A bit torn on a 3 or 4 star rating but have gone with a 4 because I do think the plot and setup of this one is one of his better ones. Unfortunately there is stuff in here that is simply racist - a lot of negative commentary on 'arabs' in the opening section, courtesy of a sheik horse owner that everyone has opinions about. Once more, like the shop keeper in Bolt, this is a character who has no actual impact on the story and in this case, doesn't even get to speak, referenced only by other characters. To a degree this is a reflection of how British society was reacting in those days to any non-white person with the money to buy anything associated with the middle or upper classes, which is grim.

There is also the shop helper Brian who is probably treated very kindly by the book's contemporary standards but now it reads like quite an unkind reading of a man with mental development issues.

However, the main plot of the book, about fake alcohol being shipped into bars, is a well put together setup and the fact that our hero is very recently widowed also makes sure we have no romantic side plot to drag things down. It also ends with a final chapter that is almost an epilogue, something a lot of Dick Francis books don't have, so it's nice to read something about how things finally get resolved.

Four stars then - a point knocked off for some out of date social commentary (there is more in this book than just the two main things I mentioned) that peppers it, so if that sounds like hogwash to you consider it the full five.

Four-plus stars. A really good one, and unusual too, with a self-conscious, self-doubting protagonist who struggles through fear and trauma. And there's no plot-interfering romance here, though several varied older women—and men—who make an impact on our budding hero's emotional growth. Having never been into horses, or horse-racing, before this series, I surprisingly wish there was more than the fleeting sense of them here, but the industry was certainly represented and the story was a fine one. And I learned a lot about wine and whisky. The start, tho action-packed, was grim, but overall, a completely enjoyable read.

Exactly as satisfying as a Dick Francis novel is meant to be- charming and plot-driven and full of interesting factoids. This time there was a lovely play on words in the title - Proof - proof of a crime, proof as a measurement for liquor- and I was pleased to learn some things about scotch, whiskey, and wine. Being in the beverage industry data collection business, this was a treat!

My local library book group periodically mentions Dick Francis, yet I never picked up any of his books until this year when I was looking for a book written in 1984. Of course, I looked up the 1984 booklist on Goodreads and saw this one Proof by Dick Francis. Mysteries, detective work, etc. don't usually appeal to me -- too much blood and guts, and I'm horrible at solving the mystery.

I did not solve the mystery (before it was revealed) in Proof either; however, the story of whiskey and wine being stolen, the additional background of horse racing, and, more importantly, an actual mystery written with more character development than blood and guts, kept me interested...so much so that I was disappointed to find out that Francis had not continued writing books about these characters. They would be perfect for a television series (since I can't read more about them in books). This book was #2 in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge, and it was going to be my book outside my genre comfort zone on the 2019 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. Since then I have found another book farther outside my comfort zone. Proof is a mellow, enjoyable read. I give it 4 stars which equals "Really good. I am returning it to the library, but I did recommend it to someone who bought the ebook version (for cheap), and if I saw it (not ebook) at a thrift store price, I would buy it." Interesting side note: the pages in this hardbound copy are super thick. I like quality paper, but these were almost too thick.

Thought-provoking quote: "To err was human, to be easily forgiven was to be sentimentally set free to err again. To be repeatedly forgiven destroyed the soul" (158).