Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Guide Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, By Felix Francis will still provide you favorable worth if you do it well. Completing the book Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, By Felix Francis to check out will certainly not end up being the only goal. The objective is by getting the positive worth from guide till the end of guide. This is why; you have to find out more while reading this Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, By Felix Francis This is not just exactly how quick you check out a publication as well as not just has the number of you finished the books; it is about just what you have actually acquired from the books.
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Read Online and Download Ebook Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Jefferson Hinkley is back in the newest Dick Francis thriller by the New York Times–bestselling author of Damage. In his role as an undercover investigator for the British Horseracing Authority, Jeff Hinkley is approached by a multi-time champion jockey to discuss the delicate matter of losing races on purpose. Little does he know that the call will set off a lethal chain of events, including the apparent suicide of the jockey and an attempt on Hinkley’s own life. Never one to leave suspicious events alone, Hinkley begins investigating the jockey and the races he may have thrown. But there are others out there who intend to prevent his inquiry from probing further . . . at any cost.
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis - Amazon Sales Rank: #38591 in Books
- Brand: G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Published on: 2015-10-13
- Released on: 2015-10-13
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.25" h x 1.25" w x 6.25" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 384 pages
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis Review Praise for Front Runner “Francis once again proves himself worthy of wearing his father’s colors. This latest effort has an absolutely propulsive plot that will remind Dick Francis fans of his classic nail-biters . . . This one’s a stunner.”—Booklist (starred review)“Entertaining . . . Francis again offers an imaginative variant on the racetrack-related thriller plots of his father.”—Publishers Weekly“Fast-paced and well-constructed . . . Francis once again pulls off extending the spirit of his father’s long string of successful horse racing mystery novels quite nicely.”—Reviewing the EvidencePraise for the Dick Francis novels by Felix Francis “Felix Francis’ latest mystery does the family tradition proud . . . a vivid and fascinating read.” —The Washington Times “Francis’s fourth solo outing ranks with the best of his late father’s thrillers set in the British horse racing world. The compelling main storyline deserves high marks for originality…”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Felix Francis wields all of his father's tools of the trade here, telling a satisfying story of murder and intrigue that barrels along without losing sight of the details . . . this satisfying novel is worthy of the Francis name.”—Shelf Awareness “Francis expertly choreographs Jeff's extended cat-and-mouse duel…Fans of both thrillers and horse racing will be on tenterhooks…”—Kirkus Reviews “Felix is a master plotter and suspense builder. A wonderful feature of this book is the wealth of detail Francis provides about racing…Another Francis thriller in which danger and suspense build with each scene.”—Booklist “[Felix] has the Francis formula down pat, with descriptions of the horse-racing industry real and exciting, and character analysis deep and penetrating...sharp and insightful…all the characterizations are acute, as is the plotting, and the novel is highly recommended.”—Crimespree Magazine “This is the fourth incredible solo novel written by Felix Francis, son of the eminent mystery novelist Dick Francis, and in this latest story, the action and suspense are right on target. . . . An extremely good story for the mystery lover, and most especially the horseracing fan. With a fascinating plot, Felix Francis continues to prove that he owns the wonderful writing style of his famous dad; yet he still has the fresh voice that allows him to carve a niche in the literary world that is all his own. Readers can keep looking forward to the next mystery that will open up the gates and unveil the underbelly of the racetracks of England.”—Suspense Magazine “Damage has all the elements that made Dick Francis a literary giant — the masterful suspense, the thorough research, the nasty and brutal bad guys, and the likeable hero who is calmly professional and possesses a dogged pragmatism and steely determination.”—America’s Best Racing “Felix Francis writes well and convincingly, offering me a strong extension of his father's sort of novels and I intend to keep on reading what he writes.”—Reviewing the Evidence
