THE CHASE

5 stars out of 5

I was a fan of legendary steeplechase jockey turned horse racing focused author Dick Francis for many, many years, and since his death, I’ve continued that enthusiasm for books written by his son Felix. This one, I’m happy to say, continues that tradition of excellence in fine fettle – another good one in the books, so to speak.

One thing, however, left me wondering if I’d missed something. The description on Goodreads, where I always post my reviews, says the book features investigator Sid Halley (e.g., “Sid Halley is back to investigate”) – a familiar character. But for the life of me, I don’t recall ever even reading his name on any of the pages here. Oh well, no matter. If I somehow skipped over those mentions, so be it – honestly, in the end I didn’t miss him a whit.

The story finds Westminster art gallery owner Fabian Tulley in a bit of a bind; he’s just sold a painting by Alfred Munnings, and now the police are at his door because he’s been accused of fraud; the buyer, it seems, claims the painting is a copy and insists Fabian was well aware of it. Problem is, Fabian is certain he sold an original, authentic work – but especially since the police have confiscated the painting, how on earth will he prove its provenance? And if he doesn’t, it’s likely his entire business – already in a somewhat difficult financial state – would cease to exist (in fact, several seem to have already flown the customer coop).

As if that weren’t enough, Fabian’s landlord has issued him an eviction notice, claiming he now needs the building for a different type of development. To help with that, Fabian “hires” a retired barrister who agrees to a big discount on a painting he wants in exchange for helping Fabian get to the truth behind his lease (not knowing, of course, exactly where that will lead).

The buyer of the suspected fake Munning is billionaire Jack Lofthouse from Yorkshire, who subsequently filed a lawsuit against Tulley. But the question is, why would he want to discredit Fabian? Getting to the truth requires Fabian and a couple of friends to venture to (surprise!) the racetrack at Cheltenham, where he’s also a frequent vendor. There, he encounters even more serious attacks – one that ends with the ruin of several of the paintings he was displaying for sale there, thus adding to his financial woes and hopes for the future.

Needless to say, either the fraud or the eviction could cost Fabian his livelihood at the very least – so he’s eager to get both issues resolved. The eviction is mostly up to his attorney, but unless he gets to the bottom of the fraud accusation and puts it to rest, he won’t be able to afford his lease anyway, making that issue moot. So off he goes to get to the bottom of things, with a little help from some friends and employees. Details, of course, I cannot reveal, but suffice it to say it’s nonstop action right up to the end (which I also won’t reveal). Getting there, though, is exciting and fun, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me in on the adventure by way of a pre-release copy. Another one well done!

The Chase by Felix Francis (Crooked Lane Books, September 2026); 304 pp.

SYNDICATE

5 stars out of 5

I've long been a fan of the author and before that his late father, Dick Francis - and even after all those years, for whatever reason, I took a special shine to this book. I even stayed up late one night just because I was at the 90% mark on my e-reader and didn't want to wait till morning to finish it.

My attraction wasn't just the story, although it's a good one; the owner/manager of a racehorse syndicate receives threats to his daughter's life (with actions to back them up) if he doesn't "fix" specific races in which his horses are entered. That part alone captured and held my attention from beginning to end; but sprinkled liberally in the mix were fascinating details about the racing industry, and syndicates in particular (most of which I was clueless about until now).

As a prominent and trusted member of the UK racing community, Chester Newton's reputation is at stake when he finds himself in a most unwelcome situation. After his grown daughter Amanda goes missing - and later turns up drugged but otherwise unharmed - he starts getting calls from an unknown caller that he must follow the caller's instructions or else the next abduction won't end as well. Meantime, his syndicate is doing exceptionally well thanks to a horse named Potassium, who unexpectedly wins the prestigious Epson Downs Derby - just the financial and public relations shot in the arm the syndicate needs to bounce back from its current stagnation. Getting caught fixing a race - or even thinking about it - would bring an end to an illustrious career and life as Chester knows it.

