Dick Francis Mystery Collection

Dick Francis Novels

Shattered by Dick Francis

Amazon.com
After 41 novels, most writers run out of energy before the final gallop. But Dick Francis's latest thriller is as good as his earliest. Perhaps it's because this one is dedicated to the Queen Mother, who celebrated her centennial in 2000, and who, like her famously horsey daughter, shares Francis's passion for the races. Or maybe he's just found his stride again, after a few less-than-outstanding starts. Here he does one of his best tricks: lures you into a somewhat arcane area you might know little about and explicates it so brilliantly that you don't even realize how much you've learned (in this case, about glass blowing) while a mystery is unraveled, a crime is solved, and the hero gets the girl.

This time the mise en scène is the glass blowing studio owned by Gerard Logan, friend of the late Martin Stukely, a jockey who takes a fatal fall at the Cheltenham steeplechase during the last race of the century. Still mourning Martin, Gerard is savagely beaten, his workshop ransacked, and his life threatened by a gang of thugs. Investigating, Gerard discovers that the gang includes a domineering woman who's the daughter of Martin's valet and a scientist who's stolen valuable data from the laboratory that formerly employed him. They believe Gerard has possession of a videotape entrusted to him by Martin before his death and that the secrets on the tape are worth Gerard's life.

It's a good set up, with just enough of the usual horse lore and a pleasant love story involving Gerard and a pretty policewoman, neither of which overshadow the taut pacing and the well-worked-out plot. Francis's protagonists may be accidental heroes, but they're not antiheroes; they're usually eminently decent, likable men, and their sense of self is always interesting. Here's Gerard at home, in a break from the action, thinking about the new woman in his heart in a typical Francis love scene:

I walked deliberately through all the rooms, thinking about Catherine, wondering both if she would like the place, and whether the house would accept her in return. Once in the past the house had delivered a definite thumbs-down, and once I'd been given an ultimatum to smother the pale plain walls with brightly patterned paper as a condition of marriage, but to the horror of her family I'd backed out of the whole deal, and, as a result, I now used the house as arbiter and had disentangled myself from a later young woman who'd begun to refer to her and me as "an item" and to reply to questions as "we." We think. No, we don't think.
And, a few pages later,
The speed of development of strong feeling for one another didn't seem to me to be shocking but natural, and if I thought about the future it unequivocally included Catherine Dodd. "If you want to cover the pale plain walls with brightly patterned paper, go ahead," I said.
She laughed. "I like the peace of pale walls. Why should I want to change them?"

It may be Francis's English reticence that keeps him, mercifully, from spoiling a good mystery with what other writers consider the obligatory sex scene, or it just may be the mastery of his form that few of his peers approach. In every page of this terrific new book, he's at the top of it.

The Edge by Dick Francis

The Great Transcontinental Mystery Race is not only a glittering rail junket that promises the oportunity to race a thoroughbred on some of the world's great courses, but is something more: an intriguing mystery will be enacted on board, which passengers will be invited to solve. But included on the guest list is one Julius Apollo Filmer, justifiably reputed to be the most ruthless operator lurking in the racing underworld, and he's planning a strange plot of his own. For Tor Kelsey, undercover security agent for the British Jockey Club, a scenario of imaginary mayhem is about to explode into a nightmare of real and bloody murder.

Second Wind by Dick Francis

Amazon.com
Dick Francis's legion of admirers can relax: his year off from writing since the 1998 publication of Field of Thirteen is over, and a new vigor has entered his style. Longtime readers will be happy to find the customary racetrack skullduggery, galvanized by some fascinating new elements.
The very opening of Second Wind signals something new, with Francis's protagonist, meteorologist Perry Stuart, fighting for his life as he flies through the eye of storm on Trox Island, a blighted place steeped in guano and harboring a nasty secret. "But now, as near dead as dammit, I tumbled like a rag-doll piece of flotsam in towering gale-driven seas that sucked unimaginable tons of water from the deeps ...."
When the reader encountered details of the racing world in Francis's earlier thrillers such as Whip Hand and Reflex, they had the satisfying ring of authenticity. The same is true in Second Wind--Stuart's character was developed with the help of BBC weatherman John Kettley.
Although this is a new venue for Francis, he still has a knack for quickening the reader's pulse with a few carefully chosen words: "Despair was too strong a word for it. Perhaps despondency was better. When they came for me, they came with guns."

