What do you think?
Rate this book
Sid Halley #1
Odds Against
Former hotshot jockey Sid Halley landed a position with a detective agency, only to catch a bullet from some penny-ante thug. Now, he has to go up against a field of thoroughbred criminals--and the odds are against him that he'll even survive.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
359 people are currently reading
1901 people want to read
About the author
Dick Francis
535 books1,249 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
September 3, 2020
”It came, the blinding flash in the eyes, as we soared into the air. White, dazzling, brain shattering light, splintering the day into a million fragments and blotting out the world in a blaze as searing as the sun.
I felt Revelation falling beneath me and rolled instinctively, my eyes open and quite unable to see. There there was the rough crash on the turf and the return of vision from light to blackness and up through grey to normal light.”
Two years ago Sid Halley crashed during a horse race and horse shoes made razor thin by use sliced up his left arm like roast beef at the deli counter. The doctors wanted to take his arm, but he insisted that they sew it up and hope for the best.
The best turned out to be an arm so deformed that people can’t bear to look at it and can’t bear to look away. Sid learns to hide his hand in his pocket. His days as a championship steeplechase jockey are over. He has a friend give him a job in his detective agency out of pity or with the hopes to put him back on his feet? Sid isn’t sure, but he is itching to get back to feeling useful.
The novel begins with Sid recovering from a bullet wound to his stomach. His first stakeout did not go very well. His wife has left him, but his father-in-law the Admiral, who didn’t want him in the first place, is sticking with him. It seems like when things start going wrong for someone they keep going wrong. Sid barely has time to recover from one disaster before another is staring him in the face.
Sid finds himself saddled with a nonexistent personal life, but hopes that throwing himself into a case will at least keep him occupied. He starts investigating a series of mishaps at a local racetrack. This quickly escalates into a scam worth millions and when things are worth millions people who get in the way start to get hurt. Sid can’t clear all the jumps that have been put in front of him. Desperate to help, and motivated by the natural tenacity that made him such a great jockey lands him at the mercy of a trio of crooks who enjoy administering pain to cripples.
And when they are beautiful it somehow lends more pain to the process.
”Doria Kraye stood there, maliciously triumphant. She was dressed theatrically in white slender trousers and a shiny short white jacket. Her dark hair fell smoothly, her face was as flawlessly beautiful as ever: and she held rock steady in one elegant long-fingered hand the little .22 automatic I had last seen in a chocolate box at the bottom of her dressing-case.”
‘The end of the line, buddy boy,’ she said.”
Sid does meet a woman who doesn’t wish to be as beautiful as Doria Kraye, but she does wish that she could be normal, just plain would be fine. Fire has turned a portion of Zanna’s face into a dreadful mess. She can’t just hide her face in her pocket like Sid can his hand.
The interesting part that Dick Francis explores so deftly in this novel is the way people react to deformity. It brings out the absolute worst in some people by inspiring mystifying hatred or a smothering bout of pity or a chilling abhorrence when all anyone wants who has suffered some crippling accident is to be treated normal. Zanna moves her desk at work so the good side of her face is what people see. Even though she can’t see her face, she can see her face in the eyes of the people who notice the burns. The blanched expressions and the looks of horror never allow her to forget.
I used to believe that people who suffering these crippling injuries will eventually adjust and they do, but unfortunately the people that they see day in and day out do not ever allow them to just move on. They have to deal with the reactions to their injuries every day. Unless a person is strong willed their injury will end up defining them.
Even when they have lost their jockey some of the horses want to finish the race.
It has been a long time since I’ve read Dick Francis, too long. I enjoy horse racing, although I mostly stick to The Triple Crown of racing and the big races leading up to those events. I did recently, almost by accident, watch a steeplechase race from England on television. It was fascinating. The jumps, the jockeys who get thrown, and the horses that continue to run the race without their jockeys. I had never seen anything like it before. I don’t know how they keep enough steeplechase jockeys ambulatory to keep having races. That bit of fortuitous channel flipping did plant the seed back in my mind to read the Sid Halley series by Francis. I’d never read them, but always heard they were excellent. Next in the series is Whip Hand which many fervent Francis fans consider to be his best book. I for one can’t wait!
I felt Revelation falling beneath me and rolled instinctively, my eyes open and quite unable to see. There there was the rough crash on the turf and the return of vision from light to blackness and up through grey to normal light.”
