Book Review: Trial Run by Dick Francis

This time we are on a trip to Russia with Dick Francis and the hero of this story, Randall Drew who is a vetran horseman. This is the time of the Olympic Games in 1980 and he is investigating a rumour about the fate of one of the British horse team.

This book was written ten years (published in 1978) before the fall of the Berlin Wall fell, with the memory of the Munich Olympics still fresh and Russia still in the grips of communism. In this novel his hero is upper class and this counterbalances with the classless society of Russia at the time.

This novel is interesting for this aspect of a time gone by but as ever it is entertaining and a cracking ride of a read from Dick Francis.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Risk by Dick Francis

This 1977 published novel sees Dick Francis in his prime. In this one Roland Britten, a championship steeplechase jockey wakes up after winning the Gold Cup to find that he is being held captive on yacht in the Mediterranean.

He racks his brains to try and work out who would do this to him and he manages to escape his captors onto the island of Minorca where a woman helps him evade his captors. He returns to England and begins to investigate some imbezzlers his testimony has sent to prison. He is only an amateur jockey so he also returns to work on some puzzling discrepancies in the accounts of some of his clients.

He is captured again and released, the place of his release giving him a few clues about who his captors are. The mystery continues to unfold, there is a love interest and you continue to turn the pages.

Another fine ride with Dick Francis.

9/10 for me.

Book Review: In the Frame by Dick Francis

Another in the yearly offerings of Dick Francis, and what offerings they were, a very entertaining and consistent read, usually with the research skills of his wife Mary too.

This novel features Charles Todd who is an artist who paints horses. His life is changed after his sister in law is murdered and his brother becomes the main suspect. This is followed by the murder of his cousin's wife and the burgulary of their house. The police are suspicious of the crime as the theft appears to be an arranged one.

At a racetrack Todd meets a client who introduces him to a woman who has also experienced a recent burgulary. He discovers that the woman and his cousin recently returned from Australia and they both bought a painting while there. Todd of course travels to Australia to look for clues.

The usual high standard cosy Dick Francis read.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

I must be one of the few people not to have watched Bones on TV? However I have enjoyed reading all of the Kathy Reichs novels and peering into the professional and personal life of Temperance Brennan. How it compares with TV though I have no idea?

Deja Dead is the first of the series and deals with a serial murderer. A dismembered body of a woman is found in a monastery and is too far gone to have an autopsy and therefore Temperance Brennan the anthropologist is called in. Kathy Reichs is also an anthropologist and the books generally focus on her own real life background I feel.

Temperance has been looking into recent disappearances in Quebec and once she starts to investigate the latest corpse she becomes convinced that a serial killer is at work. The detective on the case, Claudel is not convinced of Temperance's theories but he is eventually convinced when the body count rises.

However the more Temperance delves the more she puts herself and her family in danger. A good first novel and better than Patricia Cornwell for me.

8/10

Book Review: High Stakes by Dick Francis

Steven Scott is learning his way in the horseracing world. One of his hurdlers has won several races under the guidance of his trainer. However this winning streak comes to an end when he discovers that his trainer has been cheating on him and is in collusion with a bookmaker. The scheme in a nutshell is to let Steven's horses win on medium and small bets but when Steven bets big the horses lose and the bookmaker and trainer keep the cash.

Steven has to try and catch the trainer and the bookmaker in the act and get all the ducks in a row. All of this against the backdrop of getting a bad reputation over dismissing his wonderful trainer over a mere mistake in billing.

The usual Dick Francis ingredients in the horse racing world. You will be taken by the hand as usual and led through the wonderful world that the author lays out for you. Enjoy!

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Knock Down by Dick Francis

An ex-jockey called Jonah Dereham agrees to bid, for a generous commission, for a young steeplechaser on behalf of a wealthy American woman. However soon after the auction two thugs demand that he hand over the ownership to them.

Dereham who is now a bloodstock agent after his jockey days becomes the subject of intense pressure. His barn is burnt down, he is stabbed by a pitch fork and his brother is killed.

The stakes are high and the price that Jonah has paid has been high too. We turn the pages as quickly as possible to try and work out why the bad guys have got it in so badly for him.

You will enjoy the horse ride from Dick Francis as usual!

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Smokescreen by Dick Francis

Edward Lincoln is an actor who is thrust into the limelight as a detective when he agrees to travel to South Africa to investigate why someone is tampering with racehorses. Lincoln is targeted as soon as he gets off of the plane. A couple of near accidents give way to less subtle attempts on this life.

He has clearly stumbled upon something that he shouldn't have and he soon becomes embroiled in an adventure movie with Lincoln playing the hero. People obviously want him to stop his investigations but you know he will battle on to the end of the mystery.

Set in South Africa it is a nice change of scene but with the old familiar horse racing world that we know and love Dick Francis for.

Happy New Year 2012 too!!!!

8/10 for me.