Felix Francis

Over the course of several decades I have read and enjoyed every mystery written by Dick Francis, every book he and his son, Felix, co-authored, and the several novels written by Felix Francis since his father's passing. The book did not disappoint this reader!

I welcome the return of the likeable Sid Halley, who had moved on from his two previous dangerous jobs as jockey and investigator. Balking like a horse at a fence, Sid tries to refuse the admonitions of the chairman of the British show more Horseracing Authority to come out of retirement. However, as Sid says, he “could hardly do nothing" about the questions of corruption presented to him and thus ends up in a race to solve the case before more trouble ensues.

One quibble about the book is the portrayal of Marina, Sid’s wife, whose dialog is often described as shouted and screamed making her seem quite shrewish and angry. Not quite what one would hope as a mate for the steady Sid.

The plot-driven narrative follows the familiar formula of the previous novels and pulls the reader quickly into the increasingly fast-paced story. This is altogether a nice outing for Felix Francis and I will look forward to more! show less

Francis, Felix. Iced: A Dick Francis Novel. Crooked Lane, 2022.
Dick Francis has been dead for more than a dozen years. But Dick Francis novels were always a family enterprise, first coauthored by Dick and his wife, and after her death by Dick and his younger son Felix, who worked as a high school physics teacher until the family novel-writing business began to monopolize his time. Felix now owns the Franchise, but his dad’s name is still what sells. So, what is a “Dick Francis Novel”? show more Iced will suffice as a paradigm. The setting has something to do with the British horse racing industry. In Iced, the protagonist is an ex-jockey who has taken up tobogganing to get his adrenaline rush. The required crime story in this case is much subordinated to the protagonist’s struggles with his inner demons, the result of PTSD from having witnessed the death of both of his parents. The stories are marked by the quiet, reflective voice of the first-person narrator, who almost always learns something important from his experience. Iced does not have the dramatic tension of many of the earlier novels, but Felix has the voice just about right. 3.5 stars. show less

Geoffrey 'Perry' Mason is a professional barrister and amateur jockey and these pass times meet when a leading jockey he knows, Steve Mitchell, is accused of killing another jockey. A former client of Mason's threatens that if he doesn't take Mitchell's case and lose his own family will suffer. Mason is torn between doing what he knows is right and doing what will bring him peace in his life.

Usually when I pick up a new book I do so anticipating an interesting experience: new characters to show more meet, places to visit, ideas to contemplate. Occasionally though I am in the mood for the literary equivalent of comfort food and for me that means reaching for one of ‘my’ authors who write to a formula I enjoy. Few do that better than Dick Francis. His books are all variations on the theme of a central male character somehow related to the world of horses who gets into trouble not of his own making that can only be overcome by heroism of the stiff upper lip variety. This is the 41st Dick Francis book I’ve read and I can’t honestly say it’s much different from any of the others. But then, today anyway, I’d have been disappointed if it had been.

Silks is the second book co-authored by Francis’ younger son Felix (Francis is 89 now) and is much better than the first, Dead Heat, which I read last year. Unlike that one, which never felt terribly credible and had plot holes you could drive a lorry through, Silks was quite believable. The fear which people were able to induce in perfectly ordinary citizens so that they would lie and do other things against their nature felt very genuine and I was thoroughly engaged in finding out how our hero would ensure justice prevailed in the end (which of course I knew it would).

For all the lightness and frothiness of Francis' books he does have a great ability to depict real human behaviour and it was interesting to watch how various people coped with the violent intimidation that was prevalent throughout the story. Mason's growth into the sort of person who could stand up to quite horrifying scare tactics was also well done.

Silks is one of those books that delivers exactly what you expect and sometimes that's enough to qualify as a satisfying read. Francis fans will enjoy the book while new readers could do worse than start with this one. show less

The cover labels “Iced” “A Dick Francis Novel” and I think this is a misnomer. Dick Francis wrote novels that had a tie in to horses with a mystery front and central.

“Iced” features the past and present life of former steeplechase jockey Miles Pussett and his mental health problems and the various ways they developed and his attempts to deal with them before receiving professional help. It is interesting, particularly when looking at the news and seeing people in the public eye show more facing similar problems. The saddest part is as they lose confidence in themselves they are used by others who have power over them.

I was disappointed because I was looking forward to a mystery, however I did gain insight to the mental health issues and their impact on an individual. There is a mystery but it is a small portion of the book. It is well written, which I would expect from Felix Francis, and, perhaps, it is his break away from his father’s style of book from which, I thought, he has been moving away successfully. I was led by the promotion to expect one thing and I got something else. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4 stars. show less