Another good Dick Francis mystery

His books are always a fun read. Perhaps slightly dated but not enough to matter. I just recently became a Dick Francis fan, and I don't know why I hadn't read his stuff before.

This book sucked me in immediately and moved along a good pace and was interesting. An injured jockey gets a call that his brother in the hospital--he's dead, his wallet is missing, he was killed in an accident and you know it wasn't an accident, even though it looks like one. And the plot thickens. The brother was secretly dealing with diamonds and having an affair with a Duchess. The brother owned two race horses and something fishy is going on with the horses. The jockey is no dummy and tracks down the problem with the horses, the missing the diamonds, and the perp.

Nearing the end of his career as a jockey, Derek Franklin investigates the tragic death of his brother. Derek inherits everything of his brother including his mistress. He learns that honesty can be a handicap.

Classic Francis with a great everyman hero, the gemstone industry, and racing. If you like Dick Francis, you will like this one.

Is there a better opening line for a thriller than “I inherited my brother’s life, and it nearly killed me”? I have read this one before and will again. I enjoy it for the usual Francis honorable hero who is pitched into a situation not of his own making but determined to do right by the memory of his brother and figure out the mystery he’s left behind. And for the details on running a business selling gems. The classic Dick Francis elements work together here so well.

a classic Francis novel, a slightly vulnerable hero, picking up the mess from his elder brother's death, facing some hidden enemies as he tries to protect the gem wholesaler company and the employees. As usual the story is well paced and flows right up the tumultuous ending. Great stuff.

This is one of my favorite Dick Francis books. I love all the details about gems and jewels. I wish I could visit the offices of Greville Franklin.

I 'be been a Dock Francis fan for over 35 years.

In fact, I read this book originally when it first came out but his are ALWAYS worth re-reading, so they are definitely books YOU should read.

4 1/2 stars. I love all of the Dick Francis novels, and this one is particularly good. It's more melancholy than usual: a sudden death sets of a chain of events that's action-packed and also infused with grief and loss. Our hero is, as always, resilient, upstanding, well-intentioned, and kind. The story is populated with a bunch of people you'd like to meet IRL, plus two truly terrible villains. In all, very satisfying.

What I disliked: I missed the plucky smart girl character who usually helps the hero survive long enough to solve the current dilemma. Something about the idea of assuming a dead man's life bothered me.
What I liked (a lot): Twists of the plot, multiple bad guys, smart women (the smart man/main character is a given for Francis)

3.5 rounded up

This is the first Dick Francis book I've ever read and it will probably be my last. That's not because I didn't enjoy it... I did. I have no idea how the book came to be on my radar but I opened it and started reading knowing nothing about the author. All of the horse racing stuff felt forced and out of place. The story would have worked just fine without it and until I realised that Francis was a retired jockey, I just didn't get it. Now I do and I suppose it's just not my kind of thing.

Other than that the story is great. It feels like an old school, hard-boiled mystery and I really loved that about it. The protagonist is smart and likeable and the supporting characters are well-written and unique. It was an easy read that kept me interested.

Hmm... Maybe I will read another one day. You never know.

Dick Francis always entertains my reading needs. Straight involves a jockey who inherits his older brothers gemstone business when he is killed in an accident. Missing diamonds that know one at the business seem to know about leads the jockey through the twist and turns that are hallmarks of a Francis novel.