The Danger (original 1984; edition 1986)

http://equus-blog.com/the-danger/ ( )

Here is not much difference between a kidnapper and Mr. Andrew Douglas, they are almost synonymous except for the part that they are each others adversary. One does it and the other prevents it.
Most of us get hysterical by mere mentioned by the word kidnap forget about actually tackling it but you see, for Andrew it’s a piece of cake, it’s his bread and butter it’s what he does for a living . So if you deal with something on a daily basis then you become exceptionally good at it and so is Andrew, in dealing with kidnappings. So when this case in Italy pops up, it doesn’t get more than its share of attention. This case involved a female jockey named Alessia who also daughter of a millionaire being abducted. And then there were complexities , the ransom job was bungled by the Italian carabenerie.
But alas Alessia was rescued with the payment of the ransom money behind the police ‘s back. Victim rescued , kidnappers nabbed, therefore case closed.
But then there were two more kidnappings of similar types in London and Washington and both related to the racing world, this made Andrew sceptical about all these cases being related. Is it a job of single mastermind, then what about the kidnappers who were caught in Italy??? Were they a deceit to allow the original kidnapper to flee??? With all these questions Andrew embarks on the journey to unveil an intriguing tale of money, fame and deceit.
This is my chance encounter with Mr. Dick Francis, in the absence of my regular mystery writers I gave Mr Francis a chance. And to my surprise I was quite taken aback with his novelty and style.The story is terse yet elaborate,simple yet complex . The story is able to catch and hold your attention at the exact precise time as a suspense should do.
The only shortcoming which I felt was the story lack a central plot to stick to , like a liaison which can connect all the aspect of the story other than that I think Mr. Francis did just fine. ( )

When a string of kidnappings rocks the horse racing world, Andrew Douglas is brought in to recover the missing-without becoming the next victim.

In this gripping book, the main character works for a company that helps families and businesses deal with kidnappings. The story covers three kidnappings in the horse world and how its solved. As with all of Francis' books, the setting and plot is gripping, the writing pulls you along and the characters have depth. For readers who enjoys a fast paced thriller and are less interested in the horse racing specific aspects of Francis' works, this is a good one to start with. ( )

Dick Francis is good at writing a cracker of a thriller and this is no exception. As usual there's horses involved but this time it's almost as a peripheral idea. The story revolves around a man, Andrew Douglas, who helps rescue kidnap victims and a couple of the people he helps rescue. It not only deals with the kidnapping itself but also the aftereffects of the kidnapping on Alessia Cenci.

It's interesting and engaging but pretty predictable. ( )