Break In (Published in 1985) - Defending his family - Authored by Dick Francis

He is gearing up for a three mile steeplechase - the Sunday Towncrier Trophy (which took place on a Saturday, and was given news coverage on Sunday). His horse was North Face, winner of thirty eight races, thirty seven of which have been with Kit Fielding. As he is preoccupied with thoughts of the race, his sister comes in to meet him - one look and Kit is aware that Holly, who hates to drive, hasn’t come to visit , but drove one hundred and fifty miles from Newmarket because something was wrong. However, prone to superstition before a big race, he doesn’t encourage her to confide in him just yet; instead he asks her to wager all the money she has on No. Eight, and buy herself a drink with what’s left. With a promise to solve her problem, Kit - the older twin, takes her leave.
After a moody start, North Face does come out with flying colors – ‘like an arrow from nowhere’ - and now Kit is focused on finding out what Holly’s problem is. This time its three yearlings that Holly’s husband has purchased and is unable to pay for - the local gossip rag The Daily Flag has printed the news that Robertson ‘Bobby’ Allardeck, horse trainer and son of the tycoon Mallard Allardeck is in over his head, and Daddy isn’t going to rescue him. The threats start coming in, as Bobby is unable to make payments and obviously Holly is concerned for the safety of her husband.




The couple cannot consider suing the paper as they lack the financial means to do so - Kit is advised that they should ask instead for a public apology and retraction of the article. Owing to the bank loans, Bobby has no future in the house or property, as it is being viewed as security by the bank; however, amidst the hullaballoo, Holly discovers they are going to be parents, and after the initial reservations, the mood is of quiet celebration.
Jamie Grave is not giving up and tries every trick to ‘steal’ his horses back, but the plans are foiled by the wily Kit Fielding. Bobby and Kit’s relationship becomes one of mutual respect as they cover each other’s backs. Allardeck Sr. ignores his son’s plight stubbornly, eyeing the knighthood then lordship - in order to keep his prospects high, he donates most of his money generously to charities. As the mystery around Bobby’s troubles starts to unravel, Kit finds out that the vicious attacks by the press are actually Maynard Allardeck’s doing - this comes as a hurtful surprise to the family.
Dick Francis’s knowledge of horses and the familiar environ of racetracks comes to the fore as the novel progresses - his ease of narrative and simplicity in language with a touch of the poignant - are all well balanced and enthralling. This is his twenty fifth novel and is a favorite with readers, especially as Kit Fielding as the main character, engages the audience with his straightforward and honest approach to problems; he is at once astute and sensitive - as can been seen in his dealings with sister Holly and lover Danielle. An entertaining read from a clean hearted, well experienced story teller!

Even Money (Published in 2009) - Sudden appearance of a father - Authored by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Ned Talbot has a clear perspective of who is, rather who he is perceived to be - a pariah. The sort of creature that makes for the underbelly of the racetrack - a bookie. The closet snobbery and class divide is obvious, stock broking is white collar, whereas punters socializing with bookies is strictly a ‘NO’. Ned and his assistant Luca are able to make decent profits and sizeable losses as they ply their trade at Royal Ascot and other small racecourses. A second generation bookie, he has seen the trade descend into depravity - from being an art form, almost where transactions were written in books, to the paper emitting computer – bookies are now less known for honor, better known for their sly, wily ways.
His mundane numbed existence is jolted out of its seasoned normality, when a man claiming to be his father, meets him at the parking lot at the Ascot. Ned is shocked, he grew up with his grandfather, who told him his parents had died in a car crash - so who is this man, really, claiming to be his father? Where had been all these years? Why had he chosen to show up now - seven years and two days after the old man’s death? His mind is a mess - he has never met his father for thirty seven years, has believed that the only family he has is now dead, yet here is this man, claiming to be his parent!
And so Edward ‘Ned’ Talbot is reunited with Peter James Talbot, his father. Peter tells him that he had panicked when Ned’s mother died in the crash, and in typical teenage fashion, had bolted in the opposite direction - to Australia. As Peter is filling the blanks in Ned’s life, telling him he has two half sisters, they walk down an alley. The sound of footsteps rings alarm bells, he’d had a bad day at the races - why would anyone follow him to steal from him?




