I have never read a book about the wine trade before, didn't know that there was one. I feel it was written specifically for me, brought back all the smells and tastes I experienced when I was in the wine trade myself. It also made me think about today's fraud, particularly electronic scams. If there is so much of it about, how come that thriller writers don't write about it, or have I been reading the wrong books?
Anyway, "Proof" is good even if you have never worked with wine. The plot is clever, there is some humour and even a message, the narrator is likeable, particularly when he feels fear. The author has thought it all out and the ending is tidy.
I also feel like apologising to Dick Francis because I thought his books were below my level. How wrong have I been? This novel was my first of his many titles and I intend to read more.

I have only read a few of Dick Francis’ books, and I greatly enjoyed “Proof,” one of his earlier ones. Francis (1920-2010) was a popular British horse racing crime writer who was actually a retired jockey. Among his numerous awards were three Edgar Awards, the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. I greatly enjoyed this book and its main character.

First published in 1984, "Proof" is one of the earlier novels by Francis. His protagonist, Tony Beach, knows the world of horses and horse racing; however, his real love is wine. As the owner of a liquor store and wine shop, he is seen to be an expert in that field. He also caters alcohol/ drinks for many parties. While catering an annual party for a horse trainer customer, there is a horrible accident when a horse trailer careens down the hill from the car park and into the party tent. Over the next couple of weeks, Tony becomes involved in two investigations. So he aids the police and he becomes the only man who is able to crack the case of a scam featuring alcohol, and he nearly gets himself killed on the way.

"Proof" is an enjoyable, quick read. It is a well-crafted mystery, especially to those who enjoy a glass of wine now and then. I looked at Goodreads’ ratings of Dick Francis’ books, and “Proof” was right at the top. Now I understand why. If you have not already read him, this is an author you should add to your reading list.

I've think I've read all of Dick Francis' books (the ones only written by him) and I have to agree with others - this is the best. I found it to be an interesting, well paced mystery that kept me interested at every chapter. What a wonder to find a book can carry you quickly to the end without profanity, sex or seedy behavior. Wholesome almost (if you can say that about a murder mystery).

Scotch and wine are the vehicle for this mystery. The hero is still struggling with the loss of his beloved wife and unborn child when he is thrust into a case by being in the right place at the wrong time. The book is well researched and as is always the case with Dick Francis, has it's moments of levity to relieve the tension brought about by his expert sense of timing and his incredible imagination...

Quite a nice change to the current bloating and huge long books - yup good narratives can occur in short books

I'd call this a cozy mystery. Book combines horse-racing and wine/scotch theft in a clever way. Only one race in the book, which is too bad because Francis is great at describing horse races. He's also great at giving the reader a look into the business side of bottling wine/spirits, including the physical bottling plants. Those details are among the strongest parts of the book.

Protagonist Tony Beach doesn't have the "stuff" his dead father had. No racing triumphs, no war triumphs. A bit of a coward, he thinks of himself. The book puts him to the test and . . . not surprisingly . . . Tony surprises himself.

Entertaining . . . a good book for a winter night.

Lovely English and flowing narrative studded with words and particulars that have since "left the building" so to speak. Its tone, its interests of such deep knowledge and the details of production and distribution for the liquor and horsing worlds were both 5 star. The entire platform for the novel- its setting and characters- they are light years beyond what is current for this genre for information and for frame setting. That's the first lovely feature. The other best one is that the numerous characters become known, and seem quite real.

So why not at least a 4 star rating? It's a full 3.5 star but I just can't round it up because it "tells" too much. For instance, in the set of actions just before the full consequence completion for the baddies. It's a lengthy pursuit and hiding within a huge racing venue of immense and multi tiered stands and displaying levels. And I thought it became dubious and much more geared to a visual film or video format than to this page after page hide and seek. Actually the very first development of the book was also highly visual too. (A horse carrying wagon attachment running down a hill and causing a horrific crowd leveling and murderous accident.)

It's long (overlong for red herring characters especially) and yet also quite instructive. If you don't have exact concepts for differences between single and malt liquors or differing processes for wine and spirits productions- you will after reading this book. Highly, highly detailed and erudite explanations to everything all around. Even to the "taster" requirements and attributes.

It was wonderful to come back into this Dick Francis upper crust horsey world again after many years. I love how all of his relate to each other centered on that elite relationship of all these in the horse ownership, racing, hunting, jumping, contesting world.

Beach as the narrator and in his "work" and "grief" aspects was 4 star and better than other Francis protagonists that I've read.

The title of the book, Proof, conveys multiple meanings. I read that the titles of most of his books do the same. In this one the word proof conveys the obvious meaning of “proving” the alcoholic content of the wine and whiskey in the story. Also, the word proof could mean to prove who committed the crime, OR, finally, for Tony Beech to PROVE his courage in order to overcome his feelings of inferiority to his long dead father. Beech was haunted by the reputation that he wasn’t as courageous as his father or his grandfather. In this book, he definitely PROVES to himself and others that he DOES have courage. This last meaning is the one I like the best, partly because it’s the cleverest and most hidden of the meanings and also because the reader/listener really ends up liking Tony and rooting for him to succeed. His courage and success in solving this mystery help him prove (to himself) his courage as well as to move along psychologically after the death of his wife and unborn child.


I listened to a BBC audio production of the book. The ending varied from the actual book in an important way. Here is the very ending of the BBC Audio Production version:

“For once I felt I’d done what I should, that I hadn’t been a coward forever, that I hadn’t failed her (Emma’s- his dead wife's) memory or myself, and that I felt comforted and whole and at one with her. ……. Somewhere in the battle, I had found the courage of my father. “

In the concluding page of the Kindle version, the full version of the book, Beech’s triumph in feeling courageous comes about a little differently. At the very end of the book, Tony finds a long lost note written by his father . . .

