward to reading Francis for many years and hoping the last book I read of his is only one-half as good as this was.
It was great reading and kept me guessing with making so many turns hither and yon around the track. Many more than you'll find at an actual racetrack that's for damn sure.
Be nice if we were related too, since Francis is a family name. -
What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.
But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.
Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.
You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).
There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.
Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death. -
Book # 2 in the Sid Halley series. Sid’s career as a top-rated jockey ended when a horse rolled over onto him, crushing his left hand. The hand was later amputated, and he now wears a state-of-the-art prosthesis, but he cannot be a jockey.
The plot is intricate and includes a couple of different mysteries, both of which involve unscrupulous business dealings and which involve Sid’s two loves: his ex-wife Jenny and thoroughbred racing. One of these will seriously threaten Sid’s life and his psyche. Both are complicated and require all his skill to ferret out the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice. Sid is forced to face his greatest fears and answer for himself: Is there anything you’re afraid of?
I love Sid. He’s determined, inquisitive, courageous, and principled. He’s got a great sidekick in Chico, as well; and his father-in-law has his back, too -
Review to follow soon!
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Dick Francis was never much for reoccurring characters. However, there were a couple protagonists that popped up now and again during his more than five decade long career of penning bestselling, award-winning and brilliant suspense novels.
Sid Halley, a personal favorite of mine, made his first appearance with the release of Odds Against in 1965. In case you’re unfamiliar with Sid, here’s the back story. He was a champion steeple chase jockey but that career ended abruptly when a horse stepped directly on his left wrist and left him crippled. He became a private investigator although he didn’t take to the job right away. Sid’s left hand was later amputated following a run in with a bad guy with a steel poker and a bad temper.
I don’t know how old I was when I started reading what would be considered adult fiction but Dick Francis was one of the first authors I really latched onto. Honestly, I thought I’d read every book he wrote. So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered recently that I’d somehow missed one… and it featured Sid Halley.
In Whip Hand (1979), Sid’s investigative services are very much in demand. He’s hired to look into some suspicious racing syndicates, an alarming trend of extremely promising horses from one trainer suddenly underperforming and falling ill, and a con man who has Sid’s ex-wife facing a possible jail sentence due to her involvement in what turns out to be a bogus charity. Sid initially doesn’t make much progress on any of those fronts, and one person wants very badly to keep it that way. He not only warns Sid off but threatens him with very specific bodily injury. Bottom line, he’s told if he persists with his inquiries, he’ll be missing two hands instead of just one. The message gets through and Sid backs off, for a while, but then events conspire to throw him back into the fray and he soon discovers there are others that will go to great and painful lengths to stop him from uncovering the truth.
If you can’t tell, I am a huge Dick Francis fan and have been for as long as I can remember. In fact, he was perhaps the biggest influence behind A Shot at Redemption, my first mystery novel. I decided that, if he could write dozens of incredibly compelling and entertaining stories about horse racing, a sport I know and care little about, I should be able to craft at least one decent plot with short track auto racing as the backdrop. My readers can judge how well I succeeded. The point is Francis inspired me as a reader as well as a writer. Sid Halley remains the only Dick Francis character to appear in more than two books, and Whip Hand is one of just two novels to win the Gold Dagger and Edgar Award. In case you’re wondering, John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the other. Dick Francis sadly passed away in 2010 at the age of 89. I assumed that had to be the end for Sid Halley too but he was resurrected in 2013 when Felix Francis released Dick Francis’s Refusal. Like all the other Sid Halley novels, it’s definitely worth reading. I encourage you to take a look at my Turn the Page review. -
The second Sid Halley book, read many years after the first, brilliant book. Retired jockey with an artificial electronic hand, turned private investigator, faces three tough plots at the same time, two of them including physical violence and intimidation.
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Whip Hand was the second book by Dick Francis to win the prestigious Edgar award -- he is still the only author to ever win three Edgars for mystery novels -- and I think it's a pretty terrific entry in his series. It is also the second book about Sid Halley, the one-handed ex-jockey who has become a successful private detective.
