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Even Money
Ned Talbot is a small-time bookmaker on the edge of giving it all up when his world is turned upside down by a man who claims to be his father, long thought dead. And when the mysterious stranger is murdered, Ned feels compelled to find out exactly what is going on. But the more he discovers, the longer the odds become for his survival.
350 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
188 people are currently reading
917 people want to read
About the author
Dick Francis
538 books1,255 followersDick Francis, CBE, FRSL (born Richard Stanley Francis) was a popular British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.
Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."
Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '
Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '
Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.
On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.
During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."
Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '
Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '
Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.
On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.
During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
August 10, 2020
It was several years after the death of Dick Francis in 2010,that I turned my attention to the books he co-wrote with his son Felix Francis,and the ones written entirely by Felix himself.
Before Felix,Dick's co-writer used to be his wife Mary.But for several years,she didn't get any credit.And then it emerged that all those prim and proper sentences in his books were crafted by Mary,and she also helped with the research.She was described as a "literary dark horse",a fitting description.
After Mary died,Dick Francis still continued to write,but it didn't feel the same.However,to the credit of the father and son,even after Mary's death,the books are still good,still readable.
Even Money begins well,with lots of twists and turns.For a change,the hero is a bookmaker,something which has never happened in a Francis novel before.Crooked bookmakers are traditionally the bad guys in his books.
But in Even Money the bookmaker is still a good guy.Felix's writing is,at times,a bit jarring,but he makes up for that with the flow of the story.
The book remains interesting for the most part.
At the start,the protagonist encounters an old man,who claims to be his father,whom he has never known.Shortly thereafter,his newly discovered father dies !
The surprise ending in this book certainly gave me a shock.
Before Felix,Dick's co-writer used to be his wife Mary.But for several years,she didn't get any credit.And then it emerged that all those prim and proper sentences in his books were crafted by Mary,and she also helped with the research.She was described as a "literary dark horse",a fitting description.
After Mary died,Dick Francis still continued to write,but it didn't feel the same.However,to the credit of the father and son,even after Mary's death,the books are still good,still readable.
Even Money begins well,with lots of twists and turns.For a change,the hero is a bookmaker,something which has never happened in a Francis novel before.Crooked bookmakers are traditionally the bad guys in his books.
But in Even Money the bookmaker is still a good guy.Felix's writing is,at times,a bit jarring,but he makes up for that with the flow of the story.
The book remains interesting for the most part.
At the start,the protagonist encounters an old man,who claims to be his father,whom he has never known.Shortly thereafter,his newly discovered father dies !
The surprise ending in this book certainly gave me a shock.
November 13, 2018
One can say of "Even Money" that it may not be up to the standards of "Nerve" or "Forfeit" or "Whip Hand" or "Reflex," but it's still a Dick Francis thriller. The key elements are all here: the horseracing milieu, the damaged hero, various moral dilemmas, the easygoing first-person narration, at least one scene of brutal violence, the presentation of a lot of information about some romantically arcane subject (e.g., wine, investment banking, photography) and, of course, a more or less happy ending.
However, there's no getting around the fact that Dick Francis is nearly 90. He was born in 1920, piloted Spitfires during World War II for the Royal Air Force and spent the 1950s as one of Britain's leading jockeys, riding horses belonging to the Queen Mother. Only after his early retirement did he turn to writing fiction, starting with "Dead Cert" in 1962. But by producing a book a year up until 2000, Francis firmly established himself as a brand name, the purveyor of reliable, literate entertainment. In particular, his novels have always appealed to women -- and not only because of the horses in them, but also because his heroes are usually quietly attractive, sensitive men in their 30s burdened with guilt or otherwise psychologically wounded. The faint air of melancholy surrounding them adds an aura of almost Byronic romance.
Usually, these troubled Dick Francis heroes find themselves caught up in righting an injustice or solving a mystery that affects their lives or the lives of people they care about. In most of his 40 or so novels, Francis does without a recurring character, with one exception: Sid Halley -- a onetime jockey who has lost an arm -- becomes a private investigator in "Odds Against" and is the hero of three subsequent novels, including "Whip Hand" and "Come to Grief," both of which received Edgar awards for best mystery of the year.
Through most of his career, Francis relied on the help of his wife, Mary, who performed background research, provided a sounding board for possible plot developments and edited the final text. When she died, Francis stopped writing, apparently forever. But in 2005 he published a new Sid Halley novel called "Under Orders" and then in 2007 produced "Dead Heat," with the help of his younger son Felix. The two again collaborated on "Silks" and now again on "Even Money." Before joining his father in the family business, Felix Francis was an international-class marksman, the leader of expeditions to the Himalayas and the jungles of Borneo and a teacher of physics.
