Book Log 47/2010 - Dick Francis: Whip Hand
Dick Francis: Whip Hand
Pan 1975
I promised myself that this year would be the year of trying new authors. New to me, that it. I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to reading a Dick Francis novel. I mean, he's been writing them since the early 60s and they are based in the world of horseracing even though this one is only peripherally about horses. Verdict? Excellent. I picked up this book at random in a charity shop, so with no prior knowledge find it's the second in a short series featuring Sid Halley, one time champion jockey who has lost his left hand and now investigates cases associated with the world of racing. Several seemingly unrelated cases, one on behalf of his ex-wife who seems to loathe him, threaten to bring Sid to his knees, but together with his judo-expert employee, Chico, he manages to unravel various plots, whose solutions are actually more interdependent than it seemed at first even if the crimes behind them are separate. Sid's a totally believable character, hard on the outside but soft in the middle with a surprising vulnerability. The book is exciting, visceral and a fast, enjoyable read.
Pan 1975
I promised myself that this year would be the year of trying new authors. New to me, that it. I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to reading a Dick Francis novel. I mean, he's been writing them since the early 60s and they are based in the world of horseracing even though this one is only peripherally about horses. Verdict? Excellent. I picked up this book at random in a charity shop, so with no prior knowledge find it's the second in a short series featuring Sid Halley, one time champion jockey who has lost his left hand and now investigates cases associated with the world of racing. Several seemingly unrelated cases, one on behalf of his ex-wife who seems to loathe him, threaten to bring Sid to his knees, but together with his judo-expert employee, Chico, he manages to unravel various plots, whose solutions are actually more interdependent than it seemed at first even if the crimes behind them are separate. Sid's a totally believable character, hard on the outside but soft in the middle with a surprising vulnerability. The book is exciting, visceral and a fast, enjoyable read.