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One of the predominant themes in Dick Francis’ novels is that of courage. His heroes are frequently jockeys who face the daily peril of falling off their horses. They endure broken bones and other misfortunes, yet they persist in racing at breakneck speeds to earn a living. “Whip Hand” also centers around courage, but Francis approaches it by highlighting the intense fear of his hero, Sid Halley. Halley is a retired jockey, compelled to leave the racing industry after a fall in which his hand was trampled by another horse. His mangled limb had to be amputated, and now he makes his living as a private investigator, looking into issues around the racecourse. The story begins with Halley being drawn into four separate investigations, two of which are clearly related, and one of which leads to his abduction and a threat to have his remaining hand blown off with a shotgun if he doesn't back away. To his great humiliation, Halley succumbs—at least in the short term—but his sense of self won't let him abandon the matter. Despite a nearly paralyzing fear of being completely crippled by the villain, he finds himself resuming the investigation. Francis doesn't need to hammer this fear into the reader; it simply keeps resurfacing in Halley's thoughts, and yet, he perseveres with the investigation. In addition to the investigative storyline, Francis presents a powerful subplot in which Halley is asked by his ex-father-in-law to look into some trouble his ex-wife has gotten into. The ex-wife divorced Halley because she couldn't handle the risks associated with his profession as a jockey and couldn't tolerate his decision to enter another dangerous field after losing his hand. Her anger often turns to hate, and her interactions with Halley—her intense resentment of him and her desire for him to fail—create a moving and disturbing subplot. She helps us clearly see the "defects" in Halley's character that have made him so successful as both a jockey and now an investigator. This is one of Francis’ more memorable stories and characters. It's easy to understand why he chose to write multiple adventures about Sid Halley. If you enjoyed this review, you can discover more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