The hero of "Even Money" is Ned Talbot, a 37-year-old bookmaker who inherited his grandfather's business. As the novel opens on a depressing day at the Ascot race course, Ned has already suffered more than his share of life's troubles. His parents were killed when he was a baby; his beloved wife, Sophie, has had bipolar disorder diagnosed; his grandmother is gaga in a nursing home; and his electronics-whiz assistant, Luca Mandini, is thinking of quitting. What's more, Ned feels increasingly pressured by the large-scale betting agencies that would dearly love to put him out of business and acquire his pitch position at the tracks. So it's not surprising when the bookmaker, observing a happy couple, says to himself: "I supposed I must have been that happy once."
Well, this being a Francis novel, things have only just started to get rough for Ned Talbot. Before Chapter 1 ends, he will learn that his father is actually alive and involved with something deeply shady. By the end of Chapter 2, there will be an assault and a murder. And by the beginning of Chapter 6, Ned will discover a rucksack with a secret compartment tightly packed with 30,000 pounds in cash, a mysterious device that looks like a remote control, some counterfeit horse papers and "a small polythene bag containing what appeared at first to be ten grains of rice, but, on closer examination, were clearly man-made. They looked like frosted glass."
Mysterious goings-on at the track are once again at the center of a Dick Francis novel. Some kind of horse-switching scam, perhaps?
This rucksack and its contents provide the main narrative engine of "Even Money." But Francis adds two other subplots of nearly equal importance, one focusing on Sophie's fragile mental health, especially when under stress, and the other involving some mysterious goings-on at the track: Lately, just before certain races, all cellphones and computers stop working for five minutes. As one would expect, by the climax of the novel all three plot lines are brought together.
Though Ned worries about the hospitalized Sophie, constantly keeps on the lookout for a shifty-eyed, murderous man in a hoodie and increasingly questions what he knows about his own family's past, he never neglects his business. In the course of "Even Money," the Francises present an informal introduction to English bookmaking and horse-betting. Here, for instance, Ned talks about "punters" -- i.e., gamblers:
"The most successful are those who know almost every horse in training. And they study the races every day. They learn, over time, which horses run consistently to form and which do not. They discover which horses prefer right-handed tracks and which do better left-handed, which jumpers like long run-ins and which short, and whether they are likely to win uphill finishes or flat ones. They know if a horse runs above or below par on firm or soft ground, and also what weight suits a particular horse and whether to keep away from it in handicaps when it's rated too highly. They know where each horse is trained, if it runs badly after long journeys in a horsevan and even if a particular horse tends to do better than its rivals in sunshine or in rain."
And if punters know their horses, the riders and trainers know them even better. The great jockey Lester Piggott "was said to be able to recognize any horse he had ridden even when it was walking away from him in a rainstorm." Yet, despite all its seeming impossibility, Ned gradually realizes that some kind of horse-switching scam must lie behind the mysterious contents of the rucksack. Can Luca's electronics expertise help solve the mystery?
While "Even Money" is an agreeable way to pass a few hours, it often feels soft and rather anemic, without real driving force. Nonetheless, the overall tone and sensibility are identifiably Franciscan, and longtime fans will enjoy taking a leisurely canter round a familiar track. But new readers who want to see Dick Francis at his best should pick up one or two of those early novels. They show why Kingsley Amis and Philip Larkin, among many others, so admired Francis's writing. After all, as any punter knows, a "Dead Cert" is a much better bet than "Even Money.
However, there's no getting around the fact that Dick Francis is nearly 90. He was born in 1920, piloted Spitfires during World War II for the Royal Air Force and spent the 1950s as one of Britain's leading jockeys, riding horses belonging to the Queen Mother. Only after his early retirement did he turn to writing fiction, starting with "Dead Cert" in 1962. But by producing a book a year up until 2000, Francis firmly established himself as a brand name, the purveyor of reliable, literate entertainment. In particular, his novels have always appealed to women -- and not only because of the horses in them, but also because his heroes are usually quietly attractive, sensitive men in their 30s burdened with guilt or otherwise psychologically wounded. The faint air of melancholy surrounding them adds an aura of almost Byronic romance.
