This is the 4th Sid Halley story. He is hired to look into an internet gambling site, the apparent interference with an owner's horses, and the shooting death of a jockey. His reputation is such that the villain attacks his girlfriend instead of him. Some very violent moments, but at the end he is happy and happily married.

This book was named one of the best audiobooks of 2017 by the Times (UK)* This program also includes a bonus interview with the author.

The pleasures of this English Murder Mystery, set in 1920, are many. Rachel Atkin's crisp performance is just right... A concluding interview with author Jessica Fellowes, who wrote the "Downton Abbey" companion books, promises more in this fun, well-narrated series, each set around a real-life unsolved murder."-Audio File Magazine Set amid the legendary Mitford Household, a thrilling Golden Age-style mystery, based upon a real unsolved murder, by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York Times best-selling Downton Abbey books. It's 1920 and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London. Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become a nursemaid and chaperone. Very pleasant read.

This is another fine Dick Francis novel. It's amazing how his formulaic plots can each feel fresh and exciting. This story is about a private detective trying to solve a case involving the murder of a jockey and the apparent suicide of a race horse trainer. As Sid Halley, the detective, tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding these deaths, he must try to protect his girlfriend, who has been assaulted as a warning to halt the investigation. His decision to continue investigating places them both in deadly danger. This very satisfying story is filled with violence, romance, cutting edge DNA evidence and excitement. It is highly recommended.

I first encountered this book so many years ago that upon rereading the sample, I couldn't remember it. So I bought it again. Normally rereading an old mystery novel is not much of a pleasure, but even after a few key scenes had reminded me that I had read it before, "Under Orders" remained a pleasure of the first water. Francis' excellent plotting and remarkable characters are standard for his work, but nonetheless the real reason for his readers' pleasure. Can't recommend it enough; you'll be happy if you risk your ten bucks on it. 10 on the nose to win at any odds you like.

I have been reading Dick Francis since high school, and actually read the first the year it was published. I’ve always enjoyed the Sid Halley books especially and was delighted to find this one. How did I manage to miss this? Francis was a master of pacing and knew exactly how to set the hook. I reread so many of his books regularly, and will be rereading all the Sid Halley’s in order, starting tonight! You owe it to yourself to do the same.

And now I can say it: Dick Francis is back! Having believed that the author had retired after the passing of his wife Mary, who was his main researcher and collaborator, I was happily stunned when I heard about this new book, Under Orders. I was never so happy to get a package from the mailman. I read the book in one sitting, finished it in the wee hours and then fell asleep at work - but it's all good. Let me reiterate: Dick Francis is back. And he seems to have recovered some of his old pizzazz. His last two novels (Second Wind & Shattered) have, quite frankly, disappointed me as they've failed to maintain the author's usual keen sense of narrative drive and incisive portrayal of the priveleged versus the underpriveleged. Not fully present, also, in these prior two books, were his normally absorbing British charm and sensibilities, as well as his ability to ingratiate his characters with the reader. They certainly didn't resonate as deeply as his prior bestsellers. But, never mind. Dick Francis has finally returned. And he's brought with him his most dependable and most intrepid hero, Sid Halley. Highly Recommend -ENJOY!!!

I loved this. I'm sure a lot of my five-star rating comes from the sheer joy of reading a new Dick Francis. And I had been saving this one for a long time. I hated the feeling during the time he stopped writing and it looked like there might never be a new Dick Francis mystery to read. So when this came out, I couldn't read it right away. I bought a signed copy and savored the thought that I now had a new Dick Francis to look forward to - and I savored it for a long time. Until now. It finally felt like time.

Dick Francis never seems to miss with these books but this one was just slightly off. The story, another Sid Halley mystery, was good but not great. Mr Francis pulls you in where you care about the people, even some of the villains. The story leaves a few items undone but the main plot line resolves nicely. A good read nonetheless but not one of his absolute best. Still better than most on the market today.

Remember, one man's plot summary from the bookflap is another man's spoiler.

Sid Haller was forced out of his career as jockey by an injury. He's turned to private investigation to make a living.

In this installment he has to figure out whether jockeys or owners or trainers are fixing races, and under whose orders they're doing so.

Author Francis likes his heroes to get roughed a bit in the process. That happens here, though Sid gets especially upset when the bad guys start targeting his girlfriend with violence to send the message to stop investigating.

Sid is asked by a Nuevo Lord to investigate the murder of his jockey. Then the trainer is killed and the Lord tells him Sid to back off.
Sid's girlfriend mugged and then shot and almost dies.
Culprits are the trainer's assistant who falls head over heels for the son of the Lord, Peter. Peter hates his father and will do anything to destroy him. Peter attempts to kill Sid and winds up trying to commit suicide.
Sid marries his girlfriend.

If the topics of horse racing and online gambling fascinate you, you may enjoy this book more than I did! The main character is a retired jockey turned super sleuth. However, for a mystery novel, it had enough twists to keep me interested and reading to the end. And I do love a good intellectual workout and whodunit! What spoiled it for me was the last few scenes: a bit too dramatic and over the top for my liking.

Under Orders reminded of a 200 page book and the publisher asked for another 100 pages.I found myself skipping a lot of non-essential bla bla.
The ending I found silly and absurd especially regarding the murder weapon.

I really do like Sid Halley. And I liked this novel. But I was hampered by Francis' discussion of internet gaming and bookmaking. I am not a gambler and had a hard time understanding the discussion. DNA testing was also a problem for me but not as much. I don't feel it was the author's fault; it was just my ignorance. But I followed the book all the way through. I was glad to see the his ex-wife, Jenny, had come to grips with her guilt about their divorce. And I liked this new wife. Sid is a great investigator!

I have been seeing the name "Dick Francis" for many years and never read any thing by him...MY LOSS!! but i can make up for it now.
This was a great book! I listened to the unabridged version to and from work and was late a couple of times just to hear what came next. Best late ever :) .
Can't wait to read more.

Heartpounding Mystery

I love all of Dick Francis and Felix Francis mystery stories, but I love the ones with Sid Halley best. I always find myself holding my breath and actually praying for them to come out safe and victorious! I love his normal, every day characters and wish I could meet them.

Hooray for library book sales! I had no idea Dick Francis had written a fourth Sid Halley novel until I found it in a box on a table, just waiting for me.

One could read this book without having read the previous three, but I recommend reading the others first. This one is about as good as its predecessors -- so if you enjoy ##1 through 3, you'll enjoy #4. The plot ticks along briskly, and Halley remains interesting company. As usual, it's fun to spend time in the racing world with an expert guide. I wouldn't call the characters complex, but they're not cardboard either.