This book has a lot of emotional content compared to many Francis novels. Sid is forced up against the boundaries of his own endurance and courage by very Evil Men who find and exploit Sid's weak spots, and he is also forced to deal with his ex-wife and their ongoing emotional baggage. In a way it's a novel of self-discovery, as Sid learns that he really can live through his worst fears, and as he and his ex-wife both learn to move past their old pains.
The plot in Whip Hand is also more complicated than in many Francis novels, since Sid is actually solving not one but three separate mysteries in the course of the book. This does lead to some fragmentation of the plot, but it's also a good signal that the experiences of the main characters are more important here than the mysteries themselves. Nonetheless, each of the mysteries is pretty ingenious, and solving them involves more of those well-researched details that Francis is so well known for.
Overall -- if you're checking out just a few books by Dick Francis, don't miss this one! -
1985
13 June 1998
14 Dec 2000
Another reread. Not one of my favorites. This one was written in '65 back when Dick was trying to be so hard boiled. I like the character of Sid and his father-in-law Charles, but everything else is so grim and no so psychological. It's okay to while away time but not something to pick up just for a good read. I have a harder time relating to Sid than most of the later heroes. The way he reacts to his disfigurement is odd, as is the way he just lets his marriage go. Too passive for my tastes, too unhappy. -
Note GR description states: (first published January 1st 1969). this is not correct as book was first published in 1979, must be a typing error.
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Dick Francis is a sadly-missed favorite author, especially his knack for snappy relevant titles, and fascinating a non-horse reader (me). Hero Sid loses the use of his hand in the series, at least once a villain tortures him in his weakest limb. Ouch. I still get the shivers remembering.
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An award winning Francis mystery, “Whip Hand” is not like many of the Francis books I’ve read recently in that the largest majority of the book revolves around the horse racing world. Francis has a knack for involving horse racing in his stories, but many, if not most of the stories also included some details about a job, a hobby, technology, business operations, or some other aspect outside of racing that is key to the story. This one is most all racing related, with a bit of a side focus on a specific method of fraud that is really just a side story. Since Francis seems to always include at least two non-racing themes, I suspect the other non-racing aspect of this book, and it’s a big part of the story, is our protagonist Sid Halley talking about his disability and new threats to cause additional disability. There is a lot of angst and self-reflection in this book, and like all Francis heroes, this one isn’t perfect. This book also has some violence and threats, which Francis includes in many of his stories, and which I find disturbing. Francis knows how to write, and here you really become concerned about Sid. I found the angsty self-arguing to be a bit confusing near the climax of the book. Overall, though, another wonderful Francis mystery, certainly one of his best.
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I think this is either my favorite or at least one of my top three in the Dick Francis panoply of novels. It's one of the few that has a repeat protagonist (Sid Halley), but I think it's the best of the four novels in which he appears. The first of those books, Odds Against, is more of a scene-setter in which Sid has to learn to get over being a jockey (he sustained a serious injury that took away the use of one hand) and embrace another career. By the time the second novel, this one, starts, he has been a private investigator in the horse-racing world for a while now and has settled into the job and mostly into the headspace necessary to make him a good one. Even though this is possibly one of Francis's shorter novels, he manages to create three separate lines of investigation for Sid to pursue: the mysterious illnesses of champion colts, an internal investigation of corruption at the top level of the Jockey Club, and a private request from Sid’s former father-in-law to unmask a confidence trickster who duped and deserted Sid's ex-wife, leaving her to face possible prosecution for a scam. Between the three, Sid and his sidekick, Chico, are kept on the run, and I mean that literally. The book contains the usual racing background, the inevitable villains, and a casual love interest for Sid, but despite the repetitious nature of elements that populate Francis's novels, it's still a thumping good story with smart and thoughtful bits, lots of action, and a satisfactory resolution. I'm glad I picked it up again.
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One of the major themes in Dick Francis’ novels is that of courage. His heroes are quite often jockeys who risk falling off their horses on a daily basis. They break bones and suffer other mishaps, yet continue to race at breakneck speed to earn their livelihood. Whip Hand is also about courage, but Francis tackles it by focusing on the intense fear of his hero, Sid Halley.
