Dick Francis Books

This box set includes ten novels by Dick Francis, renowned for his engaging narratives centered around the world of horse racing. Each story typically features a protagonist who is often linked to the racing industry, whether as a jockey, trainer, or owner, navigating a landscape filled with intrigue, danger, and moral dilemmas. The novels explore themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the pursuit of justice, often set against the backdrop of the competitive and sometimes treacherous world of equestrian sports. Key characters often embody resilience and resourcefulness, facing personal and professional challenges that test their integrity and courage. The plots frequently intertwine elements of mystery and suspense, as the protagonists uncover criminal activities or solve complex problems that threaten their lives or livelihoods. Francis's writing is characterized by meticulous attention to detail regarding horse racing and its culture, providing readers with a vivid sense of place and atmosphere. Overall, this collection showcases Francis's ability to blend thrilling narratives with rich character development, appealing to readers interested in crime fiction and the intricacies of the racing world.

Dick Francis Omnibus: Whip Hand; Rat Race; Forfeit, High Stakes, and, Twice Shy Francis, Dick

This omnibus contains three stories from Dick Francis in one combined edition, involving the world of racing with plenty of action, suspense, greed and secrets.

Five million pounds has been laid out on a horse race. What is the Chairman and Board of Directors at the bank going to say when they find out that the money is gone? Includes questions as aids to understanding

For Kicks / Flying Finish [Hardcover] Francis, Dick

Three stories from Dick Francis in one combined edition, involving the world of racing with plenty of action, suspense, greed and secrets. The novels are "Long Shot", "Straight" and "High Stakes".

All three Sid Halley novels in one edition, for fans and new readers alike; Odds Against: Champion jockey Sid Halley gave up racing when his hand was smashed. As he soon discovers, life as a private eye could be a lot worse, especially when a ruthless property dealer has plans for Seabury racetrack - plans that set high odds against a novice detective staying alive... 'A plot that goes with the pace of a champion hurdler' Evening Standard Whip Hand: There are two worlds in racing: winning and losing. Sid Halley is on the trail of thugs who aim to win at any price. There's a syndicate of owners with a sideline in violent kidnapping and a bookmaker whose hatred of favourites goes one deathly step too far. Halley must return to winning ways. To lose is to die.. 'Superb...this is Mr Francis's best book. And that's high praise' Sunday Mirror Come To Grief: Sid Halley has uncovered an obnoxious crime committed by a friend. On the first day of the friend's trial, at which Sid is to be as a witness, something happens which leads to days of hard detection and heart-searching torment. Troubled, but courageous, Sid Halley is unwilling to admit defeat... 'Francis is firmly in the saddle, leavi

Break In: When steeplechase jockey Kit Fielding comes to the aid of his twin sister and her husband Bobby Allardeck, death threatens. A vicious newspaper campaign jeopardizes Bobby's career as a racehorse trainer. Combining investigations with riding winners for his patron, Princess Casilia, Kit makes some startling discoveries. But some powerful people think a jockey should mind his own business and are prepared to use violence to make sure he does.... Bolt: Princess Casilia is in trouble. Her invalid husband is being threatened by a business partner andall her best runners are being wantonly destroyed-shot with a bolt. The only person she can turn to is Kit, but he has problems of his own. His fianc Danielle appears to have changed her mind. And the old Fielding-Allerdeck feud has once again violently intensified. Wherever he goes, the champion jockey seems to attract bloodshed....

Peter Darwin, a First Secretary in the Foreign Office, returns to England from Tokyo. On the way he stops in Miami, and there becomes entangled in a fracas which involves his going back to Gloucestershire. He has to use all his diplomatic skills to unravel cruel fates which befall racehorses.

Dick Francis has been thrilling readers for over thirty years with his stories involving the world of racing with plenty of action, suspense, greed and secrets. ENQUIRY: No jockey likes being labelled a cheat and Kelly Hughes' career seems doomed. He knows he's been framed, but finding the reason could prove dangerous. Especially with a killer on his tail... RAT RACE: Matt Shore, an experienced pilot, is expecting the quiet life ferrying high class punters around England's race courses. But then his plane explodes in a massive fireball and he's landed in middle of a nightmare world. Some quiet life. SMOKESCREEN: Film action man, Edward Lincoln, has been asked by a dying friend to find out why her South African racing stable were no longer winning. Now he's being forced to play the resourceful hero for real - or die in one easy take.