But what to do about it is another matter altogether; he certainly doesn't want to put his daughter's life in danger - nor that of his wife of 25 years, even though they've grown apart over the last several of them, nor Amanda's brother, who comes across as a sort of ne'er-do-well college student with no real purpose in his life.

With Amanda's return, Chester learns the local police have little interest in the case (after all, she wasn't really harmed - just drugged - and she claims to have no recollection of what happened to her anyway). So if he's to learn the identity of the threatening caller and bring him (or her) to justice, he's pretty much on his own. But how to do that without compromising his own values and bringing the professional life he loves to a quick end?

The details, of course, I cannot provide; for that, you'll have to read it for yourself (and obviously, I urge you to do just that). I will, however, happily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of another of this author's wonderful books. And oh yes, ready for the next one when you are!!

Syndicate by Felix Francis (Crooked Lane Books, September 2024); 252 pp.

HANDS DOWN

4 stars out of 5

Jockey-turned-private eye Sid Halley was last seen in Refusal after losing his left hand in a nasty fight with even nastier opponents; for his troubles, he ended up with a prosthetic hand and a wife who who insisted that he quit his detecting work. Now he's back - decked out with a new but real hand courtesy of a donor that, with the help of anti-rejection drugs, is working better every day. His marriage, on the other hand (pun intended), isn't working quite so well; in fact, his wife Marina has taken their nine-year-old daughter, Saskia, with her to stay with her elderly parents - in part because her father is dying and in part because she needs to get away for a while.

As he's stewing over how to handle the situation, an ex-jockey friend calls to ask for help with a serious issue involving racing. With his mind elsewhere, Sid poo-poos the situation and puts the guy on hold at least for a couple of days. As it turns out, he should have been more fired up; the next day, the guy's stable and a few horses go up in flames - and then, not long after he meets with Sid to explain what's going on, the man himself is found hanged. The police deem it death by suicide, but given what Sid knows, he's not so sure.

At that point - with no resolution of the situation between he and his wife - Sid sets off to investigate what appears to be corruption at the track that involves "dirty" agents, blackmail and race fixing. Needless to say, that takes Sid to a couple of racetracks he once frequented as a jockey and pits him against several heavyweight nasties who would love nothing more than to get rid of him for good. The details, of course, I can't reveal - nor whether he wins back the two loves of his life. Suffice it to say the story held me captive for a few good hours - well written with plenty of action. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy - and keep me in mind when the next one drops. Try it - I think you'll like it too!

Hands Down by Felix Francis (Crooked Lane Books, November 2022); 304 pp.

GUILTY NOT GUILTY

4 stars out of 5

For openers, methinks Francis the Younger has cut many of the ties that bound him Francis the Elder. For years, both my husband and I have been devoted fans of Dick Francis, and since his death we've kept up the tradition by reading every single book by his son Felix, who did a more than passable job at maintaining his late father's style and focus on characters who were almost totally immersed in the sport of kings. This one marks a noticeable departure, and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly.

That's not to say I don't understand the disappointment expressed by some readers; the main character here, William Gordon-Russell, on occasion has been a rider and works as a volunteer to help uphold the rules at the track, but anything beyond that has been reined in. The book begins as Russell, an actuary by profession, is notified that his beloved wife Amelia had been murdered. That's hard enough for him to take, but making matters much worse - for Bill, at least - is that Amelia's ne'er-to-well brother has told everyone within shouting distance that Bill is the murderer. 

In fairly short order, just about everyone, including the police, believe Bill should be arrested. He loses his volunteer job and most of his friends and relatives, and it soon becomes clear that the only way to prove his innocence is to find the real killer. In Bill's mind, at least, the only candidate is (you guessed it) the brother-in-law who's doing everything he can to get Bill arrested for the crime.

The whole thing is a first-person account as told by Bill, which allows him to digress on several occasions to rather in-depth explanations of things around him, such as how the court system works in England. Truth is, I learned quite a lot, but in all honesty I'd have enjoyed it more had those instances been a little less long-winded. All in all, though, it's a very enjoyable romp with a few twists and a "Lady or the Tiger" ending. Bottom line is this: If this book really is an indication of a new direction, I'm all in.

