I haven't read Dick Francis in a long time, and I don't know what I was thinking. This diverting story about a builder-architect who inherits shares in a racetrack and gets pulled into a family power struggle. The story goes a bit over the top toward the end, but it's an entertaining read.

This is only my second Dick Francis book, and I can assure you it won’t be my last. I enjoyed it far more than my first, which I liked very much. What an incredible depth this author achieves, yet in such incremental steps that the accumulated complexity never overwhelms the reader. And what a wide range of perfectly believable characters he creates. You feel as though you are peeking into people’s real lives.

While it started slowly, the last half was one of those "you can't put it down" stories. I stand in awe.

Property developer Lee Morris has a failing marriage, six little boys, and small number of shares in a racecourse left to him by his mother. When he is persuaded to attend a shareholders' meeting, he quickly finds himself embroiled in a bitter family quarrel between the other shareholders that puts not only his own life but his children’s at risk.

I thought this was just okay as a mystery - some of the events being far-fetched even for the genre – and Lee Morris didn’t appeal to me at all, but the kids and their individual personalities made it all worthwhile.

Close to four starts, this mystery was very enjoyable

What an awful book! Finished bc the audiobook narrator had a very lovely voice though. I could really go on and on about this one. I think the only things I liked were the architecture details but everything else was ridiculous (and not in a fun way, more in a wow-this-author-hates-women way and wow-this-main-character-self-insert-of-the-author-is-perfect-in-every-way way). Yikes. Totally linear, not surprising in any way.

If you like Dick Francis' books, you'll like this one, a jealous and disunited family, is he trusting the right one?

One of the best Dick Francis books that I've read. A very dysfunctional family at war with each other all with a personal agenda and almost total disregard for each other. That is to say except to uphold the family name. A real look inside a wealthy family's pretense at respectability at all costs. It's as if Dick may have known a few of these people during his racing career. Now that's a bit far fetched, I know!!!

This one is different from the usual Dick Francis book in terms of the romance. Like the others, it is set in the racing world, but unlike the others, the protagonist Lee Morris is married and has six children. Lee's relationship with each of his children stands out in this story, and I love how the reader experiences these warm, wonderful bonds. Also, though fleetingly, we come across animal rights in the racing world, and the slightly uneasy relationship between a love for horses and the way the competitive nature of racing creates the space for so much mistreatment.
Even though it is as pacy as his other books, I found myself skipping large sections of the narrative to keep my excitement going, and that's why I've given it a 3-star rating. The plot detailing was wonderful, and I was not let down by the big secret that's revealed in the end!

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.

Architect Lee Morris has a penchant for reviving old buildings, and a strong sense of duty. Trailing five of his six sons, Lee makes his way to Stratton Racecourse, to attend a shareholder meeting to determine the fate of the old racecourse. But the Stratton family, with its lies and coercion and blackmail, can’t move forward and can’t go back, until Lee neutralizes the most dangerous of them all.

Another good one

Another great mystery by Dick Francis. Hidden family secrets, failing race course and architects make up the fast paced plot. I couldn't put it down. Did I mention the woman who keeps having children? Read it!

Bettie's Books