The duo are mugged, and even though Ned throws an envelope with money towards the men - it simply lies untouched on the grass, so does his father - who has been stabbed in the stomach. Peter dies in the emergency room. Orphaned twice over, Ned is numb with shock, which deepens when the investigating officer tells him that contrary to the information the man has shared with them regarding his ‘father’ - the credentials the dead man has speak otherwise; his credit card and driver’s license have on them the name Alan  Charles Grady.
The police are mistrustful of Ned, shadowing him as he visits Sophie, his wife in hospital, who is being treated for bipolar disorder;  his mind is plagued with questions, as he wonders how and why his ‘father’ could’ve landed them all in such a mess? When he goes to the hotel where his father had rented a room, Ned finds thirty thousand pounds in cash, a device that resembles a remote control, counterfeit horse papers, and a polythene bag containing something that resembles grains of rice, but on closer look is frosted glass. Despite all the depressing events in his life, Ned is rewarded with a happy ending - where he is reunited with his sisters, and both he and Sophie look forward to parenthood!
Dick and Felix Francis have researched well, the Senior Francis is gifted with years of experience as a steeplechase jockey and Felix has almost effortlessly managed to melt into the style of writing adopted by his father - this seamless narration is the strength of Even Money. Excellent read!

Death Benefit (Published in 2011) - Authored by Robin Cook - Promise vs. greed

Afrodita Pia Grazdani has had the nightmare innumerable times. And it always has the requisite affect on her - leaving her in cold sweat, afraid and insecure. A fourth year medical student at the Columbia University, Pia has been offered an enviable assignment - assistant to the living legend, Nobel Laureate, molecular geneticist Dr. Tobias Rothman himself. He is conducting two researches simultaneously about virulent strains of salmonella and the other, more challenging task of finding out whether healthy human organs can be created from stem cells - organogenesis.
Pia is from Albania, and has undergone immense suffering as a child at the hands of her uncle and authorities in foster care, this hurt was entrenched further when her own father refused to come to her rescue at the foster care center; she is now twenty six and although beautiful, with a stream of admirers, suffers from what could only be some sort of a ‘detachment syndrome’. Her most loyal friend George Wilson, an ardent admirer with whom she has had intimate (according to her, plain sex) relations on four occasions to be precise, is at the receiving end of her lack of emotions; she would rather he leaves and goes home than spend the night in her bed! This is a serious flaw that mars the otherwise pristine beauty.




Dr. Rothman becomes the father figure in Pia’s life; she is deeply attached to him, making up for the loss of emotional contact from her own parent in her growing years. The doctor admires her tenacity and dedication, they become kindred spirits, he even confesses to her that he suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. The success of his research means that Tobias will put a lot of drug companies out in the cold, as organs such as the pancreas will be ‘created’ in labs, bringing down the usage of diabetic drugs, a major source of revenue for drug firms. When Pia breaks the news that after she completes her research and Ph.D, she plans to look after the financial needs of the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Rothman is livid, he wonders how she can throw away an opportunity to work with him over a god forsaken charity in Africa! When she tells Tobias the reason why, he offers to loan her fifty thousand dollars for the Convent, the Mother Superior refuses to be repaid, using the word ‘betrayal’, even as Rothman urges Pia to move on instead of being bulldozed with ‘Catholic guilt’.
On the other hand, unknown to the scientists cocooned in their laboratories, the world of medicine, life and death is manipulated by avarice and money. Two former employees of Wall Street, set about to earn a quick buck by buying life insurance policies with death benefits, from people who are in dire straits. They pay premiums on the policies, collecting benefits when the people die. They have researched well and are aware that people in need of organ transplants are especially prone to financial crunches, weigh the odds of finding a donor, and the body rejecting the donated organ. The machinery they’ve created is well oiled and earning them enough cash, when things get a little shaky.
One of their own, a protégée of theirs, decides to pull a fast one on them - she is short selling their stock. Apparently the woman had wanted to be a part of their team, but was rejected, this mad her see red and she decided that they would pay for this decision. This brilliant yet twisted creature has gotten onto the trail of Dr. Rothman, and his cutting edge theory of organogenesis. Maybe these banking brains could make money out of it! Robin Cook has authored thirty odd books, Death Benefit  is another brilliant work from his amazing storehouse of storytelling and imagination!

Whip Hand (Published in 1979) - Written by Dick Francis

Sid Halley never had it easy - orphaned at a young age, he became a racing trainer’s apprentice at fifteen, but was well looked after by his trainer who taught him the ways of the world and the racetrack - he became a champion jockey, turned sensible investments into a fortune, married for two years in happiness, two years in discord and one year in bitterness - divorced after five years – choosing the racetrack over marriage. Misfortune struck when his left hand was crippled after he fell from a horse, and the animal trampled his hand. Furthermore, it was amputated after a villain - Howard Craye, damaged it (Odds Against). He has still not come to terms with the loss of his limb and struggles to accept his new battery charged hand, all metal and plastic in place of sinew and blood.
As he sits watching a ‘decent comedy’ on  telly one evening, he is visited by Rosemary Caspar, the wife of a well to do, high flying trainer George Caspar, for whom Sid had ridden in the past. The lady suspects that someone is out to ruin her husband by sabotaging his thoroughbreds; sadly no one gives her any attention or believes in humoring her suspicions. A lot is at stake for the Caspars - their reputation, wealth and social standing, their future in racetracks and off course their beloved horses, who have suffered at the races, losing out to equine specimens lesser than them. Now there is Tri-Nitro, and Rosemary is concerned that he will suffer the same fate. She pleads with Sid to ensure that nothing happens to George’s thoroughbreds, he agrees to help.