Usually, these troubled Dick Francis heroes find themselves caught up in righting an injustice or solving a mystery that affects their lives or the lives of people they care about. In most of his 40 or so novels, Francis does without a recurring character, with one exception: Sid Halley -- a onetime jockey who has lost an arm -- becomes a private investigator in "Odds Against" and is the hero of three subsequent novels, including "Whip Hand" and "Come to Grief," both of which received Edgar awards for best mystery of the year.
Through most of his career, Francis relied on the help of his wife, Mary, who performed background research, provided a sounding board for possible plot developments and edited the final text. When she died, Francis stopped writing, apparently forever. But in 2005 he published a new Sid Halley novel called "Under Orders" and then in 2007 produced "Dead Heat," with the help of his younger son Felix. The two again collaborated on "Silks" and now again on "Even Money." Before joining his father in the family business, Felix Francis was an international-class marksman, the leader of expeditions to the Himalayas and the jungles of Borneo and a teacher of physics.
The hero of "Even Money" is Ned Talbot, a 37-year-old bookmaker who inherited his grandfather's business. As the novel opens on a depressing day at the Ascot race course, Ned has already suffered more than his share of life's troubles. His parents were killed when he was a baby; his beloved wife, Sophie, has had bipolar disorder diagnosed; his grandmother is gaga in a nursing home; and his electronics-whiz assistant, Luca Mandini, is thinking of quitting. What's more, Ned feels increasingly pressured by the large-scale betting agencies that would dearly love to put him out of business and acquire his pitch position at the tracks. So it's not surprising when the bookmaker, observing a happy couple, says to himself: "I supposed I must have been that happy once."
Well, this being a Francis novel, things have only just started to get rough for Ned Talbot. Before Chapter 1 ends, he will learn that his father is actually alive and involved with something deeply shady. By the end of Chapter 2, there will be an assault and a murder. And by the beginning of Chapter 6, Ned will discover a rucksack with a secret compartment tightly packed with 30,000 pounds in cash, a mysterious device that looks like a remote control, some counterfeit horse papers and "a small polythene bag containing what appeared at first to be ten grains of rice, but, on closer examination, were clearly man-made. They looked like frosted glass."
Mysterious goings-on at the track are once again at the center of a Dick Francis novel. Some kind of horse-switching scam, perhaps?
This rucksack and its contents provide the main narrative engine of "Even Money." But Francis adds two other subplots of nearly equal importance, one focusing on Sophie's fragile mental health, especially when under stress, and the other involving some mysterious goings-on at the track: Lately, just before certain races, all cellphones and computers stop working for five minutes. As one would expect, by the climax of the novel all three plot lines are brought together.
Though Ned worries about the hospitalized Sophie, constantly keeps on the lookout for a shifty-eyed, murderous man in a hoodie and increasingly questions what he knows about his own family's past, he never neglects his business. In the course of "Even Money," the Francises present an informal introduction to English bookmaking and horse-betting. Here, for instance, Ned talks about "punters" -- i.e., gamblers:
"The most successful are those who know almost every horse in training. And they study the races every day. They learn, over time, which horses run consistently to form and which do not. They discover which horses prefer right-handed tracks and which do better left-handed, which jumpers like long run-ins and which short, and whether they are likely to win uphill finishes or flat ones. They know if a horse runs above or below par on firm or soft ground, and also what weight suits a particular horse and whether to keep away from it in handicaps when it's rated too highly. They know where each horse is trained, if it runs badly after long journeys in a horsevan and even if a particular horse tends to do better than its rivals in sunshine or in rain."
And if punters know their horses, the riders and trainers know them even better. The great jockey Lester Piggott "was said to be able to recognize any horse he had ridden even when it was walking away from him in a rainstorm." Yet, despite all its seeming impossibility, Ned gradually realizes that some kind of horse-switching scam must lie behind the mysterious contents of the rucksack. Can Luca's electronics expertise help solve the mystery?
While "Even Money" is an agreeable way to pass a few hours, it often feels soft and rather anemic, without real driving force. Nonetheless, the overall tone and sensibility are identifiably Franciscan, and longtime fans will enjoy taking a leisurely canter round a familiar track. But new readers who want to see Dick Francis at his best should pick up one or two of those early novels. They show why Kingsley Amis and Philip Larkin, among many others, so admired Francis's writing. After all, as any punter knows, a "Dead Cert" is a much better bet than "Even Money.
