4 Stars

Odds Against is the first book in the Sid Halley series by Dick Francis. This follows Jockey turned PI, Sid Halley who is thrust into a tense situation after being shoot. Up against the criminal underworld, his adventures make for a great read full of crime and investigation, mystery, suspense, horse racing, tension, drama, high stakes, 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.

Classic Dick Francis! I love all the characters! The bad ones are REALLY BAD and the good ones are really just looking for redemption. I have read a few of the Sid books and I love them all. I can always settle in and get lost in these books and this one in particular. I forgot to watch a show I wanted to watch or do a few things I needed too because I was so into this book. Leave it to Francis to draw me in and keep me. Felix Francis does pretty well with his books too and wrote with his dad quite a lot. But I will always choose the actual Dick Francis written book over the books by Felix written similarly. You just can’t mess up with a classic and dare I say cozy at least to me , horse racing mystery

This is a solid entry in the ‘mysteries by Francis’ category. It is one of Francis’s earlier works, having been written in 1965.

It’s the first of the Sid Halley series, which at four novels and a 5th written by his son Felix is the longest series in Francis’s body of work.
Formerly a famous jockey, a racing accident destroyed Sid’s hand and his career. He lackadaisically joins a detective firm, where he does little to nothing for two years until one specific case catches his attention. It involves a secret takeover by possible land speculators wanting to put an end to one of Halley’s favorite racetracks.
Sid is a typical Francis protagonist - a good guy who seems to feel no physical pain; in this one there is also an interesting woman character who is also struggling with a deformity.
I’ll be interested to see Sid’s character develops across the years. And of course, being a Dick Francis novel, you can count on the horses being right.

Sid Halley, champion jockey, had to give up racing when his hand was smashed. His next job brings him a bullet to the gut &, as he would soon discover, the knowledge that life as a private investigator could get a lot worse... Especially when a ruthless property dealer has plans for Seabury race track. Plans that have nothing to do with racing & everything to do with conspiracy & violence. The kind of plans that set high adds against a novice detective staying alive.

Sid starts out as depressed, apathetic & anti-social since the loss of his hand & career, just drifting along with little hope for the future. A surprise bullet changes his trajectory &, ironically, gives him back a purpose, a will to survive & prosper. He is a hard & intelligent man, but maybe not as hard as his antagonists - they are willing to take violence to an extreme level, as Sid discovers to his detriment.

Brilliant action & adventure, intelligently written & tightly plotted.

I liked the book. The only reason it's a 3 is it didn't make an impression. A 3.5 might be more appropriate.
This is the 1st book of a Dick Francis series introducing Sid Halley. Sid is a former jockey who rode steeplechase. He had to retire due to an injury. He has a mangled hand.
The books starts from a hospital where Sid is recovering from a gunshot wound. He was doing surveillance for a co-worker at his place of work and was shot by a young man named Andrew. This is relevant to the mystery.
After Sid leaves the hospital, he is invited to spend a weekend with his father in law. This is a relationship that started out really rocky but now, Sid gets along better with his FIL than his soon to be ex-wife. Charles has invited some investors for the weekend and has set up an interesting scenario. He doesn't really clue Sid in on his intentions which is interesting. These people are snobs and not very nice to Sid. And Charles seems to go along with it. But really, he wants Sid to get to know a specific character, Kaynes.
Kaynes turns out to be a ruthless investor. And could be behind some illegal activity to obtain a Steeplechase course and turn it into apartments. Charles wants Sid to find a way to stop this. And so it goes....
Sid is working for Radnor. After Sid left the Steeplechase, Radnor gave him a job. The thing is, he didn't really do anything. Until now. Sid is now leading the investigation of a potential takeover of Seabury.
The storyline is interesting and it flows pretty nicely. And the ending is definitely neat and tidy. I am going to read the next book. But not right away. These books are good and I enjoy them. They just don't blow me away....

This is the first of the Sid Halley books. Halley became the most beloved of Francis' detectives and there were eventually five Halley books, spanning nearly 50 (of our) years. The only other character to recur is Kit Fielding, who appeared in two back-to-back books in 1985 and 1986. This one is another humdinger. When I read the books the first time, I did not read them in order--I read them in the order I got ahold of them. (This is fine--because of the general lack of interconnection, there is no need to read them in order, other than the Halley and Fielding books.) Reading them in order, I am struck by the fact that right out the gate, Francis was on his game. These earliest books are as good as the later ones.