“I stared at the page, transfixed. It was a scrawl, a cri de coeur, hurried, barely punctuated, ending without a question mark. I knew my mother wouldn’t have sent it, if she’d seen it. It too nearly destroyed the myth.
I felt nearer to him than ever before.
I felt his true son.
He had written ... at not quite my present age, he had written:

‘The battle must be soon now. It is essential not to show fear to the men, but God,
I fear Why can’t I have the courage of my father?’ ”

This note is important, and I think it should have been included in the audio production! This is because now, finally, Beech sees that his father was afraid, too, as was he. It’s the overcoming of the fear that counts. In the audio production this is repeated several times. Gerard, the investigator, tells Tony, “Fear in a fearful situation is normal. Absence of fear is not. Keeping one’s nerve in spite of fear is courage.” Tony says that in his heart he was profoundly grateful to hear this! And at the end, in his father’s note, we see that his father knew this lesson about fear as well.

Lightweight, cozy mystery along the lines of Agatha Christie, if Christie were into horse racing and wine. It was exactly what I needed after a couple of more famous books of "literature" (i.e., terrible, dark, and depressing). The main protagonist and his new friend are very likable and human, as are some of the supporting characters. The ending is suitably cheery and corny. The real fun is seeing the different worlds of horse racing, per usual with Francis, collide with organized crime and wine making. It is also well written, for the most part, with interesting, likable good guys and proper bad guys.

Proof by Dick Francis was the first mystery I have read since my childhood when I used to read The Hardy Boys. Unfortunately, I don't think mystery is for me. I am too impatient and can't wait for the puzzle to form. That being said, I did enjoy Proof. The pacing was flawless, and I enjoyed getting to know the protagonist. Everything came together satisfyingly in the end. But I think this might be the last mystery I read in a while.

Favorite Quote (I had two favorite quotes):

"-As a detective, what pleases me is proof.
-So what's proof?
-If you mix a liquid with gunpowder and ignite it and it burns with a steady blue flame.
-Proof of what?
-Proof that the liquid is 50% alcohol. That's how they proved the liquid was alcohol three centuries ago when they first pit a tax on distilled spirits. 50% alcohol, 100% proved."

"Actions had to be accounted for and responsibilities accepted. Consequences had to be faced. Constant forgiveness destroyed the soul."

As always, Dick Francis, gives us a protagonist, who is stable, calm, a no nonsense fatalist who takes what life gives him, no questions asked. He has the prerequisite angsty relationship with his family, both living and dead.

Tony Beach is the owner of a small liquor store in a small village. Due to his expertise with both wine and whiskey, he is called upon by both the local police and a private detective agency to uncover a mystery involving both whiskey and wine. Beach, of course, approaches his new role in stride. He has a clever mind, asks questions no one else considered, noticed details others miss.

There is also as usual, a suitably evil antagonist. He murders with delight. I’ll skip the gruesome details.

Francis, also as usual does his research. Here we learn lots about whiskey and wine. For instance, many centuries ago, alcohol was mixed with gun powder and ignited. If it burned with a strong blue flame, you had proof that the liquid was in fact at least 50% alcohol. So 50% alcohol, 100% proof. Pretty cool fact.

Finally, Beach is able to come to terms with his family, while solving the mystery. Classic Dick Francis.

Tony Beach is a 32-uear-old widower who is a wine merchant with an in with the horsey crowd because his father was a famous amateur jockey and his mother rides in the local hunt. Because of his connections, he's hired to supply the liquor for a party hosted by one of the local trainers. He sees a horrible accident when a loaded horse trailer rumbles down a hill and crashes into the outdoor tent where the party is being held. He and some of the other guests do their best to rescue many trapped in the collapsed tent. Even so, the guest of honor, a sheik, some of his entourage, one of the trainer's best customers Larry Trent, and a few other people die in the accident.

The trainer breaks a leg, and his secretary is also severely injured, but not before he has a conversation with Tony about some whiskey he had at the Trent's supper club. He is convinced that the whiskey wasn't what the bottle's label says it was. This conversation makes its way through the trainer's wife to Gerrard McGregor who helped Tony free people during the accident and who works for an investigative agency.

Gerrard recruits Tony to be his expert for his current case which concerns the theft of trucks filled with whiskey, Gerrard's company has been hired to find out how the thefts are happening because the company won't be able to stay in business if the thefts continue.

Meanwhile, the local police also need Tony's expertise because they have numerous complaints about alcohol being sold in local pubs that isn't what it is supposed to be. Trent's supper club is on the list and Tony quickly identifies that the whiskey and some of the wines are being misrepresented. While they are there, a man from the home office appears and seems surprised about the liquor. Shortly thereafter the wine manager at Trent's is found murdered by having his head wrapped in plaster of Paris.

As Tony and Gerrard investigate, they begin to find connections between the two investigations and the tension mounts as they get closer to a solution and also closer to a killer.

This is one of my favorite stories by Dick Francis. I really enjoy that the hero has self-doubts about his courage and fear that he won't be able to live up to the heroics of his father and grandfather. I also like that he isn't afraid to be grieving for the death of his young wife. I also like that he is happy in his career.

The narration was expertly done by Simon Prebble who managed a variety of accents to distinguish the various characters without making the accents incomprehensible to my American ears. He also did a great job conveying the various emotions of the characters and the rising tensions in the story.