October 4, 2009
I wanted to love this. What's not to love about a new Dick Francis, right? But I'm sad to say I only liked it. Our typical Dick Francis hero is there with an interesting profession, family problems, a mystery to puzzle through, and villains to defeat. But for some reason the story never completely pulled me in. I still recommend this for any and all Dick Francis fans, but I have to say that while it's not my least favorite Dick Francis, it also doesn't make my list of favorite Francis mysteries.
One thing I did find very interesting were all the references to current technology. Ned Talbot (and Felix Francis, I'm sure) is certainly up-to-date with technology and the Internet. There are references to Google, Google Earth, Facebook, microcoders and RFID (radio-frequency identification), the computerized Hawk-Eye system (in tennis), SIM cards in cell phones, Wi-Fi, and E-FIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique). There have been several other Dick Francis mysteries with computers, gadgets, and even the Internet, but none of them have been quite so loaded with it as this one.
One thing I did find very interesting were all the references to current technology. Ned Talbot (and Felix Francis, I'm sure) is certainly up-to-date with technology and the Internet. There are references to Google, Google Earth, Facebook, microcoders and RFID (radio-frequency identification), the computerized Hawk-Eye system (in tennis), SIM cards in cell phones, Wi-Fi, and E-FIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique). There have been several other Dick Francis mysteries with computers, gadgets, and even the Internet, but none of them have been quite so loaded with it as this one.
December 23, 2009
The Dick/Felix Frances author combo still doesn't have the magic that made me a huge fan of Dick Frances's books, and I'm not quite sure what it is. Even Money is again about the racing environment, delving into the world of the bookies and the punters on the racetrack. Perhaps I was lost because there was an awful lot about bookmakers odds--lots of fractions and numbers that went right over my head even with the help of the chart at the front of the book. It also seemed as if the editor left in a lot of funny English phrases, which threw me for a loop now and then, that were "Americanized" in the early Francis books. There was murder and intrigue and clever machinations but I didn't find that love of horses that shimmered through Dick Frances's books and made me learn to love horses myself. And perhaps most of all, I just didn't admire and connect with the main character as I have with all of the earlier books. Sigh. I'll still read the Dick/Felix books when they come out, but the love affair is dying.
May 31, 2013
"Even Money", yet another Francis racehorse action mystery, may refer to balancing bets for wins and losses to come out ahead. In a dark deserted Ascot car park, third generation bookie Ned is accosted by a stranger who claims to be his long-lost father from Australia, warns him of danger, and dies in his arms from a sudden knife attack.
Ned's nerd techie provokes a thug villain. His manic-depressive wife wants to come home from the psych ward. Research is on library microfiche. Masked intruders violently demand a knapsack of cash, and a mysterious microcoder. Put everything together and whew, what a thriller.
Aside: Finally found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k57N1S... after initial unsuccessful search for previews of two DVD sets: 1989 starring Ian McShane (as investigator David Cleveland, not in books): Bloodsport, In the Frame, Twice Shy or The Racing Game, 6 PBS episodes starring Mike Gwilym as Sid Halley (Francis book series).
Ned's nerd techie provokes a thug villain. His manic-depressive wife wants to come home from the psych ward. Research is on library microfiche. Masked intruders violently demand a knapsack of cash, and a mysterious microcoder. Put everything together and whew, what a thriller.
Aside: Finally found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k57N1S... after initial unsuccessful search for previews of two DVD sets: 1989 starring Ian McShane (as investigator David Cleveland, not in books): Bloodsport, In the Frame, Twice Shy or The Racing Game, 6 PBS episodes starring Mike Gwilym as Sid Halley (Francis book series).
September 28, 2009
Not good. I don't think Felix quite gets it. He has a heavier hand than his father in the earlier books. The characters are not as delightfully genteel and the educational content (here about betting, id-ing horses, bi-polar disorder, electronics and MORE) is way over done. The plot is also over done. In this story Ned Talbot is a bookie on the racetrack who meets a man claiming to be the father that Ned thought to have died 30 years ago. The same day Ned meets him, the father who lives in Australia, is murdered. The plot goes on from investigating his father's murder to investigating his father, to Ned's problems with his mentally ill wife, to Ned's problems with his staff, to a case of horse mistaken identity, to incidents of computer malfunction, and ad infinitum.
January 6, 2022
Whether this is by Dick Francis, Felix Francis or a collaboration is not clear. I don't think it's quite up to the standard of Dick Francis at his very best, but nevertheless it's a good book and worth reading.
Four stars. Would I read it again? I might, and it's made a great final read of 2021.
Four stars. Would I read it again? I might, and it's made a great final read of 2021.