Halley is a retired jockey—forced out of the racing business when he fell and had his hand trampled by another horse. His mangled limb had to be amputated and Haley now makes his living as a private investigator looking into problems around the racecourse. Whip Hand starts out with Halley being drawn into four separate investigations—two of which are clearly connected—and one of which gets him abducted and threatened with having his remaining hand blown off with a shotgun if he doesn’t back off.
To his great shame, Halley breaks—at least in the short term—but his sense of self will not allow him to leave the matter alone and he finds himself picking up the investigation again despite a nearly paralyzing fear of being totally crippled by the villain of the story. Francis doesn’t have to hit the reader over the head with this fear, it just continually resurfaces in Halley’s thoughts and yet, he keeps investigating.
In addition to the investigative storyline, Francis gives a powerful subplot in which Halley is asked by his ex-father-in-law to investigate some trouble Halley’s ex-wife has gotten into. The ex-wife divorced Halley because she could not handle the risks involved in his profession as a jockey and could not stand the choice he made to move into another dangerous field after he lost his hand. Her anger often veers into hate and her interactions with Halley—her tremendous resentment of him and need for him to fail—make for a moving and disturbing subplot. She helps us see quite clearly the “defects” in Halley’s character that have made him so successful as both a jockey and now an investigator.
This is one of Francis’ more memorable stories and characters. It’s easy to see why he decided to write multiple adventures about Sid Halley.
If you liked this review, you can find more at
www.gilbertstack.com/reviews. -
I've now read twenty-eight of the Edgar Best Novel Award winners, and one thing I've noticed is that the selection committee seems to favor the stand-alone novel over the series entry. Out of the 28 there have been 17 stand-alones as against 11 series novels (one of which, Ed Lacy's ROOM TO SWING, probably shouldn 't count as it did not become part of a two-book series until several years after the award). After what seemed like a zillion international thrillers all in a row, it was fun to read Dick Francis's series book, WHIP HAND, and to know that there are three more books in the Sid Halley series for me to enjoy.
WHIP HAND is the series' second book, continuing the story of Sid Halley, an ex-jockey turned PI with an artificial left hand. With the help of his judo-instructor friend Chico Barnes, Halley investigates primarily racing-related questions, at least in this book. However, he also goes after a conman who has involved Halley's ex-wife in a scheme that might send her to prison if the true perpetrator isn't found. By the end of the book, Halley has not only solved all the mysteries, but has learned a good deal about himself.
WHIP HAND is told in the first person by Halley. A lot of people don't like this POV and even say they won't read a book that uses it. I can't really imagine this book told any other way being as effective as it was. We learn so much about Halley's psyche that helps to illumine the character changes he goes through during the course of the book. Having the story told in third-person omniscient, for example, would just not be as powerful. I did find it difficult to read the portions in which violence is directed at the narrator, but they too were necessary to show the character's feelings.
As this is only the second Dick Francis book I've read, I'm still learning some of the ins and outs of British horseracing. I'm happy that Francis is so good at slipping bits of information into the story without stopping the flow of the plot. I expect I'll know a lot more before I'm done reading Francis. -
Well, hello. I'd always avoided Francis, thinking his books would be too "niche." How interesting could a mystery set at a racetrack be? I was incredibly wrong. Great characters, good dialogue, excellent sense of place - this book worked on just about every level. One good thing about avoiding Francis for this long - I can look forward to many enjoyable hours of reading ahead.
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I am being kind giving it 2 stars. Really wanted to like it. If you are into horse racing (I am) its not the worst book ever, if you are not then avoid it.
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In "Whip Hand," Sid Halley returns, this time with his damaged hand replaced with a myoelectric version. He's returned to life after the depression of the first book, but has to face his own weakness when his nemesis threatens him with his worst fears.