About the Author Felix Francis assisted with the research and writing of many of the Dick Francis novels and is the coauthor of Dead Heat, Silks, Even Money, and Crossfire, and the author of Gamble, Bloodline, Refusal, and Damage. He lives in England.Dick Francis was the author of more than forty acclaimed books. Among his numerous awards are three Edgar Awards for best mystery novel, the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award. He died in February 2010.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The display on the digital thermometer to my left read105 degrees—105 degrees Celsius, that is, 221 degreesFahrenheit. Sweat ran off the end of my nose in a continuous stream and I could feel the heat deep in my chest as I breathed in the searing air. I’d been in saunas before, but never one this hot. “So what do you want?” I asked. My companion in this hellish place didn’t answer. He simply stared at the floor between his feet. “Come on,” I said. “I haven’t come all this way for my health. It’s far too bloody hot in here. You wanted to talk to me, so talk.”He lifted his head.“At least you’re not in one of these damn things.” He tugged at the black nylon sweat suit he was wearing. As if the heat alone wasn’t bad enough.“Maybe not, but I didn’t come here to be slow-roasted.”He still didn’t talk. He just looked at me. Dave Swinton, twenty-nine years old and already eight times champion steeplechase jockey. At five-foot-ten, he had a continuous struggle with his weight, that was common knowledge, but owners and trainers were often happy to accept a touch overweight in order to have his exceptional skill in the saddle. And for good reason—the stats showed that he won almost a third of the races in which he rode.“Off the record?” he said. “Don’t be silly,” I replied. I was an investigator for the British Horseracing Authority, the organization responsible for regulatory control of all Thoroughbred racing in the United Kingdom. Nothing I saw or heard to do with racing could be off the record.“I’ll deny I said it.”“Said what?” I asked. “I’ve been in this bloody oven now for over ten minutes and I’m starting to look like a lobster. Either you tell me why I’m here or I’m gone.” I wondered why he’d been so insistent that we should talk in his sauna. I had thought it was because he needed to shed a pound or two before racing at Newbury that afternoon, but maybe it was actually to make sure that I had no recording equipment hidden about my person. As a rule, I used my iPhone to record meetings, but that was in the pocket of my jacket, which was hanging up on a peg outside, along with the rest of my clothes. Dave went on looking at me as if still undecided.“Right,” I said. “I’m done.” I stood up, wrapped the towel I had been sitting on around my waist and pushed open the sauna’s wooden door.“I lost a race this week.”I put one foot through the doorway. “So? You can’t win them all.” “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I lost it on purpose.”I stopped and turned to him. I knew most of the Rules of Racing by heart. Rule (D)45.1 stated that a jockey was required, at all times, to have made a genuine attempt to obtain from his horse timely, real and substantial efforts to achieve the best possible placing. To lose a race on purpose was to willfully flout that rule, an offense that could carry a penalty of ten years’ disqualification from the sport.“Why?” I asked.He didn’t answer. He simply went back to studying the space between his feet.“Why?” I asked him again. “Forget I ever said it.”“I can hardly do that,” I said. Winding back time wasn’t possible. Just as uninventing the atom bomb wasn’t ever going to happen. I looked down at him, but he went on scrutinizing the floor. “Can’t we get out of this bloody heat and talk about this overa glass of iced beer?”“I can’t drink anything,” he replied sharply without moving his head. “Not even water. What the hell do you think I’m doing this for? I’ve got to lose two pounds to ride Integrated in the Hennessy.”“Won’t you be dehydrated?”“Usual state for me,” he said, trying to produce a laugh. “I’ve been wasting every day since I was sixteen. I can’t remember what a square meal looks like. Nor a beer. In fact, I haven’t had a proper drink for years; alcohol contains far too many calories. Not that I miss it much, I don’t like the taste.” He laughed again, but just once. “Why do I do it? you ask. That’s a bloody good question.” He stood up and we both went out of the wooden box into the coolness. I wondered how many people had a sauna in the corner of their garage, not that there wasn’t still plenty of room for a couple of expensive cars as well, a silver Mercedes saloon and a dark green Jaguar XK sports coupé, both adorned with personalized license plates. Dave flicked off a big red switch next to the door. “It must cost a fortune to heat,” I said.