September 9, 2018
I think it's been several years since the last time I read Dick Francis. His world of horse racing is so very different than almost anything else I read that it is pure escapism. This is more thriller than mystery. There were a few times when the first person narrator did what I thought was stupid or unthinking. "No, don't!" or "How could you be so dumb?" I thought.
There is enough characterization to keep it interesting - more so, perhaps, than I might expect in a novel of this type. The prose does its job without being complex on the one hand, or boring on the other. If there was any subtlety or hidden meanings anywhere, it was too subtle or hidden for me to notice it.
Other readers have said that when the son, Felix Francis, started being a part of the Dick Francis offerings, the quality slipped. I haven't read enough to make comparisons, but this was an enjoyably solid 3-star read.
There is enough characterization to keep it interesting - more so, perhaps, than I might expect in a novel of this type. The prose does its job without being complex on the one hand, or boring on the other. If there was any subtlety or hidden meanings anywhere, it was too subtle or hidden for me to notice it.
Other readers have said that when the son, Felix Francis, started being a part of the Dick Francis offerings, the quality slipped. I haven't read enough to make comparisons, but this was an enjoyably solid 3-star read.
February 1, 2014
نيد تالبوت "بطل الرواية " عمل طيلة حياته وكيل مراهنات على خيول السباق - بعد أن ورث عمل العائلة عن جده -شهد حياة صعبة ، ورأى الكثير ، كد واجتهد وقاوم الظروف التي واجهته . بين زوجة مريضة وعمل صعب حيث منافسة بقية الوكلاء والشركات الكبيرة تقضي على مكاتب المراهنات الصغيرة .
بوصول رجل يدعي أنه والده تنقلب حياته ، خاصة وأنه من المعروف له أن كلا والديه قد توفيا في حادث سيارة حين كان عمره عاما واحدا .
تتصاعد الأحداث بعدأن يقتل والده - الذي عرفه لساعات قليلة - أمامه ويخبره قبل وفاته أن يتوخى الحذر ..
رواية مليئة بالألغاز تدور في عالم وكلاء المراهنات على الأحصنة ، طريفة ، خفيفة ، وأحداثها سلسة ..
بوصول رجل يدعي أنه والده تنقلب حياته ، خاصة وأنه من المعروف له أن كلا والديه قد توفيا في حادث سيارة حين كان عمره عاما واحدا .
تتصاعد الأحداث بعدأن يقتل والده - الذي عرفه لساعات قليلة - أمامه ويخبره قبل وفاته أن يتوخى الحذر ..
رواية مليئة بالألغاز تدور في عالم وكلاء المراهنات على الأحصنة ، طريفة ، خفيفة ، وأحداثها سلسة ..
February 1, 2014
رواية مختلفة تدور في عالم المراهنات على الأحصنة مختلطة بالكثير من الألغاز والطرائف ، ويميزها السلاسة التي سارت بها الأحداث وأسلوب القص
رابط تحميل الرواية :
http://www.4shared.com/office/q2iuzZ_...
November 30, 2009
I buy novels by Dick Francis out of hope for a spark of the old energy, but haven't found it i a while.
September 8, 2009
Another winner.
If you have never read Dick Francis, he is addictive. If you already know his books, you don't need this review because you--like myself--eagerly awaits everything he writes!
His last few books have been co-authored with his son Felix and that seems to have invigorated his writing. I have never read a disappointing book from this author; of course, they all follow predictable "formulas" but it works for me. Kind of like your favorite ice-cream flavor should always taste the same. It's not great literature, just very well written, gripping, fast paced and enjoyable. I read this one very quickly; hard to put down.
As usual, the background is horse racing. This time, the hero is a bookmaker--not the easiest profession to sympathize with; this created interesting challenges that the writers easily jumped over like a champion horse over hurdles (OK, I had to throw in a horse racing analogy!). There are back stories regarding two of the hero's relatives living with mental illnesses. Again, I appreciated the challenge that represented in order to keep the overall pacing fast and light.
If you have never read Dick Francis, he is addictive. If you already know his books, you don't need this review because you--like myself--eagerly awaits everything he writes!
His last few books have been co-authored with his son Felix and that seems to have invigorated his writing. I have never read a disappointing book from this author; of course, they all follow predictable "formulas" but it works for me. Kind of like your favorite ice-cream flavor should always taste the same. It's not great literature, just very well written, gripping, fast paced and enjoyable. I read this one very quickly; hard to put down.
