Dick Francis is a much-loved and sadly-missed author. His works are truly remarkable, especially his ability to come up with snappy and relevant titles that immediately draw the reader in. What's even more impressive is his talent for captivating a non-horse reader like myself.

In his series, the hero Sid experiences a tragic event where he loses the use of his hand. This is not the only time he endures great pain and suffering. At least once, a villain deliberately targets his weakest limb and tortures him. The thought of such cruelty is enough to make one's blood run cold.

I can still vividly recall the shivers that ran down my spine when I read those scenes. Francis has a way of creating characters and situations that are so real and engaging that they stay with you long after you've finished the book. His stories are a testament to his skill as a writer and his ability to transport readers into a world of excitement, danger, and adventure.

Even though he is no longer with us, Dick Francis' books will continue to be cherished by readers for generations to come. His unique style and unforgettable characters have left an indelible mark on the world of literature.

The second Sid Halley book had its merits, but it couldn't quite match up to the excellence of the first one.

One of the major concerns I had was Sid's excessive self-loathing regarding his missing, now mechanical, hand and his constant fear of losing the other one. Although his fear was understandable within the context of the story, it was not something that most readers could easily relate to. His continuous turmoil over his so-called "good" and "bad" hand became rather tiresome after a while.

However, it should be noted that the story itself was quite decent, albeit very similar to "Driving Force". Sid was making progress in the racing circles as a reliable private investigator and was being entrusted with various cases, both big and small.

The first case involved the protection of a horse set to run in a stakes race. The owner's wife was worried that the horse would meet the same fate as their other prize horses, which had faltered in the big race and were later found to have heart problems. The fact that not just one or two, but four horses had suffered this fate in as many years was highly suspicious.

Sid was also approached by an owner and separately by a Jockey Club official to look into a number of owner syndicates that had been formed without proper vetting. Naturally, these two cases became intertwined, and soon Sid found himself fending off intimidating men who were determined to stop him at any cost.

On a personal level, Sid was also helping his former father-in-law, Charles, track down the man who had entrapped Jenny, Sid's ex-wife, into running a charity scam that could have landed her in jail. This was the easiest case of the lot, but not before we had to endure Jenny's spoiled sulking and mistreatment of Sid. I, for one, would not be disappointed if she didn't make an appearance in future books.

Anyway, Sid eventually figured out that the horses were being injected with a virus just before the race, which weakened their hearts. Although they didn't die, they were no longer able to race competitively. The culprit turned out to be a rival owner and bookmaker who was willing to go to any lengths to win.

The syndicate investigation was a bit more challenging to solve. While there were indeed some bad actors within the syndicate, that wasn't the real point of the investigation. The dirty Jockey Club official had wanted Sid to look into it so that he would get severely beaten up, either forcing him to stop taking cases from the racing community or quit his PI job altogether, thereby preventing him from uncovering the official's misdeeds. It all seemed like an unnecessarily convoluted way of going about things.

I put in my last review of a book from the Sid Halley series that this character could be infuriating.

If you read this book, you'll see what I mean. This book has a gripping story of multiple strands. However, the main narrator is carrying chips on both shoulders the size of planks. This makes the whole experience of this book rather uncomfortable. At times, I find myself really wanting to shake him, to put it mildly.

Having been disabled all my life and becoming more severely physically disabled as I get older, I understand about fear of helplessness, humiliation, rejection, and failure. I also know that everyone reacts to it in different ways. Sid Halley's way is to lock everything up inside, not to let anyone in, even those closest to him. He would rather let relationships crash and burn than admit to being human.

Some would find this admirable. I, on the other hand, find it egotistical and deeply infuriating. It really took away from what is a very good story. The way he handles his emotions and relationships is just so frustrating. It makes it hard to fully enjoy the otherwise engaging plot. I hope that in future books, he will learn to open up and deal with his issues in a more healthy way.