“I claim my electricity bill against tax as a business expense,” he said, smiling. “This sauna is a necessity for my job.” “How often do you use it?”“Every day. I used to go to the one in the local gym, but then they turned down the temperature—something to do with health and safety.” He peeled off the nylon sweat suit and stepped naked onto a scale.“What the hell is that?” I said, pointing at an ugly purple-and- black ring on his back.“Something landed on me,” he said with a smile. “Hoofprint.” He looked down at the scale.“I’m still too heavy,” he said with a sigh. “No lunch for me today, to go with my no breakfast.”“But you surely have to eat. You need the energy.”“Can’t afford to,” he said. “According to his bloody owner, if I can’t do a hundred and forty-four pounds stripped by two this afternoon, I don’t get to ride Integrated, and he’s one of the best young chasers in the country. He’s incredibly well handicapped for the Hennessy, and if I don’t ride him today and he wins, I can kiss good-bye to riding him anytime in the future—maybe start kissing good-bye to my whole career.” He could kiss good-bye to his career anyway if he’d been purposely losing races.“Tell me about the race you didn’t win,” I said. “I need a shower,” he replied, ignoring me and going into the house. “You can use the one in the guest bathroom, if you like. Top of the stairs on the right.”He bounded up the stairs and disappeared into what I pre- sumed was his bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him.Not for the first time I wondered what I was doing here. “Come now, Jeff.” That’s what Dave had said intently downthe line when he’d called me at ten to seven that morning. “At once. I need to talk to you. Right now. It’s vital.”“Can’t we talk on the phone?” I’d asked.“No. Absolutely not. Far too important. This has to be done face-to-face.”Dave Swinton was one of the very few members of the racing fraternity that I called a friend. Mostly, I avoided social contact with those I was supposed to police, but, two years previously, Dave and I had been stranded for twenty-four hours together by an unseasonal ice storm as we tried to return home to England after the Maryland Hunt Cup steeplechase north of Baltimore. He was there as a guest rider and I had been invited to oversee the introduction of a new drug-testing regimen for American steeplechase horses.We had ended up spending a freezing night in an upstate country hotel with no heat or light, the power lines having been brought down by the ice. We had passed the night huddled under blankets in front of a log fire, and we had talked. Hence, I’d come when he’d asked, giving up a precious Saturday-morning lie-in to catch an early train from Paddington to Hungerford and then a taxi to Dave’s house just outside Lambourn. He had dropped a bit of a bombshell with his claim to have lost a race on purpose, but if he refused to elaborate, I’d have made a wasted journey. I went into his kitchen and gratefully drank down two large glassfuls of water from the cold tap. And still I was thirsty. How Dave could drink nothing after a session in that sauna was beyond me. I followed Dave’s directions to the guest bathroom and had a shower but still had to wait downstairs for more than twenty minutes before he reappeared dressed in a dark green polo shirt, blue jeans and running shoes, his standard work attire.Whereas most top jockeys still dressed in suit and tie to go to the races in order to impress the owners and trainers, Dave Swinton had long forgone such niceties. Nowadays, Royal Ascot and the Derby meeting apart, racing in general was a more casual affair, and the current champion jockey was the most casual of them all. “I’m going to Newbury now,” he said, picking up a carryall that was lying in the hallway. “I want to run the course before the first.”I looked at my watch. It was coming up on ten o’clock.“I came by train and taxi,” I said. “Can you give me a lift?” “Where to?”“Newbury racetrack will be fine,” I said. “I’ll watch theHennessy and then take the train back to London.”“Why don’t you drive like everyone else?” he said, clearly irritated.“I’ve no car,” I said. “I don’t need one in the city. I’ll come with you.” He could hardly say no, but I could tell that he wasn’t that happy. Whatever he had decided to tell me at seven o’clock that morning, he had clearly changed his mind since, and half an hour of us together in his car was not on his agenda, friends or not.“OK,” he said grudgingly. “Are you ready?”He drove the Jaguar at speed out of Lambourn up Hungerford Hill, the only sound being the roar of the car’s powerful engine, but if he thought I wasn’t going to say something, he was much mistaken. “Tell me about the race you didn’t win.” “Please, Jeff. I told you to forget it.” “I can’t,” I said.“Try.” mHe drove on in silence past The Hare public house and on toward the M4 junction, overtaking a line of slower vehicles with ease.“Which race was it?” I asked. He ignored me. We turned eastward, accelerating on to the freeway.