As usual, the background is horse racing. This time, the hero is a bookmaker--not the easiest profession to sympathize with; this created interesting challenges that the writers easily jumped over like a champion horse over hurdles (OK, I had to throw in a horse racing analogy!). There are back stories regarding two of the hero's relatives living with mental illnesses. Again, I appreciated the challenge that represented in order to keep the overall pacing fast and light.
May 9, 2023
Good build up, got slow in the middle. Was trying to keep up with the storey line because of so many variations going on. There is the wife health, the horse being exchanged, the rfid tag, the murder, the grandmother revealing the truth, the new partners, the delinquents getting in the horse betting scam to jam the line. Too much for me personally. The ending was beautiful, all settled with his wife being pregnant. Overall I learnt a lot about horse racing, betting and horse identification measures in place.
December 24, 2009
Another Great one done by Father and Son.
True love as Teddie Talbot and his distress, mildly mentally unstable, Sophie travel through married troubles and troubles at the racetrack.
Good look at how technology and old knowledge come together to break "even" the score between Modern betting houses and track bookmakers.
Friends come in when the chips are down and the stakes are high.
True love as Teddie Talbot and his distress, mildly mentally unstable, Sophie travel through married troubles and troubles at the racetrack.
Good look at how technology and old knowledge come together to break "even" the score between Modern betting houses and track bookmakers.
Friends come in when the chips are down and the stakes are high.
June 18, 2021
The father-and-son author team did an especially good job of describing the British horse racing betting system so this reader, who knew very little about it before hand, could clearly understand what was going on at the end of the book.
September 20, 2022
Not one of my favourite Dick/Felix Francis books, but enjoyable nonetheless
May 31, 2024
This was not as intensely thrilling as I expected it to be but the British have a way of even making a thriller sound comical. I had a very amusing time reading this!
October 9, 2018
A bit boring read.
October 11, 2010
I wonder if this will be the last book published with Dick Francis's name first and foremost, or if, like the protagonist in this book, Felix Francis will cease to ride his parent's famous and successful coattails, and put his own name on the banner on future publications.
I liked this book. Interesting protagonist, twisted mystery, reasonably cogent plot, decent characterization, etc. I didn't love it, though, as I often have some of Dick Francis's novels. Accustomed as I am to stopping to admire the wordcraft, I was slightly let down this time to find myself stopping instead to consider how I would have rewritten some of the prose. It could have been tighter in places, particularly in the early going.
As protagonists go, Ned Talbot was interesting and sympathetic but not as rounded as earlier unwilling heroes have been. I liked him, but didn't find him particularly resonant, and I'm not sure he'll stick in my mind in the long term. Or maybe he will, because of the convoluted nature of his family life.
I'm not sure I've ever been so lukewarm about a Dick Francis novel. Usually I feel strongly about them, one way (I loved Straight) or the other (didn't and still don't care for Slay-Ride). Still, Mr. Francis is one of my favourite authors, and I was so sorry that we lost him last year. I'm obviously still clinging to the name.
Keep writing, Felix. And use your own name.
I liked this book. Interesting protagonist, twisted mystery, reasonably cogent plot, decent characterization, etc. I didn't love it, though, as I often have some of Dick Francis's novels. Accustomed as I am to stopping to admire the wordcraft, I was slightly let down this time to find myself stopping instead to consider how I would have rewritten some of the prose. It could have been tighter in places, particularly in the early going.
As protagonists go, Ned Talbot was interesting and sympathetic but not as rounded as earlier unwilling heroes have been. I liked him, but didn't find him particularly resonant, and I'm not sure he'll stick in my mind in the long term. Or maybe he will, because of the convoluted nature of his family life.
I'm not sure I've ever been so lukewarm about a Dick Francis novel. Usually I feel strongly about them, one way (I loved Straight) or the other (didn't and still don't care for Slay-Ride). Still, Mr. Francis is one of my favourite authors, and I was so sorry that we lost him last year. I'm obviously still clinging to the name.
Keep writing, Felix. And use your own name.
September 19, 2009
Teddy “Ned” Talbot has had both his feet in the horse and bookie world, since he was a little boy. He worked as a runner for his grandfather. He knows all there is about the business of being a really good bookie.
Ned is approached by a man claiming to be his father. Ned doesn’t believe him as his father and mother died in a car crash years ago. Ned has no choice but to believe the man when he knows details and facts about things that only Ned’s father would know. Before they can get close, a man approaches them and demands to know where the money is from Ned’s father. Ned calls for help and the man flees. By this time it is already too late. His father has been stabbed to death. Ned goes to his father’s hotel room and there he finds lots of cash and a strange device that is every bookie’s dream.