Al Kinloch, a young painter who lives in seclusion on a Scottish mountain is called to London to save his family from financial ruin. It happens after the director of the family brewery embezzles the funds. Far from being a babe in the woods, the painter does an excellent job.

Presents a plot that mixes mystery with horse racing.

Depicts the adventures of heroes who become involved in cases of crime and murder in the world of horse racing

A collection of stories including Slay-Ride, Banker, and Proof.

Multi-millionaire Malcolm Pembroke's colourful life has included five wives and nine children. When his fifth wife is murdered, he patches up a quarrel that has been simmering for nearly three years with his favourite son Ian, and asks for help. Ian Pembroke, who detested the fifth wife Moria, agrees to meet his father at Newmarket yearling sales. From here he is instantly whirled into a horrifying race against time to find Moira's murderer before the maniac can strike again. Greed, malice and lethal ploys lie ahead on the rocketing journeyings of father and son as they track the killer remorselessly. Yet they are still able to grab some enjoyment along with the peril as they find time to watch many of the world's top races.

Three stories from Dick Francis in one combined edition, involving the world of racing with plenty of action, suspense, greed and secrets. This novels are Forfeit, Risk and Reflex.

A computerized horse-betting system falls into Jonathan Derry's hands--and unless he returns it to the rightful owners, the odds of his survival are slim to none.

Shell-shocked and missing a foot-lost to an IED during his tour of duty in Afghanistan-Captain Tom Forsyth has been sent "home" by the army and, at loose ends, returns to his estranged mother's house for the first time since he joined up at seventeen. But Josephine Kauri, the "first lady of British racing," has always put the horses she trains first and her family last. Tom soon finds himself strained to the breaking point with his mother and stepfather. But there's another reason for the stifling tension at Kauri House Stables: Josephine is being blackmailed for a hefty sum every week-and forced to make her horses lose. Retirement is not an option, as she has been warned that it will result in the thing she most fears: exposure and ridicule . . . and prison, when the government finds out what she's been hiding. Tom sets out to discover and defeat this hidden enemy using his finely honed military skills. But can he save his mother's reputation and career, or will he find himself caught in the cross fire?

A charge of throwing a race for personal profit leaves jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield barred from racing. When Hughes refuses to take the charge lying down, his personal enquiry may leave him lying down, permanently.

No jockey likes being labelled a cheat. Least of all by a Stewards' Enquiry. Kelly Hughes career looks doomed. He knows he's been framed, but finding the reason could prove dangerous. Especially with a killer on his tail... Hughes' own enquiry uncovers dynamite that could blow the racing world to smithereens. Only a few powerful - and violent - men know the sordid secret. And they'll go to extraordinary lengths to keep it that way. Murder is just one option... 'Highly ingenious' "Times Literary Supplement " 'Another winner' "Publishers Weekly"

Rat Race: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....To the Hilt:Alexander Kinloch found solitude and an steady income painting in a bothy on a remote Scottish mountain. Until the morning the strangers arrived to rough him up, and Alexander was dragged reluctantly back into the real and violent world he thought he'd left behind.Millions of pounds are missing from his stepfather's business. A valuable racehorse is under threat. Then comes the first ugly death and the end of all Alexander's doubts. For the honour of the Kinlochs he will face the strangers... committed up to the hilt...

"Julian Trent, you have been found guilty by this court of perpetrating a violent and unprovoked attack on an innocent family including a charge of attempted murder. You have shown little or no remorse for your actions and I consider you a danger to society." When defence barrister Geoffrey Mason hears the judge's verdict, he quietly hopes that a long and arduous custodial sentence will be handed down to his arrogant young client. That Julian Trent only receives eight years seems all too lenient. Little does Mason expect that he'll be looking Trent in the eyes again much sooner than he'd ever imagined. Setting aside his barrister's wig, Mason heads to Sandown to don his racing silks. An amateur jockey, his true passion is to be found in the saddle on a Thoroughbred, pounding the turf in the heat of a steeplechase. But when a fellow rider is brutally murdered - a pitchfork driven through his chest - Mason's racing life soon becomes all too close to his working life. The prime suspect is one of their brethren, champion jockey Steve Mitchell; the evidence is overwhelming. Mason is reluctant to heed Mitchell's pleas for legal advice - but soon he finds himself at the centre of a sinister web of threat and intimidation. Mason is left fighting a battle of right and wrong, and more immediately, a battle of life and death... his own.

