What a great read. I love Dick Francis' books because he opens up a mysterious and shady underworld within horse racing - no one else manages it quite like him. In this story we follow the main character, Dan Roke, through a breathless search for villains undermining the sport. The tension is ramped up and the supporting characters are mean and very nasty. You worry for him and you're with him at every step as he works out who the really bad guys are. Just an excellent read.

A genius writer

I read some Dick Francis books years ago. I wish I had read more. Very instructive in many aspects. They are the best way to teach and learn. A story which is interesting to keep interest but also teach at the same time. I’d have loved to have met the author. From a recent read of one of his sons books thankfully we have it appears a British author to rival Cruise, Childs and Connolly in mystery writing.

Read it many, many years ago. And several times since. I was so touched by the main character, his dilemmas, his profound choices....
I think of most of Dick Francis' books as explorations into human interactions and the human psyche, and I often use them as a personal reminder of the goodness in people. That might sound strange, as he writes very starkly about evil in people as well, but there is always someone (the main character, of course) in his stories, and usually at least one other, to impress upon me the strength and clarity that positive values provide our personalities.

One of Dick Francis' first series, For Kicks introduces Daniel Roke, a successful horse breeder in Australia who is approached by the Earl of October (really) about an undercover assignment in British Racing to uncover a doping scheme that has gone undetected by everything British Racing authorities can come up with. Daniel becomes an unassuming somewhat shady groom in a stable to help uncover the problem. The rest is up to you to discover, but in the end, I see a distinct move toward more undercover work for Daniel.

An author I ignored for years, thinking his subject matter of little interest to me, --- my error, his books are excellent, well-crafted and well-plotted. Some may seem a little old-fashioned these days, but endearingly so, as when you instantly fall back into conversation with an old friend met after a long absence

Environment strongly and skillfully created

As usual a unique and intriguing plot and well drawn characters. The most impressive aspect to me is the way the author pulls the reader into the misery the hero endures in order to solve the mystery. There is a formula: the hero is succeeding, he encounters serious danger, he us damaged in some way, then a resolution. I rated it 5 because of the author's skill, his low key humor, the ease of identifying with the protagonist. Anyone who likes mysteries, and is interested in horse racing and British life would like thus book.

An Australian stable owner, bored with his job, agrees reluctantly to investigate a case of mysterious doping in the English race circle. No dope has actually been found in the horses, before or after the races; no mechanical means of tampering with them either; yet they come in, as winners, lathered and sweating and almost crazed. There is nothing in common with the horses, the trainers, the races or their stables. And yet one investigator has been killed. Enter Daniel Roke, the stable owner turned stable boy, and a pretty shifty one too. He investigates, on the way receiving cuffs and blows, is worked hard and still uncovers a very ugly, brutal and cruel method of doping the selected horses. As always with Dick Francis, this is a breathless, breakneck thriller, holding your attention to the exclusion of the rest of the world.

4 Stars

For Kicks by Dick is a crime & investigation mystery with a well-woven and suspenseful plot, an 'undercover' agent, race fixing, corruption, horse racing, horse doping, tension, and drama- all makes for an intriguing 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.

No what I’d do for kicks.

Absolutely loved reading this book. It’s a thrilling page turner from start to finish. The type of book you don’t want to put down. It’s one of those stories where you can’t wait to see the outcome but at the same time you don’t want it to end because it’s so entertaining. Yes people may say it’s a bit dated but so is every book once it’s published and yes there are aspects of it that you wouldn’t get away with this day and age but back in the day you could and that’s what makes this book so enjoyable to read. It also teaches us how different people’s perceptions of a person differ depending on how you look and talk but most of all it teaches us that (and please excuse the pun) one should never judge a book by its cover. Happy reading.

Динамичная, увлекательная, легко читаемая книга, где тонкостей ухаживания за лошадьми гораздо больше детективной интриги, но это её не портит — детективов и других полно, а конно-производственных романов не очень. Меня только покоробил финал — сёстры и брат главного героя и так введены непонятно зачем, ничего не принося сюжету, но то, что он почти не вспоминает о них на протяжении нескольких месяцев в Англии, и особенно то, что затем он лишает их и своего присутствия, и заработанных денег, разрушает образ хорошего парня.

Awww, I love Dick Francis!! Have been reading him since I was a teen in the 70s. I first read "For Kicks" in 1975 when I was 17. I guess I loved it so much I read it again 6 months later! This is at least my 5th rereading, and I have had it on my shelf as one of my FAVORITE Dick Francis'. I decided to read it again because I couldn't remember what it was about, I just remembered it was a good one. As soon as I started, I realized it was the one where they "doped" horses with fear and I felt sick. I wasn't sure I wanted to read that again, but I did, anyway. It was one of the cruelest "dastardly deeds" in a Dick Francis novel and one I can't put out of my mind, so *triggers*!! Beware!
But the hero was a good one, and I loved the change in circumstances for him, and how people perceived him, including the "good girl" daughter of Lord October. The stables and people seemed very real. Daniel Roke was a typical hero, hooray! This is why we comfort-read these! The questions at the end, given by one of the old but whip-smart intelligence guys was fun when I read it in the 70's, now it seemed a little 007 to me, and not very realistic, but still fun! I can't believe this was written in 1965! Hey, oldies are goodies! Aren't people still reading Agatha Christie? I always loved the older Dick Francis' BECAUSE they were set at the racetracks and stables and the main character tended to be a jockey.
Now I need to move on to Bonecrack, another old favorite.

Feeling trapped by his responsibilities for his orphaned siblings, Daniel Roke has more potential for development than some of Francis's other characters. Narrative surprise depends more on the shifts in Roke's understanding of himself and his moral strengths and weaknesses, than it does on the 'who-dunnit' aspect of the thriller. Questions such as pride, responsibility, endurance, and kindness are explored in a little more depth than usual, especially in relation the stable lad, Jerry, and the Earl's daughter Elinor.