The original article seems to have a typing error in the publication date. It is stated as January 1st, 1969, but the correct date should be 1979.

This error might have occurred during the writing or editing process. It is important to ensure the accuracy of such details, especially when it comes to the publication date of a book.

Perhaps the person responsible for writing the description misread the information or made a simple mistake. However, it is crucial to correct this error to provide readers with the correct and reliable information.

By doing so, we can avoid any confusion or misinformation that might arise from the incorrect publication date. It is always better to double-check and verify the facts before presenting them to the public.

In conclusion, the publication date of the book should be corrected to 1979 to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information.

4 Stars

Whip Hand is the second installment in the Sid Halley series penned by Dick Francis. It chronicles the adventures of Sid Halley, a former jockey who has now transitioned into the role of a private investigator. His journey is filled with crime and investigations, encompassing mystery, suspense, the thrilling world of horse racing, palpable tension, drama, and various hidden agendas.

It is also part of my 2023 Reading Challenge and belongs to Glennie's Collection.

Dick Francis novels were a common sight in my household during my childhood. Both of my parents were avid fans of his works. He was among the first 'adult' authors that I delved into. Over the years, I have devoured everything he has written. I vividly recall that whenever my mother read one of his books, she would share stories about him. She told me how he had gone from being an RAF pilot to becoming the Queen Mother's favorite jockey and then retired to pursue a career as a journalist and writer.

Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have finally begun to work my way through her extensive book collection. I have decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years. Her collection is truly massive. This is not only a way to fulfill my reading goal but also a means to pay tribute to my mother, who was such a passionate reader. Reading her collection of books has unearthed a plethora of memories, mostly centered around our shared love for reading. I am eternally grateful that she instilled in me this love for reading.

This is the second book in the Sid Halley series.

In it, Sid Halley continues his investigations into crimes related to horse racing.

Overall, I had a favorable impression of the book.

However, during the first half, I was somewhat disappointed by its dark and bleak tone.

Sid endures a great deal of磨难in this story.

At times, I found myself longing for something positive to occur for him or hoping that he would receive more assistance.

Fortunately, the situation improved somewhat in the second half.

Nevertheless, I believe that Sid is significantly more damaged than the typical protagonist in a Dick Francis novel.

His experiences have left a profound impact on him, making his character more complex and perhaps more relatable in some ways.

Despite the challenges he faces, Sid's determination to solve the crimes and seek justice remains unwavering.

This makes for an engaging and thought-provoking read.

This book was recommended by several people, all of whom are enthusiasts of Dick Francis' writing.

The writing in this book is of high quality. For the most part, it presents realistic and plausible scenarios, which gives a nice reading experience. However, there is one part about halfway through the book where the escape from pursuers seems very unrealistic.

The main character, Sid Halley, is not a superhuman. Instead, he has common sense and is methodical and calculating. This makes him more relatable to the readers.

Overall, I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is a very solid piece of work.

In the future, I will probably read some more of Dick Francis' books. However, I don't think I will read a large number of them. I can foresee myself getting a bit tired of the stories that revolve around horse racing.

Nevertheless, I still appreciate the author's writing style and the interesting characters he creates.

While Dick Francis doesn't disappoint with this second Sid Halley book, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when Sid went off to Paris.

Where was my hero? My unbreakable, resilient, risk-taking Sid? If only I had a bit more patience, I could have spared myself a little heartache.

Actually, there were some truly joyous moments in this story.

When Sid and Chico are rescued by the young son of the villain, it's truly priceless.

And when Sid finds himself aloft in a hot air balloon with someone who is even more of a daredevil than he is, it's such great fun.

Then, I was doubly rewarded when Sid managed to thwart not just one, but two bad guys. It was a perfect ending. But of course, it's not really the end since there are two more Sid Halley books to read and enjoy.

I can't wait to see what other adventures and challenges await Sid in the upcoming installments.