Trial Run by Dick Francis

Veteran horseman Randall Drew heads to Moscow on a mission from the Royal Family-and finds a terrifying track of sabotage and murder.

Slay Ride by Dick Francis

When a champion jockey disappears-right before a big race and the birth of his child-Investigator David Cleveland bets on foul play.

Banker by Dick Francis

When young investment banker Tim Ekaterin becomes involved in the cutthroat world of thoroughbred racing, he finds his life in business blown to smithereens. For suddenly the multimillion-dollar loan he arranges to finance the purchase of a champion racehorse is threatened by an apparent defect in the animal. Then, as Tim desperately searches for answers, he falls headlong into a deadly deal of violence and murder.

In the Frame by Dick Francis

Charles Todd is an English artist, well-known for his renderings of sleek and athletic horses. But what he sees at his brother's he cannot capture on canvas. His sister-in-law has been murdered, and his brother is the prime suspect. Todd sudenly finds himself in a dangerous manhunt as he searches for an elusive killer who paints his own picture of mayhem....

Reflex by Dick Francis

Dick Francis is no ordinary mystery writer, and jockey Philip Nore is no ordinary hero. When Nore begins to suspect that a track photographer's fatal accident was really murder, he sets out to discover the truth and to trap the killer. Slowly, he unravels some nasty secrets of corruption, blackmail and murder--and unwittingly sets himself up as the killer's next target.

Smokescreen by Dick Francis

Edward Lincoln is a worldwide celebrity who plays detectives on the big screen. But when his godmother asks him to investigate her racehorses in South Africa, he's out of his depth. Soon enough, he's plunged into a plot of gold, greed, and gilded lives that forces him to uncover a killer and give a bravura performance he'll never give again....

Field of Thirteen by Dick Francis

Amazon.com
This first collection of short stories by Dick Francis (author of 10 Lb. Penalty and more than 30 other horseracing mysteries) pulls together five new tales with eight that have appeared scattered in periodicals over the last three decades. One of the pleasures of his stories is witnessing the breadth and variety within Francis's racetrack milieu. In "Dead on Red," a jealous jockey named Davey Rockman hires Emil Jacques, a French assassin and gun collector, to kill the famed rider who stole his job; but Rockman is haunted by his deed much in the same way as is the protagonist in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." "Raid at Kingdom Hill" tells of Tricksy Wilcox's scheme for a not-so-bright bomb scare, a plan that still might yield the payoff of a lifetime. "Collision Course" is free of murder but frames a delightful conflict between an out-of-work newspaperman and a bounder whose faux manners threaten to bring him down at the peak of his racing syndicate career. The Kentucky Derby story, "The Gift," follows Fred Collyer, a drunken writer who overhears plans for a major racing swindle and struggles against alcohol to publish the story by his deadline. And the collection ends with a what-if story called "Haig's Death" that examines the consequences of the sudden passing of Christopher Haig, an animal feed consultant and race-meeting judge.
Poe, who most historians of literature credit as the creator of the short story, declared that a good short story should have nothing extraneous. Francis's stories, for the most part, obey Poe's dictum. Each character and description fits tightly into an unfolding plan so that the mystery or twist is revealed with a satisfying economy of words. While Field of 13 will appeal to Francis loyalists, newcomers, too, will find much to relish in the short fiction of this mystery grand master.
Book Description
With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, Dick Francis's thrillers have led readers to the winner's circle year after year. From his very first novel, Dead Cert, to his most recent, 10 lb. Penalty, the three-time Edgar Award winner has treated his fans to a world of equine thrills and human frailty in a string of bestsellers of unparalleled excellence. But with Field of Thirteen, Dick Francis takes on his biggest challenge yet. In this superbly crafted collection of short stories--many of them new and never before published--the settings range from a spring race meeting at Cheltenham, where a middle-aged owner falls hopelessly in love with her jockey, to a running of the Grand National interrupted by a bomb scare, to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, where demon drink and wilting willpower take their toll. Dick Francis's fans have a wonderful treat in store--thirteen tightly-knotted plots to marvel at, thirteen sets of classic Francis characters to admire, and thirteen stings of the tail to gasp over. Field of Thirteen proves Dick Francis is as much the master of the short story as he is of the novel.

