Book Review: The Danger by Dick Francis

Andrew Douglas's business is to find kidnap victims and return them to their loved ones. However, three horse racing related kidnappings in  a row is too much for him. Almost. The action races from England to Washington DC to Italy. He flirts with danger and his name is also on the wanted list as the next kidnap victim.

One of the kidnap victims is a pretty Italian jockey and she becomes the lover interest in this novel. However, before he can win the lady, Andrew has to outwit the kidnapper to put wrongs to rights.

Once again, Dick Francis takes us on a ride into the horse racing world, and once again he delivers the high quality that we have come to expect from his novels.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Banker by Dick Francis

A young investment banker called Tim Ekaterin becomes involved in the world of thoroughbred racing and his world turns upside down. He arranges a multi-million loan for a client to buy a champion racehorse only to discover that the animal is not all that it seems. He looks for answers as to how this could have happened and he is then into a world of danger, resulting in violence and murder.

He tries to save the banks money and learns more and more about racehorse breeding. The more he gets to know the deeper in he gets. Drugs for genetically altering the racehorse are to the fore, and a champion racehorse with a clean pedigree starts to father foals that are deformed.

A series of gruesome murders around the stud farm include the owner’s daughter with a strange clue in her pocket.

The novel has suspense, thrills, scary bits and some romance. The ending of the book is inconclusive in that you can make up your own mind about what happens next.

Great stuff and 8/10 for me.

Book Review: Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

Really enjoyed this latest Kathy Reichs outing, set in Charlotte with the back drop of NASCAR racing that I know nothing about. Another in the Temperence Brennan series. A body turns up in a rubbish tip near the NASCAR track in a barrell full of tar. Temp is called in for her professional opinion.

This case leads to the investigation of another that is many years old, the disappearance of two young lovers from the NASCAR track. The missing girl's brother becomes involved, the FBI are involved (and pushing their own agenda), and Temp ends up with Detective Slidell for a lot of the time. She tries to balance her pursuit of leads in the case with Slidell's disgusting habits and lack of hygeine. Another god like detective is also on the case, and Temp flirts with him but everyone warns her off of him.

Also there are some mock comic moments with Summer who is getting married to Pete, Temp's ex husband. She inadvetently puts Temp on the right track and straight into danger.

I read this in Istanbul over Christmas and New Year and really enjoyed the book.

9/10 for me.

Book Review: Twice Shy by Dick Francis

This novel emerged from the Dick Francis stable in 1981, another in a long line of horse racing based novels. In this novel a computerised betting system (in 1981??) falls into the hands of Jonathan Derry, but unless he gets it back to the rightful owners his life is in danger. Derry is a school teacher who is given cassette tapes (1981 remember) of the computer code by a friend who is subsequently killed. Then Derry is visited at his home by a couple of thugs. And we are off and running again on another Dick Francis ride.

The first half of the book concerns Jonathan's trials and tribulations with the bad guys while the second half is about William, Jonathan's younger brohter, who takes up the story some years later when the thugs have been released from prison, still on the trail of the tapes.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Reflex by Dick Francis

The death of a racetrack photographer is considered an accident by many but not by veteran jockey Philip Nore, who has a shared interest in photography with the victim. He starts to investigate the circumstances of the death and soon stumbles across a sinister plot.

Using his own resources rather than going to the police, Nore uses his photographic skills to avoid the bad guys and to help bring them to justice.

Needless to say with Dick Francis, this novel, published in 1980, is superbly written and you will not be able to put it down  until you have finished reading it. I recall that this particular book was read in one day, so intrigued with it was I.

A 9/10 ride for me.

Book Review: Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

This is a well written novel by Kathy Reichs and the second in the Temperance Brennan series, the anthropologist who splits her working time between Quebec and the USA. This novel opens with Temperance working on the remains of a nun buried in 1888, who may be made a saint. Brennan does not consider that the nun died naturally.

The second thread of the novel concerns an arson case and the reader is taken seamlessly from one case to the other as the twin plots unfold. Further mysteries are added including the disappearance of a student as well as the introduction of Temperance's enigmatic sister Harry.

I could not put this novel down and I also enjoyed being with the same character again from the first novel. New people are introduced to us too at this time that will come back and reappear in future novels too.

Enjoyed this and 8/10 for me.

Book Review: Whip Hand by Dick Francis

This is the continuing story of Sid Halley an ex-jockey who is now a private eye. He only has one hand and investigates (you've guessed it!) horse racing related cases. We are off and running in the magical world of Dick Francis once again!

A conman has coerced Halley's wife into a scheme that could see her end up in prison unless the true perpitrator isn't found. Step in Sid Halley. The novel is told in the first person so we get to understand the way Sid thinks that is good.

As ever there are thrills and spills as the plot unfolds with Sid getting into some tight situations before unravelling the mystery.

This novel I understand won a Edgar Best Novel Award and it fully deserves it.

For what it is worth, I give this 9/10!!!