“Come on, Dave, you asked me to come all this way because you had something to tell me that couldn’t be said on the phone. So here I am. Speak to me.”He concentrated hard on the road ahead and said nothing as the Jaguar’s speedometer climbed rapidly past a hundred miles per hour.“Are you in some sort of trouble?” I asked, although he certainly would be if what he’d told me were true.He eased up on the power and pulled over toward the left. For a nasty moment, I thought he was going to stop on the hard shoulder and chuck me out, but he didn’t. He just drove sedately along in the inside lane at a mere eighty-five.“Jeff, can I speak to you off the record?” he asked again. “You know I can’t agree to that. This is my job.”“It’s my bloody job that I’m more worried about.” We took the exit off the freeway at Newbury and I sat and waited quietly while he negotiated the traffic lights at the inter- section.“Look, I’ll keep what you say confidential if I can,” I said, encouraging him to go on. “But no promises.” He must know that I was obliged to report any breach of the rules to the BHA Disciplinary Committee. He sighed deeply. “I need your help.” “Ask away.”“I’m being blackmailed.”“Who by?” I asked as calmly as I could.“I don’t know,” he said. “Someone who knows more than they should about my financial affairs.”“And aren’t your financial affairs in order?”“Yeah, of course they are.” He paused. “But, you know, working out the bloody tax is complicated. Maybe I take a few shortcuts.”“By not declaring certain things?”“Yeah, maybe. But why should I pay tax on gifts?” It depended if the “gifts” were actually payments for services rendered.“How much were these gifts that you didn’t declare?”“Not much,” he said. “Not compared to what I do declare.” Dave Swinton was, by far, the highest-earning jockey in British racing. He was the public face of the sport, with a mass of endorsements and sponsorship deals. His was the image that stared out of the Racing Needs You! posters of a recent widespread campaign to encourage the young to give it a try. His ever- present green polo shirts had the distinctive swoosh logo of a top sports manufacturer embroidered on the left breast above his name and there were advertising badges sewn onto each sleeve. He certainly earned far more from commercial endorsements than he did from his riding.“How much?” I asked again. “About two hundred.”I laughed. “But that’s not enough to worry about. Just include it in your next return. No one could blackmail you over that, surely?”“Two hundred thousand.”“Ah.” The laughter died in my throat.“Yeah. But I declare more than a million.” He paused as he overtook a line of traffic waiting at some lights, swerving across into the correct lane to turn left at the very last moment. “And then some bastard calls me and tells me to lose a race or else he’ll go to the tax authorities and spill the beans.”“And you’ve no idea who?”“None,” he said. “Otherwise, I’d have killed him.” “I don’t think that would be particularly helpful.” “Maybe not, but it might make me feel better.” He drove on in silence until we arrived at the racetrack. “Which race did you lose?” I asked again as we turned intothe parking lot.“I had twenty-eight rides and ten winners last week, so I lost eighteen races.”“Don’t mess with me, Dave,” I said. “You know what I mean.” He didn’t reply. He pulled the Jaguar into a space in the jockeys’ parking area. “Do you want my advice?” I asked.“Not really,” he said, leaning his head down on the steering wheel.I gave it to him anyway. “Go to the revenue and tell them you made an error of omission on your tax return and you want to correct it. Pay the tax. That will be an end to it. I’ll try and forget what you’ve told me.”“And if I don’t?”“Then you’d be a fool. If someone has that information, they will use it. They may not go to the authorities directly, but they will use it nevertheless. Perhaps they will try and sell it to a newspaper. You’d be right in the shit. Much better that you go to the tax man before they do.”“But I shouldn’t have to pay tax on gifts. It’s not like they were earnings.”He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself rather than me.“Go and ask your accountant if you need to declare them.” “Bloody accountants,” he said, sitting back in the seat. “Youdon’t want to tell them anything if you don’t want the tax man to know it. In spite of the fact that it’s me that pays their bill, my lot seem to work exclusively for the government, always telling me I can’t claim for all sorts of things I think are essential for my job.”“Get a new firm, then. And do it now.”And maybe, I thought, it was one of his accountant team who knew about his tax-return omission who was trying to make a bit of extra cash on the side. “How much money did the blackmailer demand?” I asked him as we walked toward the racetrack entrance.“That’s what was odd,” Dave said. “He didn’t ask for money, he just said that I mustn’t win the race.”“Which race?” He didn’t answer.