I was gripped all the way to the violent end' Daily MailWhen physics teacher Jonathan Derry is unwittingly given some computer tapes containing a bookie-breaking betting system, his sharp-shooting abilities come in extremely handy against the thug who comes looking for them. Fourteen years later, Jonathan's brother William is about to fall victim to the same thug. But this time, William is determined to play a cautious and crafty game. After all, once bitten . . . 'An extraordinary thriller . . . Evil is real here. Nails are for biting' Evening Standard

Chronicles the life and times of a sports legend, whose racing career spanned almost four decades of valor and victory, controversy, pain, disgrace, and vindication

Excellent Book

A former top jockey turned detective, Sid Halley navigates the treacherous world of horse racing after a career-ending accident. In "Odds Against," he tackles his first case involving a network of criminals. The sequel, "Whip Hand," sees him investigating the poor performance of racehorses for a trainer's wife, while grappling with his past. In "Come to Grief," Halley's loyalty is tested as he suspects a beloved friend of violent crimes, leading to public backlash and increasing danger. Each installment highlights Halley's resilience and the dark side of the racing industry.

Book by Francis, Dick

"Challenging....First class." THE BALTIMORE SUN Sid Halley, once a jockey, was now a private invesigator with only one good hand left after a horse fell on the other. His new life, though, could never erase the haunting memories of his past glories. But it was only when the wife of one of England's top trainers came to beg his help in preventing foul play at the race track that Sid Halley began to know what being haunted really was....

When race caller and television presenter Mark Shillingford calls a race in which his twin sister, Clare, an accomplished and successful jockey, comes in second when she could have won, he believes the worst: that she lost on purpose, and the race was fixed. That night, Mark confronts Clare with his suspicions, she storms off after an argument—and it’s the last time Mark sees her alive. Hours later, Clare jumps to her death from the balcony of a London hotel . . . or so it seems. Devastated and guilty over her death, Mark goes in search of answers. What had led Clare to take her own life? Or was it not suicide at all?

Ex-champion steeplechase jockey Sid Haley is now a sleuth. As the story opens he has just been shot in the stomach during the course of his duties as a private investigator, working - or rather, idling - in a firm which keeps him employed, thanks tothe old boy network. Convalescing with indecent and painful haste, Sid finds the pace growing steadily hotter as he investigates the cunningly contrived decline of a racecourse, and comes to close and spine-chilling grips with the crooks responsible.

A newly reissued edition of this classic novel from the Champion Storyteller

Steeplechase jockey Christmas "Kit" Fielding has had more than his share of close calls both on and off the course. But trouble hits close to home when a grudge between his family and his sister's in-laws turns into a blood feud.

Mysterious accidents start happening to jockeys, one man is found shot dead, while another is found with a broken leg. When Robb Finn begins investigating, he finds himself caught up in a world of violence and twisted envy.

When longtime jockey Philip Nore beings to suspect that a racetrack photographer's fatal accident was really murder, he sets out to find the truth and trap a killer. But in the process, he unwittingly sets himself up as the killer's next target. Reissue.

Wine merchant Tony Beach has expertly catered his latest society soiree, but the fun's over when a team of hit men crash the party literally. The event leaves Tony with a bitter aftertaste of suspicion and sets off a mystery that's an intoxicating blend of deception, intrigue, and murder.

Andrew Douglas, working as a partner in the firm of Liberty Market Ltd, is used to kidnappers. But he is placed in danger when he becomes involved in the seizing of a victim which embroils the racing world from Italy to England to the United States.

Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making some enemies along the way. Nor did he, however, expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues are pointing towards the killer being close to home - but after five marriages and nine children that still leaves the field wide open. When he finds his own life on the line, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he finds himself playing the international bloodstock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from avaricious relatives. Particularly when one of them has got a bomb..

