Synopses & Reviews
Dick Franciss beloved investigator Sid Halley returns in the riveting new mystery by New York Timesbestselling author Felix Francis. Six years ago, investigator Sid Halley retired for good. Hed been harassed, beaten, shot, even lost a hand to his investigating business, and enough was enough. For the sake of his wife and new daughter he gave up that life of danger and uncertainty, and he thought nothing would ever lure him back into the game.
He thought wrong. Sir Richard Stewart, chairman of the racing authority, begs Sid to investigate a series of dodgy races. Sid adamantly refuses, but the following day, Sir Richard is found dead under suspicious circumstances. And then a man with an Irish accent contacts Sid, telling him to deliver a whitewashed report about the suspected race-fixing . . . or else.
At first Sid ignores these warnings, knowing that once he submits to this criminal bully, he will forever be under his control. But as the intimidation tactics escalateand Sids own family comes under threatSid realizes he must meet his enemy head-on . . . or he might pay the ultimate price for his refusal.
Review
“[Felix Francis] has one priceless advantage. He couldnt have had a better teacher.”—
The Washington Times
"Francis aficionados will hope that Felix chooses to carry on the family tradition on his own.”—Publishers Weekly
“Francis knows how to control this wild run of a plot and also knows how to create a conflicted character in the midst of crisis. A stunning addition to the family line.”—Booklist
Review
Praise for Dick Franciss Refusal
“To the delight of Dick/Felix Francis fans, [Sid] Halley gets back into investigations after an eight-year hiatus . . . Its the kind of page turner that fans of either Francis have come to expect.”—Sacramento Bee
“In REFUSAL, [Felix Francis] has found a strong voice and confident style . . . in the same, comforting, ever-so-British style of his father, Francis assures readers that integrity will prevail.”—The Plain Dealer
“A fast-paced, highly professional evenings entertainment.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This is fascinating reading on every level, from the neatly calibrated plot, moving from suspense to terror, to all the details of the racing world Francis provides. Halley is now, as before, an utterly complex, interest-holding character. And the final, moral turn that Francis makes of “refusal” is brilliant. A heroic return for Sid Halley.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Francis successfully resurrects one of his late fathers most popular creations and only series character—disabled jockey-turned-PI Sid Halley . . . Longtime fans will be hard put to tell this gripping thriller from the senior Franciss work.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for the Dick Francis novels by Felix Francis
Bloodline
“Francis knows how to control this wild run of a plot and also knows how to create a conflicted character in the midst of crisis. A stunning addition to the family line.”—Booklist (starred review)
“With “Gamble” in 2011 and now “Bloodline,” Felix Francis shows that the apple hasnt fallen far from the tree…the story unfolds with the suspense and insistent pace readers expect from their annual Francis fix.”—Washington Times
“Francis ably follows in the footsteps of his father, Dick Francis, with his second stand-alone set in the English horse racing world… Fans will have a hard time distinguishing this solid thriller from the fathers work.”—Publishers Weekly
Gamble
“[Felix] Francis shares his fathers gift for brisk storytelling.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fans of Dick Francis suspense masterpieces should rejoice: Felix has produced a mystery with a racing setting (the Grand National, no less); a retired but still yearning ex-jockey as the detective; and an intriguing mix of racing and other business.”
—Booklist
"Gamble has all the things that loyal readers have anticipated in their annual Francis fix: a taut and intelligent story full of suspense, danger and mystery in spare and fast-moving prose that keeps readers' attention . . . Francis novels, under new management, will continue to find themselves at the very top levels of genre fiction.”
—Washington Times
Synopsis
Six years ago, private investigator Sid Halley retired. He d been harassed, beaten, shot, even lost a hand enough was enough. For the sake of his wife and new daughter, he gave up that life, and he thought nothing would ever lure him back into the game.
He thought wrong.
Sir Richard Stewart, chairman of the racing authority, begs Sid to investigate a series of dodgy races. Sid refuses. Then Sir Richard is found dead under suspicious circumstances. And then a man with an Irish accent contacts Sid, telling him to deliver a whitewashed report about the suspected race-fixing or else.
At first Sid ignores these warnings. But as the intimidation tactics escalate and his own family comes under threat Sid realizes he must meet his enemy head-on or he might pay the ultimate price for his refusal."
Synopsis
When a string of kidnappings rocks the horse racing world, Andrew Douglas is brought in to recover the missing-without becoming the next victim.
About the Author
Dick Francis (pictured with his son Felix Francis) was born in South Wales in 1920. He was a young rider of distinction winning awards and trophies at horse shows throughout the United Kingdom. At the outbreak of World War II he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot, flying fighter and bomber aircraft including the Spitfire and Lancaster.
He became one of the most successful postwar steeplechase jockeys, winning more than 350 races and riding for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. After his retirement from the saddle in 1957, he published an autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write more than forty acclaimed books, including the New York Times bestsellers Even Money and Silks.
A three-time Edgar Award winner, he also received the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association’s Cartier Diamond Dagger, was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2000. He died in February 2010, at age eighty-nine, and remains among the greatest thriller writers of all time.