Collection of short stories

A decent mix of short stories which just warrants a score of 4 rather than 3. Some stories are certainly better than others but most hold the attention well and have some clever links and twists. Horse racing is a much stronger feature than it is in his full length novels. I'm not that keen on horse racing myself, but I don't feel the focus on the sport detracts from the enjoyment of the stories at all. On the contrary, I feel the author's deep knowledge and love of the sport gives the stories greater depth and authenticity.

Enjoyed 2 of the stories. Fav was ‘Blind Chance’. Nice easy reading.

Thirteen short stories from Dick Francis all with a sting in the tail. Enjoyed them all.

This is a collection of short stories revolving around horse-racing scenarios. The average story length is approximately twenty pages and the stories involve all aspects of horse racing: betting, stealing horses, jockeys, owners, groomers, etc. They are varied, but generally offer an interesting variety.

Thought provoking and enjoyable stories

Dick Francis writes about all things equestrian - 38 books published - almost all linked to horseracing. Since we're in the midst of the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, I decided to read his 13 short stories about horse racing, compiled into his anthology, "Field of Thirteen". The characters are fairly well developed, often reflecting some of the seedier individuals who spend time with the ponies as bettors, fixers, jockeys, trainers, pickpockets, and horse thieves. Each of the stories are well told, with good plots and sometimes surprising endings. I enjoyed it.

Thirteen short stories about the horse racing sports from the master of the genre. They are easy to read and enjoyable. I especially likes the short notes accompaning each story.

Wonderful collection of short stories. Real characters with all their human weaknesses. Reminds me of O'Henry's short Stories. Very enjoyable read.

Wonderful collection of short stories. Real characters with all their human weaknesses. Reminds me of the short stories of O'Henry.

I enjoyed this collection of Francis’ racing related short stories. Having read most of his novels, and noting that the novels tended to have a kind of formula, I wondered how he would approach his short stories. He seemed to have dropped his formula, making these more O Henry in revolving around a twist. Instead of focusing on the hero, some of these stories revolved around the villain. You can tell Francis was having some fun trying things out, and that made these fun to read.

A fun short story collection.

I found the character development skin deep and the plots as "complex" as limericks. My interest was tickled just enough to hang on and my mind was not bored enough to put it down, though I came close many times. For somebody unfamiliar with horses or the law it was a fleeting interest in the content that kept me going. Not a book I would recommend nor one that makes me chose the author again.