Book Review: Blood Sport by Dick Francis

Another in the yearly offering of Dick Francis, said to have been the Queen Mother’s favourite author. I too enjoy reading his books and have now read them all.

Blood Sport was published in 1967, and this one sees Gene Hawkins having to travel to Kentucky, ordered there by his boss, to look for kidnapped stallions. Again we are in the horse world and Gene is soon embroiled in a typhoon of blackmail and murder.

The novel moves us from the River Thames, to Kentucky, to Las Vegas as well as the beaches of the Pacific. We meet the rich criminal and of course there is a bit of love interest too.

Gene is an interesting character to play the lead in this novel he is a man of mystery, he often gets depressed and this borders on the verge of suicide. The book is as much about Gene as it is about the search for the missing horses.

8/10 for me.