Where to Download Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Most helpful customer reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. I Miss Dick Francis' Writing By Avid Reader As I read Felix Francis' books, I can't help missing his father. Dick Francis commented in an interview that his newspaper career had taught him to write in a lean and spare manner - I don't remember his exact language, but the idea was that he didn't waste words. He delivered fresh plots with a compact writing style. Felix's writing is more wordy and repetitious, sometimes seeming slightly pedantic. His books are very readable though, with interesting plots. I will keep reading Felix Francis' books, but I will keep missing his father.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. I am also collecting every book Felix writes and I feel he is getting better with each book By Karen King I own about every book written by Dick Francis and even reread them from time to time. I am also collecting every book Felix writes and I feel he is getting better with each book. I liked the characters in this book and was kept guessing about the plot. A nice surprise twist at the end caught me off guard (and I like that). My only complaint (and it might be considered petty by some) is the occasional use of profanity. I know, I know...people talk like that today, but good writing doesn't need profanity thrown in and frankly, I find it distracting. I read once that Dick Francis said he had to write "clean" books because he knew the Queen read them. I'm no queen, but I suspect I represent many of my generation who appreciate a well-written story that doesn't resort to the use of profanity. After all, Sherlock Holmes is still going strong today without it. But overall, I am a Felix Francis fan and can't wait for his next book!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Excellent storytelling in this extremely satisfying journey of a thriller. Five strong stars. By Ellie's Reads After a long series of really good one-off thrillers from this author, I wasn't sure how I felt about last year's hero in DAMAGE, Jeff Hinkley, making a return appearance. But any potential skepticism disappeared in the first few chapters, when I got well and truly hooked into an intricate plot that packs a huge wallop of suspense from the very start. In fact, if you think you got to know the main character in the first book, think again. Yes, the superb thinking ability and likability are still there, but life even for action heroes doesn't always go as planned, and Jeff is poked, prodded, provoked, and pummeled in these pages to the point where I found myself genuinely--and frequently--hoping against hope that he would prevail. And along the way his character evolved into a Jeff I found even more complex and likable. (Not that you need to have read DAMAGE to enjoy this adventure for itself. You absolutely don't.)There's a sense of adventurous fun and light-heartedness in FRONT RUNNER that I think adds new spark to the character and encompasses a new supporting cast, yet the multi-part plot includes ongoing serious and breathtaking twists and turns that all tie together at the end in the cleverest of ways. Mostly, it's a well-thought-out, rollicking, world-romping, just-plain-good adventure that leaves you longing for just a few more pages even though it is ultimately satisfying. And I hated to leave Jeff and friends; it's going to be a long wait till next year's book when we can see what he's up to again!Dick Francis fans should find much to embrace here in the Francis tradition while also enjoying the differences in style, plotting, and both light and heavy touches that are unique to Felix's work. This is Felix's 10th book (and the 51st between Dick and Felix) and I like it as much as his previous action-packed offerings such as DEAD HEAT and BLOODLINE. Perhaps even more as there is just so much to it. Without detailing the plot, I admit to both laughing out loud and shedding tears at certain times. And long-time Dick Francis readers will also notice something extra just for them if they look sharp.A good book is a journey. Take your time with this one; in fact, you may want to pack a lunch. Well done, Mr. Francis. I simply loved this story. More like this, please.
See all 112 customer reviews...
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis PDF
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis iBooks
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis ePub
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis rtf
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis AZW
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis Kindle
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel, by Felix Francis