“Whip Hand” is an award-winning Francis mystery that stands out from many of the Francis books I've read lately. The vast majority of this book centers around the horse racing world. Francis has a talent for incorporating horse racing into his stories, but often, if not most of the time, the stories also include details about a job, a hobby, technology, business operations, or other aspects outside of racing that are crucial to the plot. However, this one is almost entirely racing-related, with a slight side focus on a particular method of fraud that is really just a secondary story.

Since Francis always seems to include at least two non-racing themes, I suspect that the other non-racing aspect of this book, which is a significant part of the story, is our protagonist Sid Halley discussing his disability and new threats that could cause additional disability. There is a great deal of angst and self-reflection in this book, and like all Francis heroes, Sid is not perfect. This book also contains some violence and threats, which Francis includes in many of his stories and which I find disturbing.

Francis knows how to write, and in this book, you truly become concerned about Sid. I found the angsty self-arguing to be a bit confusing near the climax of the book. Overall, though, it is another wonderful Francis mystery, undoubtedly one of his best.

This was the very first book that I have ever read of this particular author.

I must say that I truly liked his unique style of writing. It had a certain charm and flow that kept me engaged throughout the story.

However, there were some references to horse racing within the book that I simply didn't understand. But, to be fair, it wasn't an overwhelming amount. It was just a few instances here and there that perhaps required a bit more knowledge about the sport.

Overall, despite those few moments of confusion regarding the horse racing references, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more of this author's works in the future.

I believe that with each new book, I will gain a better understanding of his writing and be able to fully appreciate all the nuances and details that he presents.

I first read this book approximately 40 years ago. Since then, I have been gradually re-reading all the Sid Halley books. This particular one is truly one of the best in the series.

There is a fair amount of skulduggery and some violence in the story, but what really makes it stand out for me is the numerous references to race horses. I have always had a great enjoyment for all things related to these magnificent animals.

Unfortunately, a couple of the horses met a sad fate at the hands of a bookie. However, Sid Halley, through his own determination and courage, managed to stumble onto the truth about how they died. At great personal risk, he was able to prevent the death of a third horse.

Sid Halley had once been a top flight National hunt jockey, but his life took a tragic turn when a horse fell, throwing him into the path of another jumper. The latter landed on his hand, resulting in him having to have his hand amputated.

The bookie, who was making thousands of pounds through race fixing by giving back-handers to jockeys willing to "stop" their horses or, in this case, injecting horses with a virus that caused heart problems, collapse, and death, had threatened to ensure that Sid lost his other hand if he didn't stop his investigation.

Although the bookie came close to succeeding, in the end, he failed. The book is exciting from start to finish, especially the ending, when I was truly on the edge of my seat, certain that Sid would lose his other hand.

This is a very old book, but in my opinion, it has stood the test of time. It is truly brilliant!

Actually read the library book. All the while I heard Ralph Cosham in my head. It was quite an interesting experience.

There are two main stories in the book. First, Sid's ex-wife Jenny gets implicated in a wax polish scam. Sid manages to find Nicholas Ashe and convinces Jenny that he was a cad. This part of the story shows the complex relationships and the lengths Sid will go to in order to deal with the situation.

Second, the security chief asks Sid to investigate some race horse syndicates. As usual, Sid gets kidnapped and beaten up. Chico also suffers a bad beating. It turns out that the Shummuck brothers had a devious scheme to inject Casper's horses with pig virus, which would render the horses and their hearts useless. This shows the underhanded tactics that some people will use in the world of horse racing.

Sid doesn't seem to be very aware of his surroundings and is never armed in any way. At least Nicholas Ashe had a knife in his sock for protection. The bookmaker, Trevor Deansgate (formerly Shummuck), who initially threatened to shoot off Sid's right arm and make him a complete cripple, changes his mind at the end. He decides that he doesn't want to go to prison for either grievous bodily harm or the murder of such a beloved jockey. This unexpected twist adds an element of drama and suspense to the story.