Odds Against

After a career-ending injury to his left hand a couple of years earlier, former jockey Sid Halley has a make-work position in a private security firm. When he is nearly killed in a sting operation gone wrong, Sid’s father-in-law, a retired admiral, provides him with a stimulating case involving the stealthy take-over of a race track. This proves to be exactly what the doctor ordered, and it becomes the catalyst for Sid’s transformation from former racing hero to successful private investigator.

Sid is not my favorite of Francis’s heroes, but I like him well enough to look forward to his further adventures. This book has a similar feel to Second Wind, which I liked just a bit more. Perhaps the difference is that this book is one of show more Francis’s earlier works, while Second Wind was written after Francis had years of writing experience behind him. show less

When I started reading I thought, 'oh my, I probably won't like this that much'. I was very wrong, because soon the tension picked up speed and I couldn't put the book down.
If you've read a lot of Dick Francis books, you soon saw which way the story was headed, but the how and why was well hidden.
Sid, a former jockey and son-in-law of a rich man, 'worked (sat)' in a detective agency since his accident and actually did nothing. His father-in-law tricked him into investigating why successful horse racing venues were being run down, to the point of selling land so that houses could be built there.

Sid Halley is a depressed ex-jockey working for a private investigation agency. His father-in-law puts him on to a possible racecourse takeover to jolt him out of his malaise. And then Sid takes off!
I enjoyed this novel not least of which because I know there are more Sid Halley novels to enjoy. It was thrilling but gut wrenching with the brief torture scenes.

[bookcover:Odds Against|8568]
Odds Against – Dick Francis
Audiobook performed by Geoffrey Howard
3.5***

From the book jacket: Steeplechase jockey Sid Halley was forced to retire when a devastating accident crippled his left hand. Now he spends his days working for a detective agency. Recently separated from his wife, he struggled to adjust not only to his new single life out of racing but also to his handicap. On a routine stakeout, he walks straight into a bullet and his life is changed – again. Halley searched for the man who shot him. The trail leads back to the racetracks, and points to a wicked conspiracy. Halley is the only one who can stop it, and the odds are against him….

My reactions:
I’ve read a couple of Dick Francis show more mysteries, but this is the first in a series, starring Sid Halley. I really liked how Francis gave us Halley’s background and set up potential continuing relationships for future books in the series.

I would classify this plot less as a traditional mystery, and more of a thriller. Halley (and the reader) know pretty quickly who’s behind the nefarious doings at the track, though there’s a bit of a question as to why and how, and not all the accomplices are known immediately. Halley is tenacious, intelligent, a quick-thinker, and a realist. I like the way he thinks.

The plot moves quickly and there’s enough action and intrigue to keep me interested.

Geoffrey Howard does a fine job performing the audiobook. I like his pacing and the way he voices the characters, particularly Sid and his sidekick, Chico. There are several audio editions with different narrators. show less

There isn't much mystery about who the bad guys are, but enjoyable as usual. The side commentary on 1960s perception of BDSM was an exciting bonus.

Quotable:

"But sex violence and fraudulent take-overs aren't much related," I complained.
"You might as well say it is impossible to have boils and cancer at the same time. Something drastically wrong with the constitution, and two separate symptoms. "

This first in the Sid Halley series was written back in 1965! Wow, time flies. Yes, this book is dated, but I have fond memories of reading this as a youth, and the Francis "heroes" were surprisingly nontraditional heroes. Except they almost all are physically and mentally stoic and strong.

Unsentimental, so any romantic elents ae understated. Very repressed Englishman, if you know what I mean. Friendship, courage, determination, and honesty are all values prized by Francis and his main characters. Sid is a pattern for many other Francis protagonists, so he's no exception. In this book, Sid overcomes his pain over losing his career, his one true passion being a jockey, and comes to life again in a second career as an investigator. The show more courage to persist even while disabled is a core trait, and even when the bad guy threatens his remaining hand, he persists to the climax of the investigation. show less

I'm so glad I saw the movie of this book first. It was part of a four-episode series on British television called The Racing Game. The first episode was an adaptation of this book; the remainder were based on the characters and written by screenwriters in consultation with Mr. Francis. I enjoyed them, especially the first, and liked the casting, so I felt I'd like to read the book to see how it differed (having already read the second in the series, Edgar-winner [book:Whip Hand].

Had I read the book first, I would have been disappointed in the film, because the book is much better. In it, Sid Halley has been "working" in a large detective agency for two years, ever since his hand was smashed in a steeplechase accident, ending his career show more as a jockey. He is seldom given any assignments and assumes that the job is a bit of charity -- not because he needs the money but just to give him a place to go each day. Then, his soon-to-be-ex-father-in-law inveigles him into helping foil an extremely hostile takeover of a small racecourse, and in the process, Sid discovers that he really does want to be a detective and is good at it. All this character growth is brought out much more fully in the book than in the film. Also, some minor plot changes in the film, while perhaps cinematically apt, seemed somewhat unrealistic to me, and the original incidents in the book are both more believable and just as suspenseful. If you like to see filmed mysteries, do watch the videos first and then read the book. But do read the book by all means. show less