A complicated, deviously constructed Francis. Narrated by the much younger brother of a secretive gems dealer. When Derek gets the call that his brother has been mortally injured, he has recently broken his own ankle steeplechasing. When the brother dies, Derek is mugged by a stranger, assaulted by the dead brother's mistress, and knocked upside the head by a sneak thief. In the intervals, he searches for some valuable misplaced diamonds, tries to understand his brother's business and unpuzzles some of his brother's toys.

A very satisfying, if a bit OTT. I enjoyed even the improbabilities, because the characters were so well drawn.

A very classic Francis, very enjoyable. The protagonist is a physically tough jockey, currently injured so he gets beat up more easily than he would be with two working feet. He's open about his love for his brother, ready to appeal to the lady, ready to face pain and fear with courage. There's a quirky but faithful group of side characters and a variety of villains.

I could wish for more depths for the female characters, but they are varied and have a lot of different talents.

A solid reread.

I tend to like all Dick Francis books, and this was no exception. It has all the elements that make his fiction irresistible:

✅ smart yet modest hero who happens to ride horses
✅ savage greedy brutes who try to get rid of him when he stumbles upon criminal activity
✅ accidental injuries that thrust the main character into some unfamiliar world rife with danger

In this case, it’s the world of imported gemstones. Derek Franklin knows nothing about them, being a successful jumphorse jockey, but when his brother Greville dies, someone has to keep the business running - and solve all the problems that go with it. Derek quickly finds himself, er, saddled with his brother’s life including his desk, his enemies, his horses, his gadgets, and his mistress. Derek is a straightshooter, so of course he’s at a disadvantage when up against the sick & twisted. But part of the pleasure is watching him puzzle out the motives of his enemies. The other part is the simple ingenious plot. “The combination of treasure hunt and chase is irresistible”, as the NYT put it back in 1989. It’s lost none of its appeal since then!

This is a nice summer read. Dick Francis always incorporates horses in his stories, and this is no different. A brother dies in a freak accident, his brother, a jockey needs to take over the jewelry business and is attacked over and over until the mystery is unraveled. Moves nicely, good twists and turns, and definitely, not predictable.

This is top 5 Dick Francis, might be his best. This is actually a great book, not just a great mystery or a great thriller. What Francis does here is he unspools so many mysteries and so many subplots that it really rivets interest. The story of a man who only comes to know his brother when he becomes executor of his will is in the foreground and all the typical Dick Francis elements...the horses, the bad guy, the danger to the hero, etc all bubble along in the background. Very involving. I think I first read this when I was a teenager and it is truly unforgettable.

The gadgets and computer stuff in the book make this dated. It is best read as a period piece! Younger readers will find concepts like being unable to find your parked car or the tape on the answering machine, etc. quite puzzling!

This is my favorite D.F. novel. The poor protagonist has 3 enemies and he doesn't even know it.
When his brother died in a freak accident he has to take over his brother's gem business. Where are $1.5M worth of diamonds, who is breaking into his brother's house and business, and why is the trainer of his brother's horse so belligerent? The poor man starts out in the book with a broken ankle and is bashed several more times in the following 10 days.

I liked the plot of this book quite a lot. While there is a general sameness to certain trains of Francis protagonists, the details and execution vary the theme enough to make the experience enjoyable. A reader knows what to expect, rather like Christie or Pym, so you have to be in a particular mood, but then there is such a familiar comfort, and one keeps returning.

One of the better Dick Francis novels I have read. A little less horseracing and a little more 'James Bondish' crime fiction in this one. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the gadgets, the intrigue, the suspense and the conclusion.

Another Dick Francis Classic

Those who have read Francis Novels before,
Know he always turns up a good read.
This one, doesn’t disappoint.
From start to finish, you will be hooked.
For first time readers, after this Novel, you’ll be a fan like the rest of his readers.
I’m sure like myself, you’ll be searching for another of his Novels. They too, will never disappoint.

Read it YEARS ago. Reread it because I haven't found enough new and entertaining authors. Enjoyed it the first time and enjoyed it the second time around. All around good clean mystery.

I think this might be my favourite of all Dick Francis’ books. I suspect that most fans won’t agree but I’ve read it several times now and it still has the same pleasures of a gorgeous mystery unfolding as it did the first time I read it. Also some profound little bits of wisdom crop up that I’ve actually written down for myself. In terms of action, mystery, gut punching moments and some gorgeous little gems (literal and figurative) this might actually be close to perfect a representation of the genre.
I’m plodding through the series chronologically so I’ll keep you posted as to whether this book stays at number one, but so far so good.

Another great mystery from Dick Francis. Like most of his mysteries this one has many links to horse racing. Derek Franklin, a steeplechase jockey, has broken has ankle while racing. The next day he hears that his brother Greville, a precious stones merchant, has been in a freak accident when a scaffolding collapses. Derek’s brother is older than he so he doesn’t know him very well, but he tries to settle his brother’s estate, which includes a business with a missing 1.5 million pounds in diamonds, a spy his office, and a married mistress. Derek is smart and a fast learner, but he keeps being attacked, as he’s leaving the hospital after his brother dies, outside his brother’s house, when he’s riding in a car with some horse owners, and by a drug dealer who almost kills him. Derek, like his brother, is honest and ethical, even though many of the people he comes in contact with are not. He’s also tough, enduring enormous pain from his broken ankle, even when it’s stepped on by a ruthless killer. A really good read.