I love Dick Francis and this book in particular. We learn to adore Sid, the ultimate survivor, who refuses to let the bad guys win.
The best thing about Dick Francis is that he lets average people become heroes with a strong instinct for survival.
I have read this book, many times, to remind myself how good suspense is written.
His knowledge as a former steeplechase jockey for Queen Elizabeth keeps the background of his stories very interesting.
Read it! It's terrific.

Dianne McCartney, diannemccartney.com, author of Just One Night

Dick Francis was a remarkably talented man, a jockey then mystery/thriller writer whose horse stories never got old or tired. I've read all of his books, some twice, like this one, a re-read. Perfect reading on a hot summer's day which coincidentally matched the heat wave in England in the setting. Sid, now an ex-jockey sports a bionic arm/hand as his real one got a bit bashed up first in a race then by a suspect. Now a PI, Sid does mainly horse related things and gets into all sorts of dodgy trouble encountering all kinds of shifty dealings and characters. His co-worker PI and pal Chico get immersed in several bad situations in Whip Hand. Keep an eye out for bad business at the Jockey Club, various horse trainer barns and balloon races. Francis enthralls with a fabulous balloon race where Sid meets a fellow whose feats in the air match what Sid had on the ground on the back of a horse, delightful scene!
Great characters in Sid and Chico, Charles (the ex father in law), Jenny (the ex wife), Trevor and many more that round out life in the horse racing world.
Fast paced, witty (Brit humour and sensitivity), nail-biting right to the last scary pages. So glad I decided to read this again.

"About a week ago I put a status up saying that from here on in I was going to work at reducing my TBR which had hit 3000+. This is still the case, starting with my next book, although this one was NOT on my TBR. This is my first Dick Francis read and I read it because he was my Father's favourite author for a long time and sadly I lost my Father, after a lengthy battle with cancer, just a couple of weeks ago. This is my way of tying my favourite pastime in with him.......

This book was fun. In the scheme of today's thrillers, it hardly raises a pulse but it was a good quick crime read. Most of you will be aware that Dick was once a steeplechase jockey in England who moved on to become the author of many crime novels centred on the racing industry. At least one tied into m
y hometown when the story involved the Melbourne Cup, here in Australia.

This one is part of the Sid Halley series. Sid was a champion jockey (fictional) who after a devastating fall had his career cut short and in need of his crushed left hand being replaced by bionics. His heart never allowed him to leave the racing field so when he became a private detective, of sorts, he concentrated on crimes within the industry. Whip Hand sees him dealing with a suspicious case of horse nobbling when three of a trainer's champion horses fail to make the grade in their big races, although all were practically unbackable favourites.

Not really your tight cloak and dagger storyline and the scenes do move quickly from one to the other giving a feeling that perhaps research was not Dick's forte. However, as stated, it was a fun and quick read and I would read another to break up some of my heavier reads. Unfortunately, the ending felt a little rushed, somewhat like Francis
did not know exactly how to end it although it does feel a little like downplaying Agatha Christie's work. Dick Francis will always be a name in the crime writing realm just like Agatha, many books he wrote over a distinguished career so perhaps this one wasn't the best one to start with. I am sure to read another and will perhaps head into it with different expectations of a fun read rather than a tight thriller.

R.I.P Dad 1948 -2018."

I enjoyed this second Sid Halley thriller much more than the first one, "Odds Against". Dick Francis crafts a satisfyingly solid mystery in both novels, but I found the character of Halley a bit more mature and likable in this one. The book won the 1981 Edgar Award for Best Novel of the Year, and I can see why. "Whip Hand" is a compelling read with a protagonist who develops into a more complex character by the end of the book. The mystery is heavily plotted and populated with a colorful cast of supporting characters.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The situations Sid finds himself are pretty intense at times. My Aidy Westlake books have been compared to the Sid Halley ones so I avoided reading them. I won't anymore. This one was too good.

I am enjoying this series, all of the Dick Francis books I have read in the past are stand alone novels. Sid Halley is a great character, a retired jockey will amazing skills in putting puzzles together. The plot is interesting and had to put down, full of action. I really enjoyed the book beginning to end.

Having read the Sid Haley series I would say this one I find the most difficult to hold my attention but still a good read and fills in detail for Sid’s history of hen moving onto newer books in the series

Rereading all of Dick Francis' novels in order. The Sid Halley books are among the very best of Francis' work--hence Sid Halley being the one character to have multiple appearances. This book has one of the most memorable of endings among all of Francis' books.

In this second Sid Halley book, Sid is running his own private investigations firm along with Chico from Odds Against. He has three investigations going on: to find the man who caused his ex-wife to use her name to defraud people with a bogus charity, to find why excellent young racehorses failed to perform at big races, and to investigate the Security Section of the Jockey Club for a bad apple. Along the way he is threatened with the loss of his right hand, takes an exhilarating ride in a hot air balloon and gets beaten with a chain. He also meets a new girlfriend Louise McInnes. As in most Dick Francis books, our hero is brave and stoic, refuses to show fear (except for a small hiccup when he fears he'll lose his right hand). I enjoyed this book much better this time than the first and will continue reading this series.

Sid is approached to look into promising horses who suddenly become ill. I wish there were more Dick Francis books I haven't read yet.

In the past I had read all of Dick Frances's books on horse racing. I always loved the double meaning of each title. This is a different series with an injured jockey who can no longer ride becoming a private investigator of sorts. It was good and very exciting. One thing I always appreciated about Francis's books is that you don't have to watch out for bad language.

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.