I have been eyeing Dick Francis’s books for some time but just never read one till now. A reason I was drawn to this author is because of the horse on the cover. I am a sucker for horse elated books or books that have horses on the covers. I though this was a so, so read. The plot had some interesting parts but it couldn’t hold up all the way through for me. Ned never really connected with me on a level that made me want to get drawn into the story fully. The authorities were clueless and if it wasn’t for Ned the case would have gone unsolved. Unfortunately Even Money wasn’t a Triple Crown winner this time.
Ned is approached by a man claiming to be his father. Ned doesn’t believe him as his father and mother died in a car crash years ago. Ned has no choice but to believe the man when he knows details and facts about things that only Ned’s father would know. Before they can get close, a man approaches them and demands to know where the money is from Ned’s father. Ned calls for help and the man flees. By this time it is already too late. His father has been stabbed to death. Ned goes to his father’s hotel room and there he finds lots of cash and a strange device that is every bookie’s dream.
I have been eyeing Dick Francis’s books for some time but just never read one till now. A reason I was drawn to this author is because of the horse on the cover. I am a sucker for horse elated books or books that have horses on the covers. I though this was a so, so read. The plot had some interesting parts but it couldn’t hold up all the way through for me. Ned never really connected with me on a level that made me want to get drawn into the story fully. The authorities were clueless and if it wasn’t for Ned the case would have gone unsolved. Unfortunately Even Money wasn’t a Triple Crown winner this time.
October 23, 2009
Felix suffers from Tom Clancy Syndrome. That is where an author is compelled--maybe by OCD--to share EVERYTHING he learned in researching the book with the reader. He gives far too much information on betting and how odds are set to the reader--to the point of including tables at the first of the book. Whereas his dad knew how to feather in the necessary information into the story in a way that educated the reader, but kept the story moving along briskly.
(BTW when you see a combination like this with Dick Francis on top and Felix Francis below--you can be assured that Felix did the writing while Dick probably worked on the outline. The publisher does this to sell more books. They know we wouldn't pick up a title by Felix Francis.)
The plot information has been given by the other writers, so I'm not going to give it.
In some ways the story kept me more interested that the previous two outings of the two together. But it still suffers from Felix's inability--or the editor's lack of balls--to curtail huge information dumps. (Double trailer dump truck loads.)
The other problem I had with the story was the peckishness of the main character. He seemed to be driven by immaturity and fits of pique. And just before the ending of the book there is a huge confession that changes the entire tone of the book, and not in a good way.
I really worry that Felix will be able to learn the craft before his dad dies. Dick is almost 90 now.
(BTW when you see a combination like this with Dick Francis on top and Felix Francis below--you can be assured that Felix did the writing while Dick probably worked on the outline. The publisher does this to sell more books. They know we wouldn't pick up a title by Felix Francis.)
The plot information has been given by the other writers, so I'm not going to give it.
In some ways the story kept me more interested that the previous two outings of the two together. But it still suffers from Felix's inability--or the editor's lack of balls--to curtail huge information dumps. (Double trailer dump truck loads.)
The other problem I had with the story was the peckishness of the main character. He seemed to be driven by immaturity and fits of pique. And just before the ending of the book there is a huge confession that changes the entire tone of the book, and not in a good way.
I really worry that Felix will be able to learn the craft before his dad dies. Dick is almost 90 now.
February 4, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this joint effort between Dick Francis and his son Felix. I had read most of Dick Francis's novels many years ago - long enough that I can't fairly compare the writing style but this book kept me interested from early on. I have read one other book by Felix Francis and in both books I was intrigued enough by the main characters to want to know more about them. This particularl novel takes the reader into the life of a book-maker up against those out to put him out of business. His wife is bi-polar and some fair amount of time goes into explaining what this meant to them and their relationship. Some reviewers don't seem to like that, but I think it helps with removing the stigma from mental health issues.
I have never been to a horse race (other than the Calgary Stampede once) and have never placed a bet with a bookie. I doubt if I ever will either but I enjoyed reading this interesting mystery.
I have never been to a horse race (other than the Calgary Stampede once) and have never placed a bet with a bookie. I doubt if I ever will either but I enjoyed reading this interesting mystery.