Sid gets in touch with Bobby Unwin of the Daily Planet, who wrote a piece on George Caspar sometime ago. The journalist agrees to give him a copy of  the magazine when they meet. While he is trying to sort through affairs de Caspar, his ex father in law Admiral (retired) Charles Roland asks him to come over and meet Jenny, his ex as well as him. Apparently Jenny was swindled by a smooth talking conman, into doing some shady mail order business to raise money for charity - once Jenny rakes in the moolah, the conman disappears, leaving her to cover his tracks and answer to the donors; she also faces the horrific possibility of landing in prison!
A third sub plot is added, as Sid’s help is requested to investigate the shady dealings of many patrons and syndicates of the Jockey Club. Lord Friarly, Earl and landowner approaches Sid and tells him that he is concerned about how syndicate formers were buying horses cheap, selling them for four times the profit – it was legal up till then, but things went awry when these horses  failed to perform - the Earl suspects that the races are being fixed.
Sid has his hands full this time, and he is in a spin - yet, he never compromises on his ethics and ideals, ever the perfect Francis hero! Whip Hand is the only novel other than John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, to have received the Gold Dagger (Best Novel, 1979) and the Edgar Award (Best Novel,1980). For Dick Francis fans, this book can be enjoyed.

In the Frame (published in 1976) - Written by Dick Francis - into the world of art fraud and crime

Richard Stanley Francis or Dick Francis was born in Pembrokshire, Wales, England on October 20th 1920. His father was a renowned jockey and Francis was catapulted in to the world of Horses, Jockeys and racing. He dropped out of school to train as a Jockey and was a fighter pilot in the Royal Air-force during World War II. After the war Francis became a celebrity Champion Jockey winning over 350 races. He was the lead Jockey for the Queen Mother. But he had to drop out of Horse racing after a serious fall and became a racing correspondent for Sunday Express. Dick Francis churned out numerous best sellers and most of his books deal with the mysteries in the realm of Horse racing and Jockeys. He wrote more than 40 international best sellers and is the recipient of numerous awards. Being a three time recipient of Mystery writer of America's Edgar Award he was made the Grand master of MWA. He is also the recipient of Britain's Crime Writers Association's Gold Dagger Award for fiction in 1979 and the Cartier Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award. He also has the Gumshoe award to his credit. He was accorded a CBE in 2000. Dick Francis died in his Caribbean home on February 10, 2010 bringing down the curtains to an illustrious life.
Yet another fabulous novel from the master mystery writer and its all about horse racing again. One of the enduring traits about the Dick Francis book is that there is an endless variety of jobs and passions related to the racing fraternity. In The Frame has a horse painter as the protagonist.



Yes Charles Todd is a painter or an artist who paints horses. During the course of his book Dick Francis gives you the trivia or the interesting facets of painting a horse picture. Many are an event frozen in time by the artist. It is said that Mary, his wife used to help him undertake extensive research to help him get through the book. So she learned photography, parachute gliding and for this book she learned to paint. As Felix, Dick Francis's son put it “they were a team, a cottage industry with out a cottage”.
Charles Todd like all the Francis heroes, is an unassuming gentleman, albeit a cheeky one here. He comes down to Australia to check on a cousin. But as luck could have it he walks in to a crime scene. The cousin's house is burglarized, and the wife is murdered seemingly intercepting the thieves. The house is completely burned down ruining all the expensive paintings and a cellar full of wine. Charles stays back to help his cousin to deal with the police and the insurance. The investigation appears to be stalled and his cousin sinks deeper in to depression. To help the stagnant situation to move Charles takes matter in his own hands follows up the clues.
He meets another middle aged women whose house has been similarly burnt down and the common thread running between the two being a purchase of a painting done by the master. Soon patterns evolve and Charles finds that all the paintings bought were fake and to cover the trail of the phony paintings the fraudsters were trying to destroy them as soon they were purchased. Charles detective work takes him all over Australia and New Zealand where he is battered, bruised and almost killed. But he soon manages to uncover the gang's modus operandi and once again rescues the racing world.
Only Dick Francis can come up with a thriller like this and the simplicity is the major brownie point for this book. An incisive knowledge about the racing world and his vast experience helps Francis to mold a fantastic character like Charles Todd who may not be a jockey but paints horses. The language is engaging, simple and down to earth. Only jarring feature is the prevailing old British overtones through out and its still difficult to believe such chivalry exists in the real world.