Another enjoyable Dick Francis novel. The characters are always so interesting and enjoyable. This time the main character was a kid’s toy designer who became a race horse owner and was a victim of fraud and someone he trusted was stealing from him. How things got resolved was very creative and exciting.

Oh the end

One of my favorites. Toy maker, newbie horse owner, great characters. Dick Francis is a master of inviting you in to the horse racing world that he knows so well. He excels on developing a feeling of menace without being gory. Always gives his protagonist good back up from friends. There are also believable villains.

This is an earlier Dick Francis book. It is a little slow out the gate, but the ending is pretty good.

I am devouring these Francis books and this one is the best so far! Steven Scott is a rich and famous toy maker who has taken up owning horses in his spare time. Being a novice, he hires a trainer, Jody Leeds to show him the ropes. They have a fine working relationship for a few years with successful horses before Scott realizes that Leeds has been bilking him by padding the accounts with fake expenditures. As if that wasn't bad enough, he discovers that Leeds is in cahoots with a bookmaker and they have been running a gambling scheme to steal Scotts money by causing Scott's horses to lose when Scott bets them big and letting them win when the bet is smaller. Scott has had enough and fires Leeds after his horse, Energise, just won a big race. Leeds had encouraged Scott to bet him but he refused. But unbeknownst to Leeds, Scott did bet Energise, just not with Leeds's bookie. Scott demands that Leeds leave Energise at the track but he sneaks off and takes him and, when Scott sends his new trainer around to retrieve him, he discovers that the horse Leeds sent is a fake. He doesn't say anything for fear of a slander suit but sneaks off in the middle of the night to Leeds's stable and finds that Energise is still there but under an assumed name. The scheme Leeds is running is that he buys a lookalike horse and substitutes him in the races that he wants to lose. Now that he has Energise under an assumed name, he passes it off as his own, cheep horse and then sells it for big bucks when it wins a few races. Scott sets out to steal Energise back and trap Leeds. There is a whole elaborate scheme where Scott buys a look alike horse and sets up a road block on a day where his lookalike horse, the fake Energise and the real Energise will all be on the same road. While the drivers are distracted, Scott switches the horses and then sets up guards at his trainer's stable that night to catch Leeds. Leeds indeed shows up but instead of stealing Energise back, he has a disreputable vet with him who kills the horse. Except wait, it isn't Energise at all but the lookalike horse that Scott bought. Leeds is caught red-handed and Scott has Energise safe. Brilliant!

Short but a lot of fun. Dick Francis dreamed up two intricate plots in this book: one by the crooks and one by their victim to right the wrongs. Unlike some Francis novels, here you know who the bad guys are right away, and just how nasty they're likely to be. I enjoyed the read and the last act is "can't put it down" page turning.

High Stakes is a classic Dick Francis story complete with a likable hero, his love-interest, and a corrupt villain set against the backdrop of the English racing world. I'd read this one years ago, but I couldn't remember specifics so decided on a re-read.

High Stakes is not a mystery. There's no murder and you'll know the bad guys from the start. It, however, is an engaging book that's a lot of fun.

Can't stop, won't stop.

This one has its moments of fun for sure but the protagonist doesn't get to escape entirely unscathed. My bloodthirsty soul wanted his enemies stomped flat and himself triumphant, but Dick Francis is capable of more nuance than me. To tell the truth, Steven gravely toting up the costs of his revenge is one of the most powerful moments of the novel.

4.5 Stars for High Stakes (audiobook) by Dick Francis read by Ralph Cosham. Wow, this was a wonderful audiobook. Lots of action and a really unique story.

A lot of the pleasure of reading Dick Francis lies in the variety of his heroes' occupations–here a maker of complicated mechanical toys that play a physical role in the plot. Another is that he is so good at retaining a sense of the delights of childhood, and that his women are often so much fun, various, and daring. He treats women, horses, and characters from different backgrounds with respect, insight, and a warm sense of humour.

Another fun read from Dick Francis. About a horse owner rather than a jockey or trainer, who goes up against a cheating a vengeful trainer and bookie. Liked all the characters a lot. Really enjoyed the intricate plans for how to get the stolen horse back...kind of reminded me, in a small way, of "Oceans 11"...but with horses and stables rather than money and casinos. :)

Rookgordijn - Gelezen jan. 1997