September 11, 2009
Reading a Dick Francis novel is as comfortable as an old pair of shoes. He writes wonderfully and even when the plot deals with an unfamiliar topic, bookmaking in Even Money, it makes little difference to enjoying the story. The main characters are ordinary individuals caught up in extraordinary circumstances. In Even Money it is a legal independent bookmaker at the track trying to entice bettors (punters) to bet with him by providing slightly better odds, and payout, than the big off-track betting corporations. The bookmaker, Ned Talbot, is interupted by this old guy who eventually claims to be his dead father of 36 years. He is immediately killed before Ned can prove or disprove his claim. And the action escalates from there. Add in some heartbreaking personal problems with a mentally ill wife and grandmother with dementia and Francis has written another terrific story. Read it! You won't be disappointed.
September 6, 2009
This latest collaboration between Dick Francis and Felix Francis again has all the elements of a book written by someone other than Dick Francis. There are long stretches of exposition about bookmaking, mental illness and other sundry things where in earlier novels the exposition was more limited. The dialogue and the spare crisp writing style are muted but the ordinary business man placed in a bad situation who has to get even against the evil bad man without resorting to the help of the police is still there and the lack of a female character of any substance is still there and the story does move along and the ability to write about even another area of horse racing is remarkable.
Its not written the same as the earlier Francis novels, its not frankly as good, but there is still something to like in this novel.
Its not written the same as the earlier Francis novels, its not frankly as good, but there is still something to like in this novel.
November 21, 2010
Not quite a gripping thriller
Even Money is a fairly good story, with plenty of insight into the world of horse racing, and lots of accurate geographical descriptions of England’s countryside, roads and race courses.
The principal character, a bookmaker called Ned Talbot, struggles his way through a series of shocking revelations and seriously threatening challenges. I wouldn’t describe the story as taut or tense or gripping or unputdownable, or any of the other clichés that reviewers often apply to thrillers. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend it to any of my friends who like a good crime thriller, especially those who like an English setting.
It won’t be the best thriller that you have ever read, but I can guarantee that it will certainly not be anywhere near the worst.
Even Money is a fairly good story, with plenty of insight into the world of horse racing, and lots of accurate geographical descriptions of England’s countryside, roads and race courses.
The principal character, a bookmaker called Ned Talbot, struggles his way through a series of shocking revelations and seriously threatening challenges. I wouldn’t describe the story as taut or tense or gripping or unputdownable, or any of the other clichés that reviewers often apply to thrillers. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend it to any of my friends who like a good crime thriller, especially those who like an English setting.
It won’t be the best thriller that you have ever read, but I can guarantee that it will certainly not be anywhere near the worst.
October 31, 2009
This was a real pleasure. I've been worried by the idea of the father/son collaboration, afraid that these racetrack mysteries will lose their charm if diluted by another voice. That was a waste of brain time on my part. Felix Francis has stepped into the partnership virtually seamlessly, and this latest offering is a real pleasure. The pacing moves as quickly as ever, and Ned Talbot is a likeable and sympathetic hero, whose marital love story is authentically touching. Add in some little touches that make it up to date (I loved that Ned uses Google Earth) and the authoritative details about bookmaking, and the sum is a truly satisfying entertainment.
June 22, 2010
I'm so glad Felix got involved with the family business. I think he's really got a feel for it. I was happy to read about the life of a bookies, a profession never explored by Dick Francis before (I can think of only one bookmaker's assistant who was a significant character). A great tale about depression, with a realistic, but positive message. I don't feel this ranks among the very best Francis novels, but it was good, and I was so happy to read it.
October 19, 2009
This is book 3 that has been written with son Felix Francis. By far, the best that has been done since he started helping! I have always loved the horse racing aspect of Francis' stories. This one, centers on book maker Teddy Talbot and the art of betting. It was a great mystery and just a fun read.
April 28, 2023
Felix Francis shows his stuff! Not only was this a very interesting plot, I learned a great deal about cheating at racing, bookmaking, how to cheat at bookmaking, and the layout of a lot of horseracing venues! It was extremely well written (and why not, with a 'co-author/dad' like Dick Francis!) and I enjoyed it immensely. I recommend it highly.
December 28, 2018
Having been a huge fan of Dick Francis years ago, I was eager to read this book.
I didn't enjoy it much, maybe because I wasn't interested in the intricacies of bookmaking or maybe having Felix Francis contribute didn't really work.
I am not sure if I will read any of Felix's books.
I didn't enjoy it much, maybe because I wasn't interested in the intricacies of bookmaking or maybe having Felix Francis contribute didn't really work.
I am not sure if I will read any of Felix's books.
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