Break in by Dick Francis

Kit Fielding--champion steeplechase jockey--races to the defense of his twin sister and finds himself in a dangerous situation from which there may be no escape.

Hot Money by Dick Francis

Malcolm Pembroke never expected to become a millionaire without making enemies, nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All of the clues suggest the killer is from close to home, but after five marriages and nine children, who could it be? Pembroke entrusts his safety and money with his son, Ian, an amateur jockey. Soon he's gambling for incredible stakes, not the safest bet for a man on the run from greedy relatives!

The Danger by Dick Francis

Kidnapping is Andrew Douglas's business: they take them, he finds them. But it isn't so simple when Alessia Cenci, golden-girl jockey, disappears, followed by the young child of a derby winner and the senior steward of the Jockey Club. From Italy to England to Washington, D.C., Andrew's caseload is suddenly, violently overflowing. And he must fight triply hard to keep his own name off the growing list of victims. . . .

Driving Force by Dick Francis

When one of his drivers breaks the rules by picking up a hitchhiker, and the hitchhiker turns up dead, Freddie Croft, the owner of a business that transports racehorses, becomes involved in a world of strange unseen conspirators.

Enquiry by Dick Francis

A jockey and horse trainer are barred from racing when they are accused of throwing the race for personal profit. A vicious frame-up, the jockey refuses to accept the phony verdict lying down--even though his personal enquiry may have him lying down permanently.

Second Wind by Dick Francis

Bolt by Dick Francis

While trying to stop the heinous killing of racehorses, jockey Kit Fielding must deal with his nemesis's plans to knock him off the track-and plant him under it.

Rat Race by Dick Francis

Matt Shore is a substitute pilot assigned to fly four racing buffs to the track. They're nervous, but Matt's not. That is, until he manages an emergency landing minutes before the plane explodes. Matt doesn't think anything else can possibly go wrong. Then he finds himself caught up in a rat race of danger that puts him on the wrong side of the odds....

Bonecrack by Dick Francis

In charge of his father's stables after a grisly accident lands the old man in the hospital, Neil Grifton finds himself brutally assaulted and abducted and forced to make a tough decision about the business.

The Danger by Dick Francis

Andrew Douglas is a private kidnapping consultant. His client is the wealthy, distraught father of a beautiful young jockey whose kidnapping shakes the racing world from Italy to England to the U.S.A.

Blood Sport by Dick Francis

When English agent Gene Hawkins told his boss he'd forego his vacation to search for millionaire Dave Teller's prized missing stallion, he didn't know his retainer would include the attentions of his boss's beautiful daughter--or Teller's seldom sober wife. Nor did he know that a trail from London to New York to Las Vegas to Califonria would eventually lead to murder....

Comeback by Dick Francis

En route from Tokyo to a holiday in England, British First Secretary Peter Darwin stops in Miami, where he is caught in a mugging that may have links to his childhood home in England.

To the Hilt by Dick Francis

Amazon.com
There's less horseplay in the 35th thriller by former jockey Francis, but as much suspense and pain as ever. Alexander Kinloch is a painter who lives in rural Scotland, and somebody thinks he knows where the jewel-encrusted, solid gold-handled sword of Bonnie Prince Charlie is hiding. It wouldn't be a Francis book without lots of beatings and torture, but you'll also find out how to run a brewery, paint a landscape and yes, hide a racehorse, in this thoroughly enjoyable outing from the Cigar of fiction.

