I never read a Dick Francis book I didn't like. This book is more concerned with politics than horse racing and the jockey is strictly amateur and now and then. The main characters, a father (the one in politics) and son are likeable. There is no sex or foul language and it's a quick read.

One of Francis' disappointing thrillers. From my notes in 1997, when I read it, I found it to be lacking in suspense, awkwardly plotted, and not even well-written compared to Francis' other books. In case it sounds like I don't like his novels, I do: I had an almost complete collection of them at one point, and it was the norm for me to get each new one as a present when it came out at Christmas time - and frequently I'd be finished it before Christmas Day was over.
Thankfully, later books by Francis were back on form.

3.5 Stars

10 LB. Penalty by Dick Francis is an interesting tale of family, loyalty, father/son dynamics, dreams, political aspirations, drama, character growth & development, 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.

One of his weakest.

A different kind of book from his pervious ones written later in his career. This one still follows the preordained outline of the protagonist, almost always a man, being charged with finding or protecting something, being beaten to force them to give up and eventually being successful in his quest to find or protect and catching the bad guys. But instead of the item in need of protection being money or a famous heirloom or a priceless jewel it is a father and his political reputation. Ben wants to be a jockey for the summer but just before his 18th birthday his father asks him to come on the campaign trail while he runs for Parliament. He reluctantly agrees and manages to save his father from being killed by being shot, by being in a car crash and by being burnt alive in a house fire. His father wins the election and Ben goes back to school and to his horses but then, 5 years later, when his father is trying to become prime minister, the threats happen again and Ben is determined to flush out his political and mortal enemy, which turns out to be a rival minister. A fun story.

"Rumors destroy reputations quicker than truth.”

I have read many of Dick Francis's novels and I found this one to be a bit of a departure from the usual fare. Usually the protagonist is a former jockey who has embarked on a second career. In this story the protagonist is Benedict Juliard, a seventeen year old amateur jockey. When the story opens he is in the process of being fired. Accused of taking drugs. The accusation is false of course and the firing was arranged by his father who has political aspirations and wants Ben to come work on his campaign.

Ben, as we have come to expect from the author's heroes is intelligent; ethical; and courageous. Although it is a by-election and a minor office someone apparently wants to kill his father. Ben was brought into the election to be a "substitute wife", smile at people and be nice but proves adept at being a bodyguard and protecting his father.

This isn't much of a whodunit. It is more of a bonding between father and son. Politics and yellow journalism. A boy who becomes a man. And for those of us not familiar an insight into the British election process.

I doubt any mystery reader has to be introduced to Dick Francis, so I suppose it could be enough to say that this is another solid book from a master. 10 LB. PENALTY has perhaps somewhat less mystery than many of Francis' titles (I'd call it suspense, myself) but has the likable, ingenious, and self-effacing hero that Francis' fans (of which I have been numbered for many, many years) have come to expect. (Ben does not, however, seem like a "typical" 17 year-old to me!) I particularly enjoyed the growing relationship between father and son. Francis' is known for the racing background to many of his novels (which this one shares) and also for extensive research of other details (the wholesale gem market for one book, investment banking for another). The political backdrop for this one reads both true and personal (I can't help but wonder at his source) and makes for a fascinating, page-turning read. I devoured 10 LB. PENALTY in one sitting, and recommend it to longtime fans and new readers alike.

I love Dick Francis, he is a good clean read, without all the foul language, and explicit scenes. I've been a fan of his for about 25-30 years, and just found this book again and it was fun to re-read it. He is very inspiring to me. This story is very suspenseful, a barn burner!
Highly recommend if you like British, horses, and some politics thrown in.

A former champion jockey in Great Britain, Dick Francis and his wife, Mary Francis wrote the 1997 mystery book called 10 LB. Penalty. The main character of the 10 LB. Penalty, Ben Julliard really wants to be a jockey, but he is not good enough to turn professional. His father, George Julliard who has made in the business district of the City of London, wants Ben to go to university. George organizes to have his son fired from the stable at which his rides, so that he can help him in his campaign for Parliament in the area of the district of Hoopwestern, during his gap summer before going to university. As the campaign goes along for Parliament, someone keeps trying to kill or injured George. Ben finds himself becoming George’s bodyguard. Why someone would be so invested in this local race to try to keep murdering one of the candidates? A ten-pound penalty in British racing, as Ben explains to one of George’s political rival named Orinda Nagle is a ten-pound penalty is “extra weight. Most often flat thin sheets of lead carried in pockets in the weighted cloth which lies over the horse’s back under the number cloth and saddle” (121). This practice is to make a horse race more even if the race is between young horses and one of the horses is a great deal better than the other horses. By the end of the mystery, Dick and Mary Francis fully reveal why the novel is called the 10-pound penalty.

I love Dick Francis. Even more, I love Tony Britton reading Dick Francis. After a horrible day I started this book, pulled an all nighter, and read it in one glorious session.

This was an unusual book in some ways, while following the tried and trusted Francis formula in others. Here we have, as always, the first person narrative, the likeable, ever so slightly vulnerable male main character, menacing baddies and, a touch I always like to see, a nice woman with plenty of character, though thank goodness she has a sensible name this time, not Popsy, bon-bon, poppet or some such. What is unusual is that our likeable mail character, one Benedict Juliard, starts off as an immature boy of seventeen, reeling under the news that he is being fired from his job in a training stable because his boss has it on good authority that he takes drugs and, even harder for young Ben to bear, because he'll never be a good enough rider to be a top jockey. We then get to watch Ben come to terms with some hard truths, spend an intense month getting to know his powerful father and helping him through a local bielection, before going on to follow both father and son through the next almost six years of their lives. We see changes, dangers, of course Benedict has something he needs to do, this is a thriller, I'm not going to spoil it by telling you anything about that, but what's really interesting for me is that in this book we get to see our main character evolve, we see him grow up.

As with every Dick Francis book, the research is flawless, the descriptions are vivid, the story is fast moving and well told. The denouement is exciting and, as often happens in Francis, there is a twist at the end. For me, my favourite authors should make me close a book and immediately want more. I've been reading and re-reading Dick Francis for over thirty years, I'm still finding titles I haven't read yet as they become available in a format I can read. Even on the day when I can only re-read, I'll always be wanting more.

First Duck Francis I have read in ages and not one I have read before. Having said that it was a little weird as a political drama. Didn't feel it really came together in the end. I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it.

A young man is called to his barely known father's side to help him with his political aspirations. Said young man, Benedict, is pulled from his life and work as an amateur jockey, and accused by the stable owner of drug use as well. Benedict doesn't do drugs, but OK, we do come back to that topic.
In the meantime, Benedict proves himself quite a valuable asset, especially at protecting his father's life. Time passes, his father's political aspirations have reached the top levels, and the false drug charges against Benedict are raised again, as is the specter of death for his father.