James Tyrone, a racing reporter for a London scandal sheet, knew that fellow writer Bert Chekov was a drunk, but he always thought he was an honest one. But when Bert suddenly died in an "accidental" fall from a window, Tyrone suspected the clues to his death might be found in some suspicious columns he'd written touting can't-lose horses--who mysteriously failed to show up on a race day. In between trips to cover the next big race and secret rendezvous with his sensual new mistress, Tyrone knew he'd prove that Chekov had been murdered. But he didn't know the terrifying risk involved in proving it.

"In this chilling novel of vice and vengeance, a man suspects that his best friend was murdered— and joins a manhunt in which he himself is the quarry." --

Writer John Kendall travels to England to interview a racehorse trainer with something to hide--a secret that could threaten Kendall's life.

Architect Lee Morris has plans to restore the Stratton Park racecourse to itsformer grandeur. But the combative Stratton heirs have violent plans of theirown. Reissue.

For Neil Griffon, temporarily in charge of his father's racing stables, blackmail has become a terrible reality. It is threatening not only his valuable horses but his own health.

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.

The Transcontinental Race Train takes owners and their horses from all over the world across Canada to take part in a series of horse races. Tor Kelsey, an investigator for the Jockey Club, is on the train and he is watching Julius Filmer very closely indeed.

Movie director Thomas Lyon came to Newmarket to rake the ashes of an old Jockey Club scandel for a new Hollywood film. Too late, he found himself listening to a blacksmith's dying confession. Damaging allegations cost young Benedict Juliard his hopes of a career as a steeplechase jockey. Instead he'so join the ranks alongside his father, a high-flying businessman battling a Dorset by-election

First pub 1970. Thriller set in the world of horse racing.

Steven Scott may have been a successful, wealthy inventor with no experience in horseracing, but with the inspired guidance of his trainer, Jody Leeds, and the prowess of a beautiful black hurdler named Energise, he has brought home several wins. But his winning streak is about to come to a fast end when he discovers trouble in his own stables—trouble that could bring about his own termination if he doesn’t watch his step…

Henry Grey is a reserved young man whose greatest problem is his mother's match-making plots and whose greatest joy is to ride as an amateur steeplechase jockey. But on a sudden impulse, he throws in his respectable desk job to join a firm which transports racehorses all over the world.

A classic mystery from Dick Francis, the champion of English storytellers. Edward Lincoln has scaled the Himalayas, survived deadly car chases and defeated scores of assassins. As a movie action man he's even suffered stoically at the hands of sadistic directors. After finishing his latest film, he's asked to visit South Africa to discover why a dying friend's horses are suddenly failing on the race track. Unfortunately, Lincoln's attempt to help a friend soon puts him in harm's way. From a nearly fatal interview to a dangerous accident in a gold mine, it seems only luck is keeping him alive. And in life, unlike the big-screen, there's no coming back from dead . . .

For a generous commission, ex-prize-winning jockey Jonah Dereham reluctantly agrees to bid on a young steeplechaser on behalf of a wealthy American woman. But his life is thrust into danger immediately following the auction, when he receives a blow to the head by two thugs demanding ownership of the horse. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning—and now Jonah must figure out the high-stakes game being played…before he becomes its next casualty.

A classic mystery unfolds as Charles Todd, a successful horse painter, visits his cousin Donald's home, only to discover a shocking scene: police everywhere, Donald arrested for murder, and his wife brutally killed. Unlike the police, Charles believes Donald's account of a burglary gone awry and embarks on a quest for the truth. His investigation takes him from England to Australia, uncovering a sinister plot involving fraud and murder. However, Charles soon realizes that someone is tracking him, determined to ensure he doesn't survive long enough to save Donald. Dick Francis, a champion jockey turned bestselling author, is celebrated for his gripping storytelling. His ability to captivate readers from the very first page is widely praised, with critics noting the brisk narrative and meticulous research that enhance the reading experience. Over his career, Francis wrote forty-three novels, earning numerous accolades, including the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger and multiple Edgar Allan Poe awards. He was named Grand Master for lifetime achievement and became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Francis passed away in February 2010 at the age of eighty-nine, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest thriller writers in history.

