Again, I must have read this before, but it would be 35 years ago or something and I didn't remember any of it. This one's better than Trial Run I think, very tense and nicely written. The protag is one who appears in several novels, od which this is the second, I don't have a copy of the first. I expect I will read them all again, eventually.

Jesus, though, did people in 1979 really think women of 45 were menopausal nutcases? (I know the answer to this, of course.)

4 Stars

Whip Hand is the second book in the Sid Halley series by Dick Francis. This follows Jockey turned PI, Sid Halley on a crime and investigation adventure full of mystery, suspense, horse racing, tension, drama, agendas, and more.
->2023 Reading Challenge.
->Glennie's Collection
Dick Francis novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his books. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written. I remember every time my mother read one of his books, she'd tell me about him and how he'd gone from being an RAF pilot to being the Queen Mother's favourite jockey, before retiring to become a journalist/writer.
Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have been making my way through her book collection, finally. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader..... Reading her collection of books has stirred up a lot of memories, mostly of our shared love of reading. I am forever grateful that she passed on her love of reading to me.

Reread February 2023

Sid Halley #2

This novel is about a lot of things - crooked races, con games, corruption in high places but I think it is mostly about fear. Fear and various reactions to it - giving in to it, resisting it, overcoming it. The main characters did not plan well for the attacks they suffered. In the end, the main threat just caved in and went away, making the ending a little weak.

I really didn't like Sid Halley's response to physical attacks and real threats of serious bodily harm and death. Maybe it's the difference between British culture and attitudes and those of the Southern U.S.A. If you are positive, with no doubt, that they are out to get you, get them first is a more rational response.

I first read this book about 40 years ago. I’m gradually re-reading all the Sid Halley books. This is one of the best in the series. There’s skulduggery and some violence, but it also contained lots of references to race horses, which I always enjoy. A couple of the horses died at the hands of a bookie, which was sad, but Sid Halley stumbled onto how they died and was able to prevent the death of a third horse, at great personal risk. He’d been a top flight National hunt jockey, but lost one hand when a horse fell, throwing him into the path of another jumper, who landed on his hand, resulting in him having his hand amputated. The bookie, who was making thousands of pounds by race fixing, giving back-handers to jockeys willing to “stop” their horses, or in this case, injecting horses with a virus, resulting in them having heart problems, collapsing and dying, had threatened to make sure that Sid lost his other hand too, if he didn’t stop investigating. He came close to succeeding, but failed. The book is exciting throughout, especially the ending, when I was certain that Sid would loose his other hand. A very old book, but in my opinion, it’s stood the test of time. Brilliant!

The second Sid Halley book, read many years after the first, brilliant book. Retired jockey with an artificial electronic hand, turned private investigator, faces three tough plots at the same time, two of them including physical violence and intimidation.

I found this old Dick Francis novel in my LFL and grabbed it as I do not own it but I think I may have read it before. Entitled Whip Hand, It entailed an ex-jockey, now turned detective, who had lost his hand in a horse crash and sported a bionic hand as a result. I was sure he was going to swing his metal hand at someone bad at one point and I was right. The book is falling part with many groups of pages completely detached from the spine, plus the pages are very yellow.

i really enjoyed this up until the point where he gets kidnapped for the second time. it was just stupid and badly done. How can he be so fucking stupid?? he was EXPECTING IT and he even comments on the van next to his car but he's such a dozy cunt. It really made it unrelateable and annoying. fair enough if the character's a dozy cunt but he's supposed to be clever AND HE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AT SOME POINT. it was on a par with horror film "oh i heard loud awful screaming, i'll just go and investigate, totally alone and unarmed and unprepared for consequences and being set upon by the maniac who i just told a story about supposedly being in the neighbourhood."

Sid Halley, a jockey turned PI, is called in to investigate why the horses of a particular trainer aren't winning and are getting weaker and weaker. Sid Halley has a prosthetic hand after a racing accident. As he investigates further, the world of racing syndicates and bookmakers isn't very happy to have Sid snooping around in things that they consider none of his business.

1985
13 June 1998
14 Dec 2000

Another reread. Not one of my favorites. This one was written in '65 back when Dick was trying to be so hard boiled. I like the character of Sid and his father-in-law Charles, but everything else is so grim and no so psychological. It's okay to while away time but not something to pick up just for a good read. I have a harder time relating to Sid than most of the later heroes. The way he reacts to his disfigurement is odd, as is the way he just lets his marriage go. Too passive for my tastes, too unhappy.

Review to follow soon!

Taut tale

Absorbing story which starts low key and gradually unfolds with a lot of action sometimes brutal.
Much detail about the equine racing world both flat and jumps.
Lots of psychological insight into human relationships and failings focusing on Sid’s marriage and divorce.

one of his best

Sid Halley gets more interesting with every book in the series. His character is a diamond, different from every angle. Tough or emotionally repressed; cowardly or brave, persistent or foolhardy? At different moments in the book, he is all of these things. The inside line on horses is a give of course, but this book takes you hot air ballooning as well as an extra. Just an entertaining and satisfying read—top notch.