Field of Thirteen

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.

A great collection of short stories by the master of horse-racing mysteries. Unlike his novels that are told from the point of view of private investigators or other "good guys" trying to solve the crime, many of these stories concentrate on the crooks and the villains which is a refreshing change. It is a joy to read these skilfully constructed pages. There are no filler words, no unnecessary paragraphs, no misleading subplots. Every sentence is clear and thought-out, leading unhesitatingly towards the revelation or twist in the end. As with all anthologies, comparison between stories is of course inevitable and there are some stories that are better than the others but really no weak ones. A special mention must be given to the show more designer of the covers: the cleverly framed photo is incredibly effective and aesthetically pleasing. show less

Thirteen stories from the master. Each one a perfect gem with quirky characters who come together at the track. Greed, love, jealousy, the range of human emotions and foibles. Good guys tend to win and bad guys learn their lessons in sometimes very hard ways. And always a twist that caps the tale.

I read many Dick Francis mysteries in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. I admired his intimate knowledge of all facets of horse racing and his able plotting. In time, I lost interest because his characters were, in the main, one-dimensional and a bit too pat. “Field of Thirteen” is a collection of Francis’ short stories, written mainly in the ‘70’s. In the short story format, one-dimensional characters are pretty much the norm, and the plot’s the thing, so I thought I’d enjoy these more. I unfortunately found most of the 13 stories to be rather routine. Having just put the book down (it was my “waiting room” read for a couple of weeks) I can only recall the plots of three or four. Francis seldom wanders far from the show more racecourse, and when he does (as in his story that involves the American legal system) the results are disastrous. Perhaps I just need to attend more steeplechases to get full enjoyment. show less

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these stories. With moods from O'Henry to Du Maurier, they were each of them absorbing, well told and most had a good twist to them. I have read a few mysteries by Dick Francis, so I knew he wrote good novels. It's nice to know that his short stories are top notch as well.

Thirteen short stories collected from various publications.
I particularly liked "Song for Mona" and "The Day of the Losers". They were great to read in short spurts, and just as excellent as Francis' longer works. Interesting to me were those that took place in the USA, rather than the normal UK of most Francis books.

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 show more 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. show less