I believe this is the last Sid Halley book. It's pretty good. He's got a new girlfriend who's smart and beautiful (of course). Someone kills a jockey and then the jockey's trainer appears to commit suicide. Good story. Lots of info about on line betting.

The fourth and last of Dick Francis's Sid Halley mysteries. Sid gets in over his head investigating a major crime, yet again. As always, threats of violence against him just make him angry and more determined to see justice done - but when his new girlfriend is attacked, fear for her safety makes him consider backing off.

This was a good read, though there were ups and downs. Sid was initially the same machismo 'never flinch at danger' type all Francis's characters are, he even felt a little blasé about it. But the threats to his new love-interest not only but that in good contrast, but it also brought out a lot of (well-written) emotion for Halley. His new lover, Marina, is great character, who pairs well with Halley, and gets some good growth and a few good one-liners as well. The writing was often punchy, but occasionally was padded with awkward complaints and tangents (London's buses cause too much traffic? Big city Americans should be so lucky!), that felt like Francis going on a septuagenarian rant. The big confrontation at the end was pretty dynamic, but it also felt painfully obvious that it was coming.

Overall not Francis's strongest book, but still a worthwhile read.

Back in England with my good friend Sid Halley. Sid is one of my favorite investigators. Strong, flawed, and unfailing honest.

This time Sid is digging into the world of online gambling and the death of a jockey. He's got a new love interest, and I think this one is for keeps. Finally! Sid has so much bad crap happen to him that it's exciting to see him happy. We get the usual band of characters in this one, and decent dose of Charles, the ex-father-in-law and pretty much the best retired Naval officer ever. I must confess, I have a slight crush on Charles. We get to see Jenny in a different light finally. Danger abounds, and, without giving too much away, they all lived happily ever after, as they do. Or some version of it.

Standard enjoyable mystery by my good friend Dick Francis. Three solid stars.

What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.

But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.

Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.

You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).

There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.

Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.

4 Stars

Under Orders is the fourth intriguing book in the Sid Halley series by Dick Francis. This follows Jockey turned PI, Sid Halley who is asked to determine whether horse races are being fixed or if corruption is at play sets a dangerous game afoot. Add in murder, high stakes, the dark underbelly of racing, life & death scenarios, power plays, being up against the odds, crime & investigation, mystery, suspense, horse racing, tension, agendas, and drama- and we get quite an engrossing read.
->2023 Reading Challenge.
->Glennie's Collection
Dick Francis novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his books. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written. I remember every time my mother read one of his books, she'd tell me about him and how he'd gone from being an RAF pilot to being the Queen Mother's favourite jockey, before retiring to become a journalist/writer.
Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have been making my way through her book collection, finally. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader..... Reading her collection of books has stirred up a lot of memories, mostly of our shared love of reading. I am forever grateful that she passed on her love of reading to me.

I didn't really enjoy this book very much. I am an avid Dick Francis fan and have been for decades, and I regularly re-read his books. I adored all the earlier Sid Halley books, and thought that the finish in Come to Grief was the perfect ending for him. This book feels to me as though it were written by someone who had been told about the earlier books but had never read them.
Charles Rowland (spelled Roland in earlier books) has had such a drastic personality change I was wondering whether he had had a stroke. Where was the cultured, reserved, dignified rock we have come to know and love in earlier books? Swearing in front of women and getting drunk?
I also had trouble with the dismissal of the characters met in Come to Grief. No word about the success or failure of Rachael's bone marrow transplant, all the effort put into preparing Jonathon to be recruited, the slow development of the India Cathcart relationship, all just dumped?

All in all, I feel that this book would have been better if it had not been a Sid Halley book - if the plot had been used with completely new characters.