Straight by Dick Francis

As Derek Franklin, an injured steeplechase jockey, nears the end of his career, his older brother, Greville, is killed, and he inherits all the confusion and danger that lay hidden in his brother's life. With peril everywhere, Derek's only hope is to identify the enemy. And he must call on all his stamina and endurance to make the final, straight run in his brother's life--without losing his own....

Spring Fever by Dick Francis

Welcome to Dick Francis's turf. In "The Rape of Kingdom Hill", poorly managed and vulnerable, Kingdom Hill racecourse has all the cast that conman Tricksy Wilcox needs so badly--and he has a perfect plan. But Tricksy isn't the only one with problems. In "Spring Fever", Mrs. Angela Hart looks back and realizes the moment she fell in love with her jockey. It was just before the treachery, the accident and the very lucky break. And in "Carrot for a Chestnut", a foolish young man is the wrong choice for sabotage--but Harvey Buskins bribes him like so many others before. Then everyone must watch the horror that follows.

Twice Shy by Dick Francis

Young physicist Jonathan Derry is given some musical tapes by a friend. As it turns out, the tapes hold not popular songs but rather an elaborate computerized horse-betting system that can make the holder a rich man - or a dead one. High-speed-thriller master Dick Francis weaves a constantly twisting plot, a wicked villain, and nonstop action into an explosive showdown.

Longshot by Dick Francis

Travel writer John Kendall didn't think he was doing anything too out of the ordinary when he tramped off to rural England for an interview with a successful race horse trainer. Soon enough, however, Kendall realizes that completing the book will be tricky at best. In fact, the perils described in his survival manuals pale next to the dangers in rural England....

Knockdown by Dick Francis

For a generous commission, ex-prize-winning jockey Jonah Dereham agrees to bid on a special horse for a wealth American lady. Unfortunately, for him, the crunch on his skull after the auction is not the last. There's more in store, until he manages to figure out the real high-stakes game being played....

Decider by Dick Francis

Architect Lee Morris inherits partial ownership of the Stratton Park racecourse and finds himself embroiled in a deadly battle among its wealthy owners, members of his own estranged family.

Wild Horses by Dick Francis

Directing his first really promising film, Thomas Lyon delves into the script, which is based on a twenty-six-year-old unsolved crime, but the production is complicated by a cryptic deathbed confession and an assault on an elderly woman.

Come to Grief by Dick Francis

Convinced that one of his closest friends, a renowned racer, is behind a series of violent acts, Sid Halley faces the most troubling case of his career and becomes the target of backlashing fans and media representatives.

Proof by Dick Francis

When a typically perfect party at wine merchant Tony Beach's is brutally crashed, he finds himself caught in the terrifying midst of a mystery that begins with sham scotch and counterfeit claret and escalates to hijacking and murder....

Nerve by Dick Francis

From bestselling author Dick Francis, Nerve is the story of a struggling young jockey--a misfit in a family of accomplished musicians--who discovers that his troubling losing streak is caused not by a lack of skill or confidence, but by something far more sinister.

10 Lb. Penalty by Dick Francis

Amazon.com
One of the most impressive aspects of Dick Francis's long and celebrated career (he's won three Edgar Awards, the Silver Dagger, the Gold Dagger, a Cartier Diamond Dagger, and was named the 1996 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master) is the freshness that he brings to each of his novels. Though every one of his 30-plus works of fiction has drawn from some aspect of the world of horses, Francis turns this constraint into a powerful source of inspiration. In 10 Lb. Penalty Francis adds several new arrows to his quiver. His protagonist, Ben Juliard, narrates the tale in a vivid first person that begins in his insecure late teens instead of the settled middle age of the usual Francis hero. Also, Ben's relationship with horses is more of a fading dream than an active reality. The book begins with Ben's expulsion from Vivian Durridge's stables; he's removed with a false accusation of glue sniffing. But as Ben soon discovers, it is, in fact, his powerful father's machinations that are behind his ill fortunes. The elder Juliard is "standing for Parliament," and the bachelor candidate needs his son by his side for a year of campaigning if he hopes to win. Ben accedes to his father's wishes. He almost always has, but he soon finds that his "gap year"--his year before entering college--is going to be a nightmare. Orinda Nagle, the widow of the recently deceased Hoopwestern MP, and her companion, Alderney Wyvern, resist George's campaign from the start. Then, Usher Rudd, a muckraking journalist, turns his vitriol to George. When an attempt is made on George's life, he and his son find themselves inside a vigorous tale of suspense that takes several narrative years to sort out.
Francis's lucid prose is the driving force in this political mystery, and the realistic rendering of the complicated father-son relationship between George and Ben adds a sophistication and weight that marks the author's best fiction.