Two years ago Sid Halley crashed during a horse race and horse shoes made razor thin by use sliced up his left arm like roast beef at the deli counter. The doctors wanted to take his arm, but he insisted that they sew it up and hope for the best.
The best turned out to be an arm so deformed that people can’t bear to look at it and can’t bear to look away. Sid learns to hide his hand in his pocket. His days as a championship steeplechase jockey are over. He has a friend give him a job in his detective agency out of pity or with the hopes to put him back on his feet? Sid isn’t sure, but he is itching to get back to feeling useful.
The novel begins with Sid recovering from a bullet wound to his stomach. His first stakeout did not go very well. His wife has left him, but his father-in-law the Admiral, who didn’t want him in the first place, is sticking with him. It seems like when things start going wrong for someone they keep going wrong. Sid barely has time to recover from one disaster before another is staring him in the face.
Sid finds himself saddled with a nonexistent personal life, but hopes that throwing himself into a case will at least keep him occupied. He starts investigating a series of mishaps at a local racetrack. This quickly escalates into a scam worth millions and when things are worth millions people who get in the way start to get hurt. Sid can’t clear all the jumps that have been put in front of him. Desperate to help, and motivated by the natural tenacity that made him such a great jockey lands him at the mercy of a trio of crooks who enjoy administering pain to cripples.
And when they are beautiful it somehow lends more pain to the process.
”Doria Kraye stood there, maliciously triumphant. She was dressed theatrically in white slender trousers and a shiny short white jacket. Her dark hair fell smoothly, her face was as flawlessly beautiful as ever: and she held rock steady in one elegant long-fingered hand the little .22 automatic I had last seen in a chocolate box at the bottom of her dressing-case.”
‘The end of the line, buddy boy,’ she said.”
Sid does meet a woman who doesn’t wish to be as beautiful as Doria Kraye, but she does wish that she could be normal, just plain would be fine. Fire has turned a portion of Zanna’s face into a dreadful mess. She can’t just hide her face in her pocket like Sid can his hand.
The interesting part that Dick Francis explores so deftly in this novel is the way people react to deformity. It brings out the absolute worst in some people by inspiring mystifying hatred or a smothering bout of pity or a chilling abhorrence when all anyone wants who has suffered some crippling accident is to be treated normal. Zanna moves her desk at work so the good side of her face is what people see. Even though she can’t see her face, she can see her face in the eyes of the people who notice the burns. The blanched expressions and the looks of horror never allow her to forget.
I used to believe that people who suffering these crippling injuries will eventually adjust and they do, but unfortunately the people that they see day in and day out do not ever allow them to just move on. They have to deal with the reactions to their injuries every day. Unless a person is strong willed their injury will end up defining them.
Even when they have lost their jockey some of the horses want to finish the race.
It has been a long time since I’ve read Dick Francis, too long. I enjoy horse racing, although I mostly stick to The Triple Crown of racing and the big races leading up to those events. I did recently, almost by accident, watch a steeplechase race from England on television. It was fascinating. The jumps, the jockeys who get thrown, and the horses that continue to run the race without their jockeys. I had never seen anything like it before. I don’t know how they keep enough steeplechase jockeys ambulatory to keep having races. That bit of fortuitous channel flipping did plant the seed back in my mind to read the Sid Halley series by Francis. I’d never read them, but always heard they were excellent. Next in the series is Whip Hand which many fervent Francis fans consider to be his best book. I for one can’t wait!
June 5, 2017
This book introduces Sid Halley who, if memory serves, is the only protagonist that Dick Francis ever used more than once. Halley was a very successful jockey until he fell from a horse which trampled his left hand, abruptly ending his career. He accepts a job with a detective agency that has a racing division, but he spends a couple of years simply hanging around the office without being given any meaningful assignments. But he's willing to go with the flow, or the not-flow, as the case may be, because he's still trying to figure out what his future is going to be now that the one thing he really loved has been taken from him.
Things take a turn for the worse when one of the detectives in the office asks Halley to assist him in a minor sting and Halley winds up being shot. Now he has a crippled hand and a ventilated stomach, which will take some time to heal. His wealthy father-in-law asks Sid to visit over a weekend and Halley agrees to do so. (Sid's wife has left him, which is not at all uncommon for a protagonist in a Dick Francis novel, but he's still on good terms with her father.)