Francis's use of Halley as a recurring character has a number of fascinating aspects, one of which is that the Sid Halley books were not written back to back--unlike the books about the other recurring character, Kit Fielding, which were written consecutively and both set in the same time period, the early 1980s--but rather in different decades: "Odds Against" came out in the 1960s, "Whip Hand" in the 1970s, "Come to Grief" in the 1990s, and "Under Orders" in the 2000s. Sid thus time travels in a way: in "Under Orders" he is less than 10 years older than he is in "Odds Against," but the action is set 40 years later. This is an issue that the writers of long-running series have to contend with, which they do in different ways: Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone lives in a time warp, forever in the 1980s, while Robert B. Parker's Spenser seems to age at about half the normal rate, so that he is, if I remember correctly, in his late 30s when the series begins in the early 1970s (he's a Korean War vet), but 40 years later, when the last books came out, seems to be only his 50s, unless he is a very, very well preserved 75-year-old.
Anyway, Sid Halley's time confusion is nothing unusual in the mystery genre, so you can accept it or not. "Whip Hand" is for the most part more lighthearted than "Odds Against," as Francis's books from the 1970s tend to be, with a cheery romance and one the main action sequences taking place in a balloon race.
In the end, though, Francis's fascination with the limits of human endurance, physical and mental, and with our acute fragility come through with especial clarity, as they always do in the Sid Halley books, and the ending is satisfyingly gut-wrenching, showing why Sid is Francis's favorite character. If you haven't been bitten by the Francis bug yet, the Sid Halley series is a good place to start, and "Whip Hand" is an excellent continuation to the franchise. -
SPOILER
You hire a guy to investigate your organization. You tell him there's been a predecessor who has met with a fate as good as death. The guy tells you he understands that his investigation now includes the investigation of what happened to that predecessor. Fortunately the guy, who turns out to be a death-defying lunatic running all over the place visiting well-known venues in spite of having received a horrifying threat at the start of the story, somehow never finds the time to check with the authorities and find out it was all a lie until the final pages of the story. Dickie, Dickie, Dickie ... where were your grey cells ... those of your wife (who is said to have co-written this) ... ???
(I like Dick Francis - very much - a hard-nosed right-wing idealist like myself - his morality , his harsh and unforgiving stance on good and bad and justice for ALL (ALL: including those not of our race, those guys who speak in non-human tongues and whose IQs are way down there) steer me to the extra star - but this story sucks.) -
This is my favorite of the Francis novels I've read, and probably the best mystery novel I've read this year.
Sid Halley, who retired from racing to become an investigator after losing most of his left hand, is a fantastic lead, with all of the intellect and dry humor of the average Francis hero but a great deal of pathos and insecurity, as well. The supporting characters are also great creations, especially Chico, Halley's partner, and the Admiral, his friend and former father-in-law.
This book has a great setup, as several smaller mysteries resolve into one central plot and one, more personal, subplot. The writing is crisp and assured, with snappy dialog and precise descriptions, and the pace is quick. There isn't much in the way of action, but there is a bit of brutal violence, heightening the tension and stakes without ever being gratuitous.
Altogether, this is a great effort by one of my "new" favorite authors. Luckily, I still have thirty or more of his books to read. Yay! -
The best of the Dick Francis. The series of Sid Halley books allowed Francis to dig deeper into his character's psyche, revealing his human characteristics--self doubt, loathing, fear--all deep-seated and hidden from most of the other characters in the book, but revealed in raw emotional glory to the reader. Plus, there was a darn good tangle of human greed and corruption that makes any Francis book worth reading. (Note: Anyone who hasn't read this yet: I recommend reading the Sid books in order, beginning with "Odds Against." I didn't realize Francis had written a series with a recurring character and read them as about out of order as is possible--beginning with the last, by chance.)
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3.5 stars and I rounded it down mostly because the violence done to the protagonist (something I really noticed listening to a bunch of Francis in a row) is rather extreme and unceasing in this one. Three interlocking plots and a lot going on. Sid is such a great character.
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It has been a long time since I have read one of Dick Francis’s books. They are still entertaining, but I had forgotten about the dose of violence in each book. I enjoy his style of writing which is straightforward. A good read.
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Interesting look into the world of horse racing. Good mystery.