For Kicks by Dick Francis

Australian horse breeder Daniel Roke has resisted the exorbitant sum of money offered by a suave Englishman to investigate a scandal involving drugged racehorses. But after another investigator dies mysteriously, Roke agrees to fill his shoes--and learns that men who would give drugs to horses would do much worse to human beings.

Forfeit by Dick Francis

James Tyrone, a racing reporter for a London scandal sheet, suspects foul play when a fellow writer, who had a penchant for drink--but was always an honest sort--dies in an "accidental" fall. Tyrone finds clues to his death in some suspicious columns touting some can't-lose horses--who mysteriously failed to show up on race day.

Odds Against by Dick Francis

After a fall leaves him permanently injured, jockey Sid Halley finds a new career with a detective agency, where he meets Zanna Martin, a woman who promises to make his life fresh again, provided she can keep him alive.

Field of Thirteen by Dick Francis

With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, Francis's thrillers have led readers to the winner's circle year after year. In this superbly crafted collection of short stories--many of them new and never before published--the settings range from a spring race meeting at Cheltenham, where a middle-aged owner falls hopelessly in love with her jockey, to a running of the Grand National interrupted by a bomb scare, to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, where demon drink and wilting will power take their toll.

Dead Cert by Dick Francis

When a jockey suspects that his best friend was murdered, he joins the manhunt to uncover the killer, only to find that he becomes the quarry.

Twice Shy by Dick Francis

Young physicist Jonathan Derry is given some musical tapes by a friend. But the tapes are really an elaborate, computerized horse-betting system that can make the owner a rich man--or a dead one.
Once again, high-speed thrill master Dick Francis weaves a constantly twisting plot, a wicked villain, non-stop action, and an explosive showdown into a superb book that races to the finish line, leaving you breathless for more....

High Stakes by Dick Francis

Under the guidance of his trainer, Jody Leeds, wealthy inventor Steven Scott watches as his horses win race after race, a winning streak that could be broken by a troublemaker in his own stable.

Second Wind by Dick Francis

The very opening of Second Wind signals something new, with Francis's protagonist, meteorologist Perry Stuart, fighting for his life as he flies through the eye of storm on Trox Island, a blighted place steeped in guano and harboring a nasty secret. "But now, as near dead as dammit, I tumbled like a rag-doll piece of flotsam in towering gale-driven seas that sucked unimaginable tons of water from the deeps ...."

When the reader encountered details of the racing world in Francis's earlier thrillers such as Whip Hand and Reflex, they had the satisfying ring of authenticity. The same is true in Second Wind--Stuart's character was developed with the help of BBC weatherman John Kettley.

Although this is a new venue for Francis, he still has a knack for quickening the reader's pulse with a few carefully chosen words: "Despair was too strong a word for it. Perhaps despondency was better. When they came for me, they came with guns."

OxfordBooks.com / Oxford, MS

Amazon.com is pleased to have Dr. John Holleman in the family of Amazon.com associates. We've agreed to ship products and provide customer service for orders we receive through special links on Dr. Holleman's online bookseller.
Amazon.com associates list selected books and music in an editorial context that helps you make the right choice. We encourage you to shop at Dr. Holleman's bookseller often to see what new items they've selected for you.
Thank you for shopping with an Amazon.com associate.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bezos, President Amazon.com