The father-in-law has an ulterior motive, which Halley soon discovers. The other weekend guests are a particularly obnoxious man and his equally disagreeable wife who enjoys being knocked about while having sex. Without telling Halley what he's up to, the father-in-law cleverly manipulates things so that Halley will wind up investigating the disagreeable guest.
The bad guy is apparently involved in a nasty scheme to sabotage a race course so that he can gain a controlling interest and turn the place into a housing development. Well, of course, we can't allow something that horrifying to happen, but once Halley is on the job, a lot of other very horrifying things will happen--most all of them to him.
Dick Francis is a very dependable author who almost always tells an interesting tale that moves swiftly along, and this book is certainly no exception. Although the protagonists do vary in nearly every book, there is a certain formula at work in these novels, and the principal characters are almost always of a type. That's certainly not a problem, and any fan of the series will want to look for this entry.
Things take a turn for the worse when one of the detectives in the office asks Halley to assist him in a minor sting and Halley winds up being shot. Now he has a crippled hand and a ventilated stomach, which will take some time to heal. His wealthy father-in-law asks Sid to visit over a weekend and Halley agrees to do so. (Sid's wife has left him, which is not at all uncommon for a protagonist in a Dick Francis novel, but he's still on good terms with her father.)
The father-in-law has an ulterior motive, which Halley soon discovers. The other weekend guests are a particularly obnoxious man and his equally disagreeable wife who enjoys being knocked about while having sex. Without telling Halley what he's up to, the father-in-law cleverly manipulates things so that Halley will wind up investigating the disagreeable guest.
The bad guy is apparently involved in a nasty scheme to sabotage a race course so that he can gain a controlling interest and turn the place into a housing development. Well, of course, we can't allow something that horrifying to happen, but once Halley is on the job, a lot of other very horrifying things will happen--most all of them to him.
Dick Francis is a very dependable author who almost always tells an interesting tale that moves swiftly along, and this book is certainly no exception. Although the protagonists do vary in nearly every book, there is a certain formula at work in these novels, and the principal characters are almost always of a type. That's certainly not a problem, and any fan of the series will want to look for this entry.
May 17, 2022
There is something quite comforting in reading Dick Francis novels. Good plots, characterizations and around horse racing. My experience around horses is negligible and having rode only a few times have mostly ended badly. Thrown twice and dragged behind happily on soft wet muddy ground.
Sid Halley is introduced in this story when after recovering from a fall which wrecked his hand is now a detective. However, after his father in law sets him up suddenly becomes more serious about detecting. An unscrupulous, brutal and evil property developer is using underhand means to take over Seabury racecourse and develop the land into bungalows.
Sid with the aid of the detective agency must find out who is behind all the accidents and ill fortune befalling the racecourse. This after he has been shot in the stomach and still recovering. A solid story with action and a satisfying ending. The baddie is the one his father in law introduced him to at the beginning. The question is who is his inside man.
Sid Halley is introduced in this story when after recovering from a fall which wrecked his hand is now a detective. However, after his father in law sets him up suddenly becomes more serious about detecting. An unscrupulous, brutal and evil property developer is using underhand means to take over Seabury racecourse and develop the land into bungalows.
Sid with the aid of the detective agency must find out who is behind all the accidents and ill fortune befalling the racecourse. This after he has been shot in the stomach and still recovering. A solid story with action and a satisfying ending. The baddie is the one his father in law introduced him to at the beginning. The question is who is his inside man.
September 22, 2019
Sid Halley book one is a Fast Paced Ride All The Way to the Wire!
I was never particularly keen on my job before the day I got shot and nearly lost it, along with my life. But the .38 slug of lead that made a pepper shaker out of my intestines left me with fire in my belly in more ways than one. Otherwise I should never have met Zanna Martin, and would still be held fast in the spider threads of departed joys, of no use to anyone, least of all myself.
It was the first step to liberation, that bullet, though I wouldn’t have said so at the time. I stopped it because I was careless. Careless because bored.
There were two policemen on my left, one in uniform, one not. They were both sweating, because the room was hot. The doctor stood on the right, fiddling with a tube which ran from a bottle into my elbow. Various other tubes sprouted disgustingly from my abdomen, partly covered by a light sheet. Drip and drainage, I thought sardonically. How absolutely charming.