Jockey Freddie Croft discovers a high-stakes conspiracy that exposes the seedy underside of horse racing--and faces even deadlier odds of survival than in any steeplechase run.

Adventure fiction. Suspense fiction. This thriller involves a kidnapping of an amateur jockey and accountant and is written by the former National Hunt Jockey and author of many thrillers.

At his best, Francis can make you feel the hot breath of horses on the back of your neck' Michael Dobbs, Express on SundayDamaging allegations cost young Benedict Juliard his hopes of a career as a steeplechase jockey. Instead he's forced to join ranks alonside his father, a high-flying businessman battling a Dorset by-election for a street level entry into politics. The campaign gets off to a flying start. But this time the obstacles ahead aren't just dangerous - they're lethal. Horses, politics, lies and treachery. They can all carry the maximum 10lb penalty. And, as any jockey knows, a 10lb penalty can be a killer...

Gerard Logan finds that when his jockey friend dies following a fall at the Cheltenham races, he is involved in a desperate search for a stolen video tape which embroils him in more life-threatening hazards than does his work as a widely-acclaimed glass-blower.

A computerized horse-betting system falls into Jonathan Derry's hands--and unless he returns it to the rightful owners, the odds of his survival are slim to none.

Former Champion Jockey Sid Halley knows the perils of racing all too well--but in his day, jockeys didn't usually cross the finishing line with three .38 rounds in the chest. And this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker-- who had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle only a few hours earlier. Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been called upon by Lord Enstone to make discreet inquiries into why his horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. Are races being fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and jockeys playing a danger-, ous game with stakes far higher than they are realistic? Halley's quest for answers draws him even deeper into the dark side of the race game, in a life-or-death power play that will push him to his limits--both on and off the track. In his first new novel for six years, Dick Francis returns to prove once again that he is the Grand Master of thriller writing.

Veteran horseman Randall Drew travels to Moscow to help the Russian royal family--but ends up caught in a world of jealousy, sabotage, and murder.

The latest searing, intrigue-filled blockbuster from from the Champion Storyteller

When a film director hears a friend's deathbed confession about an unsolved crime that rocked the racing world nearly 30 years ago, he is compelled to pick up the thread of the unfinished tale, and follow it through to the perilous end, ANew York Times Notable Book of the Year.

A series of bizarre incidents befalls British investigator David Cleveland when he is sent to Norway to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of champion British jockey Robert Sherman

Collection of thirteen mystery stories about horse racing, with settings ranging from a spring race meeting at Cheltenham, England, to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Dick Francis is the former steeplechase jockey who retired from riding while still at the top of his profession. He wrote a racing column in the Sunday Express for seventeen years but is best known for his racing thrillers, which are worldwide bestsellers. His awards include the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger, for his outstanding contribution to the crime genre, and an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Tufts University of Boston.

The acclaimed best-selling father-and-son writing team of Silks and Dead Heat deliver another gripping thriller with a thoroughbred racing backdrop. 300,000 first printing.

WITH THE STAKES SO HIGH, RACING CAN BE A DEADLY BUSINESS Chris Rankin is a doctor, a specialist in Emergency Medicine at Cheltenham Hospital, but a doctor who also has health problems. A smartly dressed man has been found unconscious at the local racecourse and is rushed to the hospital, where he subsequently dies. But who is he? Where does he come from? He had no form of identification on him, and no one claims the body. Doctor Rankin is intrigued by the nameless dead man, obsessed even, and starts asking questions. However, someone doesn’t want the questions answered and will go to any lengths to prevent it, including attempting murder. But no one else believes that someone tried to kill Chris, leaving the doctor no option but to discover who the nameless man is and why he died, preferably before following him into an early grave. The Francis brand of thrillers are bigger and bolder for a new generation! Praise for Felix Francis's novels: 'The Francis flair is clear for all to see' Daily Mail 'From winning post to top of the bestseller list, time after time' Sunday Times 'The master of suspense and intrigue' Country Life 'A tremendous read' Woman's Own

A hurricane-chasing trip to the Caribbean spells danger for English meteorologist Perry Stuart as a terrifying accident during his holiday excursion reveals deadly secrets that could get him killed.

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