Former jockey becomes detective is up against dangerous criminals with the odds against his survival. Dick Francis is Dick Francis is Dick Francis. He might not be considered great literature, but he just never fails to put together a simple and solid story that entertains. Sid Haley is not my favorite Francis hero, but I still enjoyed this story, as I always do with all of his stories. It feels good to know there is an author there to turn to when I just want to sit back and enjoy a good crime fiction.

Is he just a broken jockey or is there more to Sid Halley? Sid is a former jockey injured badly in a race that ruined his hand. The book picks up 2 years later at a detective agency known in racing circles as an authority, but Sid appears to be just along for the ride. Invited by his father-in-law (broken marriage too) to visit his estate, Sid is cast in the role of a destitute in-law to make him a non-character to the guests so that he can poke around undetected. I won't give you the whole story, but suffice it to say that there is more to Sid Halley than meets the eye. That serves him well to carry out investigations without appearing to do so. This introduces Sid Halley as the protagonist in future stories.

tIn a mystery book, the author should be able to keep the reader captivated in the text through the twists and turns of the story. The reader should be intrigued at what happens next. In Odds Against by Dick Francis, this expectation is delivered. The book’s character development and buildup to the conflict captures the reader’s attention. In Odds Against by Dick Francis, the intense conflict and impeccable character development makes it an enjoyable mystery novel.
tThere are many examples in the text of character development and an entertaining conflict. These occur during the story and make it a satisfactory mystery novel. An example of the character development is when the reader learns about the main character’s, Sid Halley, maimed hand. This is significant as it makes the conflict harder for him as he has to solve the mystery with one working hand. It helps to make the book an thrilling read as the characters, specifically the protagonist, are a bit different and have to go about the mystery in an unorthodox manner. An example of how the conflict makes the book an excellent read is how stealthy the protagonist has to be in order to get to the bottom of what is happening. This occurs when the protagonist goes to the Seabury Race Course and finds out who caused the incident on the track. This is significant as the conflict makes the book exciting for readers because it has a realistic problem and it is solved in an entertaining way. The book is a pleasure to read because of these instances.
tThe novel is a pleasurable book because of its intriguing conflict and excellent character development. The book is important because it captivates the reader through the elements that the author uses. The story is a classic mystery novel that has defined what it means to be a piece of mystery literature through its realistic conflict. Dick Francis will continue to be a major influence to budding writers, particularly mystery writers. The book will also continue to fascinate readers of all kinds through the generations.t
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Last read of 2022–actually a re-read. Dick Francis’ mysteries are showing up in my emails to purchase cheaply for my Kindle and even tho I own them all in print I am drawn in. Sid Halley has ended his racing career with a badly injured hand. Employed the past 2 years as a private investigator (or at least warming a seat in the office) he is finally woken out of his despair when he is unexpectedly shot in a break in. Dick Francis was a master of drawing his readers in to an amazing read and nothing has changed.

While awaiting the arrival of a new book order, I am re-reading some of my favorite Dick Francis novels.
Odds Against is arguably the book that boosted Francis to the top of the global best-sellers lists. Starring protagonist Sid Halley, a disabled champion steeplechase jockey, this tale begins with Halley recovering from being shot while working a minor case for Hunt Radnor Associates, a security/background checks/investigative firm building out its racing section. Sid has been marking time at Radnor for two years. Having survived the shooting, Sid finds marking time is no longer enough.
Invited to his ex-father-in-law Charles' home to recuperate, Sid is pushed into meeting a man Charles believes is trying to take over Seabury Racecourse, a struggling track targeted by seaside developers. Sid takes a strong dislike to Howard Kraye. Kraye and his wife Doria show themselves to be sadistic and corrupt to the core. Taking his suspicions and photographic eveidence that Kraye is acquiring shares in Seabury to his boss Radnor, Sid is surprised when Radnor gives him free rein to run his own investigation. Soon, Sid discovers signs of sabotage and a connection to another course where the track steward killed himself after a series of accidents at the course.
When Sid's photos of Kraye's papers becomes "hot," Sid must face a terrifying test of courage if he is to prevent Kraye's plans for Seabury, and for himself.
The volume I own dates to 1965, by Pocket Books, featuring the poster design for the TV series "The Racing Game." Americans may recall it as a PBS "Mystery" entry starring Ian McShane. The book is a pip, and for anyone who wants more of Sid, the next book in which he appears is 1979's Whip Hand.
Francis at his peak wrote crisp, suspenseful tales all tied to the world in which Francis enjoyed his own long and storied first career as a jump jockey. His writing style owes something also to his second career as a sportswriter. He had a great feel for authentic dialogue, and was unafraid of having his tough-guy, often stoical characters delving into darkly human moral and ethical dilemmas. Good stuff. Highly recommended.

Yet another solid, well-written and punchy novel by Francis.