Guilty Not Guilty by Felix Francis (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2019); 384 pp.

CRISIS

5 stars out of 5

After 56 years of marriage, my husband and I are still getting along just fine, even though we don't always agree. But we're both long-time fans of Felix Francis (and his prolific author-father, Dick, before him). And after reading this one, we are in total accord: This is perhaps the best of the son's lot so far.

The star of the show is Harrison "Harry" Foster, an attorney who focuses on crisis management at a prominent London firm. Despite his total lack of interest in and knowledge of horse racing, his boss taps him to head to Newmarket, where a fire at Chadwick Stables has resulted in the devastating loss of several horses, including one owned by Foster's firm's client that's considered a shoe-in to win the upcoming Derby. When Harry arrives, he's greeted by a totally dysfunctional family, plenty of mud, and the unexpected discovery of human remains amid the ashes.

Who the victim turns out to be turns the Chadwick family upside down - from Patriarch Oliver (who's mostly handed the thoroughbred stables over to son Ryan), to other son Declan, who has set off on his own horse-racing venture. Throw in another son, an estranged daughter and all of their significant others and it's a volatile mix that turns more deadly every day. Clearly, though, there's a major family secret that started the infighting - and as the fire investigation heats up, it threatens to bring everyone to his or her knees - including Harry. 

Will he live to see his interest in new love - the sister of the woman who runs day-to-day operations at Chadwick Stables - come to fruition? Of course, my lips are sealed. All I'll say is it's a race to an exciting finish. Well done!

Crisis by Felix Francis (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2018); 384 pp.

TRIPLE CROWN

4 stars out of 5

This is the latest entry into the life of British Horseracing Authority investigator Jeff Hinkley, and it brings him to the U.S. shores "on loan" to help the U.S. Federal Anti-Corruption in Sports Agency find a mole in its organization. Apparently, someone is leaking confidential information that's giving horse owners and/or trainers a heads-up on planned raids and drug tests.

As the title suggests, the investigation begins at the Kentucky Derby, where yet another bust goes bad; worse, a human is murdered. On Derby Day, the unthinkable happens as three of the four most favored horses mysteriously fall ill and are scratched from the race. With two more legs left in the Triple Crown - the Preakness in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York - Hinkley decides to go undercover [rather thinly] disguised as a groom, getting a job at Belmont Park where he can keep an eye on what's happening from the perspective of an insider. 

While there, he runs afoul of an exceptionally nasty groom who appears to be protecting his beautiful sister, who also works at the track, from nonexistent romantic advances from Hinkley (or perhaps there's another, more sinister reason for the attacks). Hinkley also runs into evidence confirming that the Derby horses didn't get sick by accident. But neither proving that nor uncovering the identity of the mole isn't a walk around the track; in fact, Hinkley finds himself in what could be the race of his own life. In short, it's an enjoyable and sometimes nail-biting romp through the ins and outs of the racing world.

As he works toward completion of his assignment in the United States, Hinkley begins to consider where his career will take him next and I, for one, rather hope it's not a permanent move to my side of the Pond. While I totally agree that everyone is entitled to his or her opinions, Hinkley's U.S.-bashing (as seen through the author's eyes, of course) really started to get on my nerves. Even so, I was able to overlook his anti-gun views, digs at the flaunting behavior of "rich" folks (especially at Triple Crown events) and the fact that we levy taxes on gambling/racing winnings whereas the U.K. does not. When he tasted grits for the first time, I actually chuckled when he proclaimed he'd rather chew on a rusty nail to get his quota of iron. I can even tolerate, though barely, his declaration that Americans are a "rum lot."

He crossed the line, though, when he declared that a U.S. TV show - a not-so-veiled reference to the long-running and extremely popular "Jeopardy!" - was so boring that it put him to sleep. Them are fightin' words, sir - and I have just three words in return: Kiss MY grits!

Triple Crown by Felix Francis (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2016); 382 pp.