Under Orders

"Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than one eyebrow."
It's the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. Last seen in 1995's Come to Grief, former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all too well-but in his day, jockeys didn't usually reach the finishing line with three .38 rounds in the chest. But this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker-who, only a few hours earlier, had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle.
Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been called upon by Lord Enstone to make discreet inquiries into why his horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. Are races show more being fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and jockeys playing a dangerous game with stakes far higher than they are realistic?
Halley's quest for answers draws him even deeper into the darker side of the race game, in a life-or-death power play that will push him to his very limits-both professionally and personally. show less

Audio book read by Martin Jarvis
3.5***

Opening lines: Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than an eyebrow. That only one of the deaths was of a horse was more than enough to bring the local constabulary hotfoot to the track.

Sid Halley is a former steeplechase jockey turned detective (following an accident which cost him his left hand.) He and his former father-in-law are at the track as guests of Lord Enstone but the events of the day draw him into an investigation that involves race-fixing and big-stakes gambling.

I really enjoyed this exercise in detection which focuses on the world of steeplechase racing. Francis assumes a certain intelligence in his show more reader (always a plus), but gives enough explanation of technicalities of the sport so as not to leave the novice completely in the dust (i.e. this reader was never confused). The pace is good, although I did think it slowed a bit in the middle, and Halley is a likeable, intelligent protagonist. The plot was sufficiently intricate to keep me guessing, and I was surprised at the reveal. I did think the ending was a little contrived; he seemed to have painted himself into a corner (or locked himself in a bathroom) with no way out. But that was a minor flaw. I thought he did a fine job with the supporting cast as well; I learned enough about Marina, Charles, Jenny and Rosie to believe their involvement and to like them and want to know more about them.

As much as I love mysteries, and as often as friends have recommended Dick Francis to me, I had not read any of his books before. My understanding was that his novels are stand-alone works and not series, so I picked this one because it satisfied a challenge to read a book whose title begins with “U.” Just my luck, Francis did write two series – the Kit Fielding duet (Break In and Bolt) and the Sid Halley series, of which Under Orders is number 4 (and the last he completed before his death in 2010). I’ll definitely go back and start at the beginning. Although I had a vague feeling I might be missing some interesting background stories, I don’t think my enjoyment of this book suffered for not having read the previous Sid Halley works.

Martin Jarvis did a credible job of the audio performance. His voice is pleasant, he reads at a good speed, and he has enough training as a voice artist to differentiate the characters. show less

I've read almost all of DF's novels and was a bit disappointed by this one. The plot was alright but lots of dead wood and simply not as much going on as in his other books. Dare I say it? It was a bit boring at times.
Sid's relationship with Marina was cold and lacking feeling. And to me that was the main problem with the entire book: it lacked feeling, spirit.

My dad and I don't typically enjoy the same books, but he left his one at my house and it looked like it could be fun, so I gave it a go. I do love a good detective/crime novel, after all. This one wasn't bad! It was definitely intriguing and entertaining for the first three quarters. But once the crimes were solved and the main characters were out of danger, things got a little cheesy. I guess the author was trying to end on a happier note, but the dialogue was too silly for me and it didn't feel realistic. (Is almost being murdered more than once really a joking matter? Do I have a stick up my butt or something?) Of course, this is my first Dick Francis book, so maybe that's his thing. At any rate, I would like to read more of his show more work at some point in the future because I really do dig the way he writes. show less

Tremendously formulaic effort by Dick Francis. Sid Halley makes just the right mistakes at just the right times to keep the plot moving and allow a violent denouement. The Epilogue is both trite and cruel. Martin Jarvis reads the book in a tone that makes Sid, the narrator, seem quite insufferable. Sid makes some comments about British society today which seem to be the author's own views; in his later works, Dick Francis has seemed very critical of the younger generation of male Britons, a pathetic, overweight contrast to his small, brave, effective, and invariably stoic heroes. He may have a point, or he may be remembering the past as rather better than it really was. I can not recall any book in which he has been critical of younger show more British women.

The author had evidently done some research on internet gambling and DNA testing; unfortunately the parts of the narrative that required research were obtrusive and it seemed that the research had been rather shallow. show less

Dick Francis is in fine form in this one. Sid Halley returns, retired steeplechaser and ace PI. It is true that Francis has a certain formula for his plots but he weaves the story so well that the formula becomes secondary to the unravelling of the mystery.

I always enjoy books written by Dick Francis and this one didn't disappoint. His signature topic is horse racing, and since I know little about the sport, after reading his books, I learn something new. In this book, Sid Halley is an ex jockey, now private eye. He never strays far from a race track and most of his cases are racing related. He's just a good guy. In this book, within a short span of time, there are 3 deaths at the track, and it's too much of a coincidence to think that they couldn't be related. Of course, those involved do their best to dissuade Sid from pursuing the matter, but that only makes him more determined. Quick, fun read.