Hot money (original 1987; edition 1987)

Way to many characters to keep track of and a most unlikely villain selected in the end. ( )

I read this book before I was ever aware of LibraryThing or quite possible before it was even available. Dick Francis is one of my all time best authors. I find ever book to well be written and you don't want to stop reading until it is finished. The story line is always associated directly or indirectly with horse racing. I would highly recommend Dick Francis' books to anyone who loves a good mystery story. My rating is based on my knowledge of his work and how much I enjoy reading them. ( )

multimillionaire with 5 wives & many children escapes danger

5.00

When you are saddled with relatives like those of jockey Ian Pembroke, you've got valid cause for concern. For starters, there's Ian's father, Malcolm, a gold arbitraguer with a Midas touch in everything but wives (he's had five). Then there are the ex-wives themselves: Ian's grudge-bearing mother; a vicious pair called "the witches"; a fourth wife? dead in a tragic accident; and now the last and most detestable, a murder victim.

This is a Dick Francis I would recommend to a new reader as it showcases his writing as its best. The story is told by Ian Pembroke, one of the many sons of Malcolm Pembroke, a man who's made a huge amount of money in the gold market who is now afraid for his life. Ian is the child he trusts to help him figure out what's going on. At the start of the story, its been three years since Ian and Malcolm spoke and part of what makes this book such a good read is meeting Ian's family through his eyes and his father's as they consider who would wish to hurt him. The mystery is clever and suspenseful and all of the characters feel real and three dimensional. As a lover of mysteries, this one stood out to me and is one I will probably reread. ( )