Whip Hand was the second book by Dick Francis to win the prestigious Edgar award -- he is still the only author to ever win three Edgars for mystery novels -- and I think it's a pretty terrific entry in his series. It is also the second book about Sid Halley, the one-handed ex-jockey who has become a successful private detective.

This book has a lot of emotional content compared to many Francis novels. Sid is forced up against the boundaries of his own endurance and courage by very Evil Men who find and exploit Sid's weak spots, and he is also forced to deal with his ex-wife and their ongoing emotional baggage. In a way it's a novel of self-discovery, as Sid learns that he really can live through his worst fears, and as he and his ex-wife both learn to move past their old pains.

The plot in Whip Hand is also more complicated than in many Francis novels, since Sid is actually solving not one but three separate mysteries in the course of the book. This does lead to some fragmentation of the plot, but it's also a good signal that the experiences of the main characters are more important here than the mysteries themselves. Nonetheless, each of the mysteries is pretty ingenious, and solving them involves more of those well-researched details that Francis is so well known for.

Overall -- if you're checking out just a few books by Dick Francis, don't miss this one!

So I really listened to a dramatized version rather than read the whole book so I don't know how to grade it. It seemed similar to Francis' other books so, three maybe.

Call me goofy, but this guy's name makes me laugh!

Can't wait to read this!

This is the second book in the Sid Halley series as he continues to investigate crimes associated with horse racing. I liked it overall but for the first half I was disappointed by how dark and bleak it was. Sid gets put through the wringer quite a bit in this book to the point where I wished something good would happen for him or that he would have more help. It got a little better in the second half but I think Sid is considerably more damaged than the average Dick Francis protagonist.

I know nothing about horses and detest the racing industry. Of course, it makes perfect sense that I enjoy the work of Dick Francis. Always filled with creative scenarios and interesting settings, he's a great exponent of crime writing.

Basically,the Dick Francis hero in each of his racing thrillers is the same person.He is decent,morally upright and very likable.But in each of the Francis books,he appears with a different name and profession.

Sid Halley,the protagonist of Whip Hand,makes multiple appearances in his books,however.He has had a nasty racing fall,and one of his hands is useless.It also makes it easier for villains to torture him,where he is most vulnerable.

His wife has left him,but he still has a great friendship with his former father in law.Despite his handicap,he has become a private investigator.

Some horses not running well and Sid Halley is asked to investigate.Along the way,there is plenty of violence and threats directed at Halley.The theme of torture is part of many a Francis novel,which is not my favourite element of his books.

Halley investigates and beats the odds.Along the way,he has a memorable ride in a hot air balloon flying at a high altitude to make good his escape from the baddies.

Another solid entertainer from the Francis stable.

This is a pretty tense one, heavier on physical violence than most of my other outings with Francis. But you do get to see Sid really come into his own as an investigator and command respect in his new identiy.

I just finished the Recorded Books audiobook read by Simon Prebble, who is wonderful for these stories. I read and reread all these books when they were new, but not for decades. I love them on audiobook. The only reason this one doesn’t get five stars is because of the very end. I wanted Sid to go Indiana Jones on the guy who threatened him, not stare him to death. But I guess that’s the difference between Americans and Brits. Other than that fault in the plot, and the fact that Sid never tells his wife she’s a total **** and he’s glad to be rid of her (which I wanted him to do so badly!) this is a brilliant book. It isn’t even about the mysteries, really. It’s about the nature of the human heart, knowing oneself, about fear, and about honor. Dick Francis was a genius. These books not only hold up to a reread, they get better.

I read a bunch of Dick Francis back in the 90s and was curious if they would hold up, and they totally did. I remain impressed at how compelling the book is despite my lack of significant interest in the inner workings of horse racing. It's just a well-written story.

Kind of older writing styles, so I almost scored it 2 stars for being tough to focus on. This was an English class assigned reading for me in the 80s that I didn't read. Wished I had now. Aside from odd spelling and gramer errors, it was entertaining. I may have enjoyed it more by reading the first sid halley novel when he lost his hand, before this one. Might have covered some gaps that made the first half less interesting.

Great read!

I have read many of His books and can easily recommend them to anyone who enjoys reading that holds your interest to the end. Not just Sid Haley stories keep you up at night reading “the next chapter”.

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to reading a Dick Francis novel. I mean, he's been writing them since the early 60s and they are based in the world of horseracing even though this one is only peripherally about horses. Verdict? Excellent. I picked up this book at random in a charity shop, so with no prior knowledge find it's the second in a short series featuring Sid Halley, one time champion jockey who lost his hand and now investigates cases associated with the world of racing. Several seemingly unrelated cases, one on behalf of his ex-wife who seems to loathe him, threaten to bring Sid to his knees, but together with his judo-expert employee, Chico, he manages to unravel various plots, whose solutions are actually more interdependent than it seemed at first even if the crimes behind them are separate. Sid's a totally believable character, hard on the outside but soft in the middle with a surprising vulnerability. The book is exciting, visceral and a fast, enjoyable read.