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Dead Cert

dick francis

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As jockey Alan York looked at the back of Bill Davidson astride the great horse Admiral, one thing was different. Before his rival reached the last hurdle, he was dead. Alan knew racing was dangerous; he also knew Bill's death was no accident. It was the kind of knowledge that could get a man killled....
"The best thriller writer going."
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY

277 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1,1962

This edition

Format
277 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published
January 6, 2004 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN
9780425194973
ASIN
0425194973
Language
English

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About the author

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dick francis

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Dick Francis, CBE, FRSL (born Richard Stanley Francis) was a popular British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.

Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."

Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '

Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '

Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.

On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.

During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
25(25%)
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43(43%)
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100 reviews All reviews
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catullus_d_rus
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Having only read a few of Dick Francis’ books, I am enjoying reacquainting myself with his writings. “Dead Cert” is Dick Francis' first novel, and it is a good one. Francis was a highly successful jockey, and then when he retired he using that knowledge to start writing books which usually involve horses or racing in some way. His stories are well crafted and cleverly plotted. His characters are realistic and likable. If you have never read Dick Francis, you really should give them a chance.
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yusakukudou
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Yeah, I spent my holiday break from school reading Dick Francis. It was good.
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Basic_otaku
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Dick Francis: What a great writer. Now and then I'll reread one. I try to wait a long time because they're so memorable. Dead Cert is more than half a century old, and shows its age. Would you believe a fleet of taxis directed by radio from a central location being described as a brilliant innovation? But terrific characters, terrific suspense, and the wonderful world of steeplechase horse racing in England add up as usual to an eagerly read novel -- even the second or third time around.
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Rawrberto
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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I love murder mysteries and this is a great one. Dick Francis was a champion steeplechase jockey before becoming a writer. His love and knowledge of the sport shines throughout the novel. He throws readers directly into the action. The protagonist, Alan York is hilarious. He is witty, smart and self-deprecating. When Alan's best friend and fellow jockey is murdered during a horse race, he decides to chase down the killer and solve the case. Is it high art? No, but it is a cracking good mystery and a ton of fun to read.
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ShisouKengo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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I was inspired to revisit Dick Francis after watching a race-horse themed episode of Murder, She Wrote (Guest star: Lynn Redgrave, suspected murderer: the pet dog). Francis books hold up so well to my memory. It speaks to Francis's skill as a writer that I have no real interest in either horses or racing but I eat these books up. This is his first mystery and focuses on an amateur jockey who investigates the death via racing accident of one of his friends. The plot moves quickly and Francis makes the racing world come vividly to life. There's an act or retribution in the final chapter that feels just a little too long, but overall a great mystery read.
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mkr1228
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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I had never tried a Dick Francis novel before so thought I might as well start with one of his biggies. Unfortunately I'm not sure it says much for the rest of his back catalogue, as it was a well told story ruined by a naff ending. I like books that have me guessing right to the end, and then the baddie turns out to be the last person you suspected. Whereas this one was right out of the Scooby Doo school of detecting. I guessed it early on and hoped desperately that I was being deliberately led up the wrong path, but was ultimately disappointed.

Good points about the book included a straightforward, readable style, a narrator I was happy to root for in his quest for justice, despite his being an old colonial toff, and an interesting insight into horse racing, as well as dodgy cabs. The age of the book showed in its 'stiff upper lip' style (the discovery that the narrator was only 24 had me choking on my cornflakes - he came across as nearer 54), and the fact that it could never have happened in the modern day of the mobile phone. In particular, the pursuit sequence late on in the book would have been impossible, but that's in no way a bad thing.
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Esutta
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Dead Cert is the first Dick Francis novel, originally published in 1962. These mysteries centered around the world of horse racing, has no trouble standing the test of time.

Alan York, steeplechaser, loses his best friend in what looks like a tragic accident. But, Alan discovers that someone engineered the accident, killing his friend and leaving behind a widow and several children. When Alan begins asking questions, he becomes a target himself.

A good solid mystery that deals with the underbelly of horse racing and gambling. There is also a touch of romance involved.

Although this book was published many years ago, it is written in such a way that you would never know it.

Overall this one is a A+ all the way.
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SingleTear
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Debut books used to be much better crafted than now. This is tightly plotted, well-paced, & a cracking good yarn. It has all the usual elements of a Dick Francis thriller: horses, racing, the solitary, rather aloof MC who is bowled over by love-at-first-sight. Is this how Dick felt about Mary when they first met, I wonder.

Jockeys are being killed by a new player in the game. Alan York is trying to find out what really happened to his friend when he is warned off & the game becomes more deadly for him. The antagonist is quite surprising & Admiral is a wonder-horse. Loved it.
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