Dark Horse

Author:Felix Francis

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I used to (and sill do in fact) love a good thriller. One fine day, a friend lent me a Dick Francis novel, which I’d previously avoided as I wasn’t a follower of the sport of kings, and I was somewhat surprisingly hooked. I went back and read all the earlier titles, and since then have always kept up with the new ones. As age caught up with him, Francis recruited his son Felix to collaborate with him, and eventually, after his father’s passing, he took over the mantle and wrote the more recent novels alone, although they are still branded as ‘Dick Francis novels’. Although they are all standalone works, certain characters do periodically reappear, this new book featuring private investigator Sid Halley who has cropped up in a good few previous titles. Here, a young Irish female jockey whose career is very much on the up, is forced to flee to England to escape a jealous controlling boyfriend. Unsurprisingly, he pursues her across the Irish Sea, intent on destroying her career and reputation. Halley is asked by her father to step in, and reluctantly agrees only to find his own life in danger. Naturally, the plot thickens as he attempts to get to the bottom of exactly what’s going on, and of course there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns in the plot before all is finally revealed in the enthralling climax. As expected, this is another tautly plotted exciting thriller that really lives up to its name, and keeps you gripped until the very last pages. A very enjoyable read!

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Thrillers, horse racing – if you’ve read any of the previous books then you’ll enjoy this, and if you’re a newcomer then dip your toe in with this one, you won’t be disappointed.

One thing you’ve learned

Although all these novels are set to a greater or lesser extent in the world of horse racing, don’t be put off if, like me, that’s something you’re not particularly interested in, as it’s really just used as a backdrop to the main storyline.

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