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Loading... Field of Thirteen (original 1998; edition 1999)by Dick Francis
Work InformationField of Thirteen by Dick Francis (1998)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Advanced reading copy fine I tend to avoid short story collections (can't really say why, just biased towards novels I guess) and I hadn't realized this was a such a book. Well, I'm going to have to adjust my attitude. Granted, I am a fan of Mr. Francis, but found these stories completely enjoyable and occasionally heart-wrenching. Most of Dick Francis' mysteries set in or around the sport of horseracing were full-length novels, but he did occasionally write short stories for publication in various magazines. This is a collection of 13 of those, written at various times and for various publications. Francis added short header notes to each story giving a little of the background or inspiration, or indicating when something had been updated. Generally speaking, they range from okay to good, but I still prefer his longer works. My brief notes on each: Raid at Kingdom Hill — A seemingly straightforward tale of villainy through a bomb threat at a racecourse turns twisty as all sorts of people look to cash in. Dead on Red — A professional assassin goes to the races. Song for Mona — The meek may not inherit the earth, but sometimes they get their revenge. Bright White Star — A trainer, a tramp, and a tale of "what goes 'round, comes round'. Collision Course — Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel. Nightmare — Crime pays just fine most of the time, but once in a while the good guys win one. Carrot for a Chestnut — A chain of conspiracy is only as strong as its weakest link. The Gift — An alcoholic sportswriter gets the tip of a lifetime at the Kentucky Derby — if only he can stay sober enough to write it. Spring Fever — An older woman's crush on her young jockey is paid back with treachery. Blind Chance — Sometimes you don't have to watch the ponies run to know who wins. Corkscrew — Drawing straight with crooked lines is sometimes the only way for justice to be served. The Day of the Losers — Racing is full of winners and losers, and they aren't always who they seem to be. Haig's Death — The butterfly effect plays out at the racecourse. I abandoned the book half-way through, because unfortunately I really don't like short stories very much. The 7 that I read were good as short stories go. I read Dick Francis novels many years ago and enjoyed them, so I decided to give these stories a try. This book deserves an explanation of why someone would drop it, so there you have it. Good writing and stories, but just too short for me. I should have known better. no reviews | add a review
Distinctions
Thirteen stories on horse racing. In Blind Chance, a blind boy discovers a scheme by crooks to rig bets, while in Carrot for a Chestnut, life punishes a jockey who drugs his horse. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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