Great to revisit Sid Halley after so many years. The ex-jockey turned PI is still whip smart and brave faced, as all good heroes must be. His racing days are at an end, yet he’s involved in the racing world, this time asked to look into online betting with its obvious potential for race fixing. While internet gambling is no longer new to us, it is to Sid who in the early 2000s still uses answering machines to retrieve missed calls as this mystery gets underway. He is soon ignoring death threats and goading bad guys into the open, given police indifference to the murder of a jockey & suspicious suicide of a horse trainer - not to mention the shooting of Sid’s girlfriend in London to warn him to lay off. Instead, he does the opposite. I really like Sid Halley as a character. He was in one of the first few Dick Francis books I read, and I quickly became a fan. The plot in this 3rd of the series is just as sinister, but not as gripping perhaps as the earlier two books. I didn’t find the killer particularly convincing, or his aider & abettor, for that matter, so for me this one didn’t do the trick.

This is a story that's like a combo platter of horse racing excitement and a good old-fashioned mystery. If you're a fan of either, or just looking for a thrilling read with down-to-earth characters, this one's worth a shot.

First off, let's talk horses. Dick Francis knows his stuff. He paints the racing world with such detail that you can practically smell the stables and feel the thunder of hooves on the track. Whether you're into horse racing or not, you'll get caught up in the adrenaline rush of the races.

Now, onto the mystery. It's not your run-of-the-mill whodunit. It's got layers and twists that keep you guessing. Sure, some parts might be a bit predictable, but that's like saying you knew who was gonna win the big race. Sometimes you just enjoy the ride.

The characters are pretty relatable. The main character's not a superhero; he's just a regular guy in a tight spot. His determination and grit make you root for him. The supporting cast adds flavor to the mix, and their interactions bring out the human side of the story.
I did find certain plot points slightly predictable, and there are moments where the pacing could be more brisk. But otherwise, a good read.

A gentle meeting with an old friend. I adore Sid Halley.

Unfortunately, I think one can tell this was written after the death of his wife. So sad.

4.0 stars
I particularly enjoy reading about characters and locales that are new to me.

This was my first Dick Francis book, but certainly not my last. I enjoyed his description of horse racing in the UK. His tight prose is tight, the characters well-developed, and the plot interesting and plausible. The reader is pulling for the protagonist, Sid Halley, to solve the mysteries and find happiness and love. His has a very engaging manner, especially his sense of humor and snark.

This was my first Dick Francis novel, but certainly not my last. And then there are those written by his son, Felix, after Dick's death. Lots of good reading ahead.

Dick Francis is my most read author for a reason. His main characters are people I like, root for and whose humor I enjoy. They are not devoid of darkness but typically accept this and try to deal with it. This is a chief aspect of literature as I like it, the journey to know and accept oneself as one tries to take the high road. Such is the case here as one of his few returning characters, Sid Halley, continues his life through challenges of divorce and disability. There is an English reserve and quiet determination rather than desperation in these characters that I find charming and inspiring.

This may have been the last mystery he wrote himself (he co-wrote some with his son who is now writing books with what i consider the misleading titles Dick Francis' ...) So in his 80's Dick Francis had lost none of his ability to inhabit a young virile character nor had he lost any of his story telling mastery. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: I got about 50 pages in and decided not to finish.

Though attributed to Dick Francis, this book was written by his son Felix (with Dick's oversight). I've loved all the Dick Francis books that were written by Dick together with his wife, Mary. Unfortunately...reading this book made me realize just how good those earlier books were.

Felix is a former physics teacher, and the writing seems to reflect a methodical, orderly mindset. That's great for clarity, although sometimes it maybe drains some energy from the story. The setup for the mystery seems promising. It's hardly a mess.

The problem is more that the writing doesn't elevate this above any other generic, forgettable mystery novel. Take this incredibly trite description of the hero's love interest: "a Dutch beauty, a natural blonde with brains..." Dick and Mary Francis never put such a lame cliche in their novels. I always felt their characters were written as real humans with inner lives.

Others have mentioned the lack of continuity with previous Sid Halley novels; that bothered me as well.

I've read the next book written by Felix Francis - Dead Heat - and I thought it wasn't bad at all, even if it still didn't entirely feel like a Dick Francis novel. Hopefully his subsequent novels have been more like that one.