Rereading Dick Francis' novels in publication order. This is another great one which I hadn't read in many years. This one takes us to Australia and New Zealand. Francis and his wife learned the chemistry of paint and how to paint as part of the research for this novel. Interesting setting, interesting premise, good characters. Great read.

What do you know? A Dick Francis novel I hadn't read! I was surprised to find this, I thought I'd read all of his works. I enjoyed that there was a preface with information about how he got the idea of a painter as a protagonist, which tells me that this book was written before To The Hilt, which I had read and, as with all Francis' books, thoroughly enjoyed.

Well written, fast paced, building to a crescendo and then ending with a clever crack in the final whip, Francis has easily achieved his usual high standard. He writes knowledgeably about the subject in the book, not just horses, as you'd expect, but whatever other fields he finds to include. In this book, it's paint - composition, skills, blending, aging. I'm always astounded at how much trivia he manages to include in a way that is fascinating. Furthermore his use of forgotten English words, without being verbose or pompous, is positively delightful. His characters are full, realistic, and fully human; the humor is wry, slightly self-deprecating, always sly and clever. His stories are like a bullet train, speeding you into an unknown future that you can't wait to meet.

This is highly recommended for all fans of action or mystery.

The mystery itself is typical Francis fare; so much so, in fact, that I spotted the villain on his first appearance. There's a generous dollop of violence, the villain is a bit deranged, but at least that side isn't drawn out (which I objected to in several other Francis novels). A good bit of research, as always - this time into painting - and I absolutely admire the way the researched facts are handled, not ladled out if large helpings, stopping the plot for a time, but sprinkling them here and there to create a truly authentic flavour.
There's no actual racing here, however. The characters watch a couple of races, and even that without much comment. For some reason I liked the books where the main character is a working jockey a bit more: perhaps they felt more alive still.

An unfortunate amount of abuse of the Lords name. Otherwise a good story.

Dick Francis at his best!

The character all had depth, especially Charles Todd, and the plot was compelling from the first few pages right to the end.

Artist, Charles Todd, is dragged into an adventure when he arrives at his cousin's home to find it burgled and that a murder has been committed. Drawn into a web of intrigue and conspiracy, Charles is soon flying over to Australia to track down a criminal enterprise.

Another BRILLIANT Dick Francis novel that kept me hooked from beginning to end!

Once again Dick Francis doesn't disappoint. His novels generally follow the same formula but he changes the particulars enough to intrigue the reader every time. This time the protagonist is Charles Neil Todd, a painter in his 30s who sometimes paints race horses. His cousin invites him to visit but when Todd arrives he finds his cousin has just been robbed and his young wife murdered. Todd travels to Australia and New Zealand to track down the syndicate responsible for the robberies and the murder. Francis gives a good description of these two countries as well as some insight into oil paintings techniques. An entertaining read.

In this lesser Dick Francis horse-racing mystery, Charles Todd, an successful artist specializing in thoroughbred portraits, attempts to clear his cousin's name of murder- and trap a ruthless killer before the killer traps him. A Mystery Guild selection.

My whole family has loved Dick Francis since the 70s, and we haven't stopped. WE read and reread all of them, and this one is no exception. This was a reread on audio, read by Ralph Cosham, i think it was, and he did a very good job. We LOVE Dick's writing and his characters and his stories. Very satisfying and very well done. Even if the earlier ones are a little dated. So good. If you haven't read a Dick Francis, get one, and don't read the ones by his son, Felix. They are poor imitations.

One thing I noticed in this book is the character Maisie Matthews. She's middle-aged, calls everybody "dear", was a nurse turned wife of a rich man, and despite her house being burned down by burglars, she's remarkably cheerful and stiff upper lip. She's a good woman and we're rooting for her. The main character, Charles Todd, either in his 20s or 30s, likes her very much, and she's a wonderful woman character. I thought: Dick likes women. It shows in his writing. He has a fondness. I mean, not just for sex or conquest, but he likes them for themselves and their good qualities. Charles Todd comes to like Sarah, the wife of his friend, in the book, although at first he has his reservations. He gives her a kiss at the end, out of pure friendship. I know that Dick Francis wrote his books in collaboration with his dear wife, he always dedicated them to her, and maybe he HAD to make the woman characters good, because of her, but I don't think so. I think he appreciates women.

This book changed my life. I discovered it in 1977, quit the government job I was working at the time, and went to work in the horse industry so I could experience the horse world firsthand. I worked with and owned horses for 25 years, all because of this book.

I always turn to a Dick Francis novel, when I need a break from the latest writing styles of today. Francis always turns out to be a refreshingly sweet breeze from the past, full of old-fashioned manners, lifestyles, and attitudes, and isn't it nice to go there once in a while, for a short stay? Even if it's in a short novel such as this.
In the Frame is a novel about a painter, instead of the usual jockey, which was a nice change of pace. Francis makes sure to write, in the beginning of the book, about how he spent time with two different real artists, just to be able to tell us how things work. How the artist paints, how he cleans his brushes, and how he feels about other artists. And I think Francis does an amazing job, once again.
In the Frame deals not only with artists, painting, and (of course) horse racing, but also forgery, on a large, overseas scale. Once again, I was fascinated, and wanted to spend more time with the main character, even though the main reason for the mystery was a death. What a lovely time I had, living in this novel. I hope you will have one as well.
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Ralph Cosham narrates the audiobook version of this novel.

Painter Charles Todd arrives at his cousin's house for a pleasant weekend, only to find the house thoroughly burgled, his cousin's wife murdered, and his shattered cousin the chief suspect. A chance encounter convinces Charles to embark on an international quest to clear his cousin's name, bring his a measure of peace, and bring the criminals to justice. I love the characterizations, especially saucy Maisie and irrepressible Jik, the cheerful milieu of Australia, and the details that make Charles so believably a painter. (See also To The Hilt, featuring Alec, another painter.)