This third installment of the Sid Halley series is full of suspense. I actually found this book difficult to put down. The characters are multi-layered and interesting. Sid Halley, the ex-jockey turned detective is attempting to discover what happened to a a horse that had its foot cut off in its pasture. As he discovers more cases, he begins to suspect his friend Ellis Quint, which puts him in the difficult position of coming up against a famous figure. As things unravel, Halley finds himself in trouble and has to figure a way out. This is one of my favorite Francis books.

Continuing my self-challenge to read all the Edgar Award winners for Best Novel, I’ve come to 1996’s winner, Dick Francis’s Come to Grief. I’m sure it will make my 10 Best list for 2009.

It seems odd to me that Dick Francis, who normally sticks to standalones, has won two of his three Edgars for Best Novel with books in his all-too-brief Sid Halley series. Come to Grief is the last of them, an unusually-structured book which, while losing none of the suspense Francis excels at, also adds new depth to the character of steeplechase-jockey-turned-private-eye Halley.

As the book opens, a trial is about to begin -- the trial of Halley's longtime friend and fellow jockey Ellis Quint, now a TV presenter, for a series of horrifying and unusual crimes. Sid Halley is one of the chief witnesses for the prosecution. In the rest of the book, we see how Halley reached his conclusions (in flashback) and then learn along with him why there is more to the story than he at first realized.

Come to Grief has several elements that suggest Francis may have planned to continue the series with some new twists and some new continuing characters, but so far, sadly, he has not done so. Highly recommended.

Francis writes in a smooth and engrossing voice. Excellent bedtime reading. COME TO GRIEF reads like a detective story with one exception, we learn who-done-it in the first chapter, the remainder of the plot tells how Sid Halley, the former professional jockey, solves the case. The charm of the book, however, comes not from the plot but in the unfolding of Halley as a person, how he handles challenges, the view that others have of him, and the warm, charming side of him, particularly toward children suffering in some way, one from cancer the other from adolescence.

Jan 6, 5am ~~ This is not the way I expected my Sid Halley mini marathon to finish.

But I cannot continue with Come To Grief and am marking it a DNF after 50 pages.

Let me explain why.

This book was published in 1995. The first book featuring Sid Halley appeared in 1965, with the second showing up in 1979. Readers loved the character and according to the cover blurbs of my edition, Francis finally brought Sid back in this book.

But.

Supposedly only six years have passed since the accident that finished Sid's racing career. In Odds Against we met Sid two years after the accident. So this book is four years later, which would make it in 'Sid time' 1969.

Sid would not have had a mobile phone clipped to his belt in 1969.

Sid would not have had a computer in 1969, let alone know enough about it to be able to block hackers.

I did not like the style of writing in this story. Remember I have said in my other two reviews so far that I preferred the early books? They were sharp and intense, following the action without too much backtracking.

After 50 pages of this book, I was confused not only about what was supposed to be happening, but wondering when something actually would happen. It was all remembering, except for the first few pages that started us off.

And where was Chico? After I decided enough was enough, I thumbed through to see if Sid's partner was mentioned at all and never saw his name. Could have missed it, of course, but Chico was a major part of the other novels, one of Sid's closest friends as well as his right hand man. Where was he here?

And like other reviewers, I did not care for the horse mutilations making up part of the issue Sid was apparently dealing with.

The book seemed to be a muddle of ideas without the crisp storytelling and action of the first two Sid Halley books, and because of that has earned the dubious honor of being my first DNF of 2023.

This was the book I picked to "try" Dick Francis.

BIG MISTAKE.

I cannot pretend to be an animal person but I couldn't read a book about chopping horses legs off.

No more Dick Francis for me. Sorry.

Come to Grief is the third Dick Francis novel to feature ex jockey turned private detective Sid Halley. In this one a number of ponies have been mutilated. Halley brings hatred on himself from the general public as he accuses his old friend and ex jockey, now well loved television star, Ellis Quint.

This one moves along nicely with several stories that intermingle nicely. Interestingly it has a rather downbeat ending which works for me.

I enjoyed this and would say that out of all the Dick Francis novels I have read this would be my favourite.

The third Sid Halley book and further demonstration of what a great character Francis created - tough, resilient and unyielding but capable of fear and uncertainty inside. A plot driven by the trial of an old friend accused of dreadful animal cruelty maintains a fast pace all the way through. Great stuff - I am glad I rediscovered Dick Francis a year ago.

I had never read a Dick Francis novel before, but based on this one, I am more than ready to try his other Edgar award winners. Francis spins a tale that is compelling from start to finish.

Although Francis sets the novel in the unfamiliar environment of British steeplechase racing, he so entwines the setting and story that one is slowly (and painlessly) led into new vistas. The plot has many levels--the personal, the professional, themes involving widespread corruption, and the book's primary focus--what should a professional detective do when he discovered a close friend involved in shocking criminal behavior? The answer the hero comes to is to follow the truth wherever it leads--even into areas where his life is at risk.

The story is a complex one that also involves coping with a disability, the emotional impact of a child's serious illness, and a strange psychological explanation for the crimes in question

All of. this complexity, depth, and range of characters is skillfully woven into a fine mystery novel which I found a delight to read.

This is a nasty book about horrible abuse of animals. It made me seriously question whether Francis really liked horses that much. This also caused copycat crime in the UK.
If you love horses avoid this one.
Also it has too many pithy sentences that lose their impact.
Wish you could give no stars.

Very strange premise. Someone is lopping off the hoof of ponies. Doesn't seem to be any motive or reason.
Sid Halley is asked to investigate by the mother of a dying child who found her pony mutilated.
Time and again he comes across the name of his friend and popular celeb, Ellis Quint.
Sid begins to suspect him tho he can't believe it of Ellis.
When Sid gives the evidence to the police, the press crucifies him and he is warned to stop investigating. Ellis's mother commits suicide and his father tries to murder Sid. Even tho Ellis has involved his father in the maiming of the ponies, he blames Sid for everything.
The owner of the paper is persuaded by some film makers because they have scads of money invested in films featuring Ellis. When Ellis attacks Sid and threatens his good arm, all the gents realize Ellis is in fact capable of the awful carnage.
Ellis commits suicide and admits to Sid that Sid won.

In this novel Dick Francis brought back one of his readers' favorite heroes, Sid Halley. Sid, his arm crushed in a racing accident, has had to find a new way of making a living. He becomes a private investigator; many of his cases involve the world of racing., and in one such case his sleuthing results in the exposure of a former rival jockey, now a popular media figure, who it turns out is a sicko with a secret penchant for maiming horses. Sid's accusations bring him nothing but grief, public shunning and mortal danger from the media star's henchmen.

Sid Halley,the ex-jockey with the artificial hand makes his third appearance.Come to Grief is unusually long for a Francis book,over 400 pages.Torture is the major theme of the book,this time horses are maimed for the sheer pleasure of it.Francis is one writer I never tire of.