Radnor was watching me from the foot of the bed, taking no part in the argument still in progress between medicine and the law. I wouldn’t have thought I rated the boss himself attendant at the bedside, but then I suppose it wasn’t every day that one of his employees got himself into such a spectacular mess.
He said, “He’s conscious again, and his eyes aren’t so hazy. We might get some sense but of him this time.” He looked at his watch.
The doctor bent over me, felt my pulse, and nodded. “Five minutes, then. Not a second more.”
********
Odds Against by Dick Francis is the first book in the Sid Halley series and it starts with a bang and runs flat out all the way to the wire!
Sid is a vibrant character with a life he wishes he didn't have. That is until the day he gets shot.... From that moment on, his life will never be the same again. He just doesn't know it yet. Be careful what you wish for!
Dick Francis is in his element with a creative horse racing thriller starring multiple, exceedingly dangerous villains pitted against a retired jockey who is completely unaware of the heart pounding, terrifying events that will soon play out.
I own all of Dick Francis's books and have read them all but it's been a long time so I am re-reading them as he is my all time favorite author. I thought I'd give the audiobook a try this time around.
As I said, the story is terrific but I can't say the same for the narration. Narrator *Geoffrey Howard's 3★ performance lacked a lot, to say the least! There was very little emotion and the characters were virtually indistinguishable from one another. There would have been no way to discern who was speaking if he hadn't been reading from the script. I stuck it out as I was enjoying the story. Fortunately, this is an Audible audiobook and I was able to return the title, as is their policy, for a full refund. All in all, not much lost but I recommend reading the book over this audiobook format.
Bring on Sid Halley book two, Whip Hand!
*I rate narrators separately so my star rating has no reflection on the author's book.
**I have purchased books four and five of the Sid Halley series on Audible as Martin Jarvis is the narrator and his performances are outstanding!
I was never particularly keen on my job before the day I got shot and nearly lost it, along with my life. But the .38 slug of lead that made a pepper shaker out of my intestines left me with fire in my belly in more ways than one. Otherwise I should never have met Zanna Martin, and would still be held fast in the spider threads of departed joys, of no use to anyone, least of all myself.
It was the first step to liberation, that bullet, though I wouldn’t have said so at the time. I stopped it because I was careless. Careless because bored.
There were two policemen on my left, one in uniform, one not. They were both sweating, because the room was hot. The doctor stood on the right, fiddling with a tube which ran from a bottle into my elbow. Various other tubes sprouted disgustingly from my abdomen, partly covered by a light sheet. Drip and drainage, I thought sardonically. How absolutely charming.
Radnor was watching me from the foot of the bed, taking no part in the argument still in progress between medicine and the law. I wouldn’t have thought I rated the boss himself attendant at the bedside, but then I suppose it wasn’t every day that one of his employees got himself into such a spectacular mess.
He said, “He’s conscious again, and his eyes aren’t so hazy. We might get some sense but of him this time.” He looked at his watch.
The doctor bent over me, felt my pulse, and nodded. “Five minutes, then. Not a second more.”
********
Odds Against by Dick Francis is the first book in the Sid Halley series and it starts with a bang and runs flat out all the way to the wire!
Sid is a vibrant character with a life he wishes he didn't have. That is until the day he gets shot.... From that moment on, his life will never be the same again. He just doesn't know it yet. Be careful what you wish for!
Dick Francis is in his element with a creative horse racing thriller starring multiple, exceedingly dangerous villains pitted against a retired jockey who is completely unaware of the heart pounding, terrifying events that will soon play out.
I own all of Dick Francis's books and have read them all but it's been a long time so I am re-reading them as he is my all time favorite author. I thought I'd give the audiobook a try this time around.
As I said, the story is terrific but I can't say the same for the narration. Narrator *Geoffrey Howard's 3★ performance lacked a lot, to say the least! There was very little emotion and the characters were virtually indistinguishable from one another. There would have been no way to discern who was speaking if he hadn't been reading from the script. I stuck it out as I was enjoying the story. Fortunately, this is an Audible audiobook and I was able to return the title, as is their policy, for a full refund. All in all, not much lost but I recommend reading the book over this audiobook format.
Bring on Sid Halley book two, Whip Hand!
*I rate narrators separately so my star rating has no reflection on the author's book.
**I have purchased books four and five of the Sid Halley series on Audible as Martin Jarvis is the narrator and his performances are outstanding!
August 28, 2022
Steeplechase jockey Sid Halley had a bad fall, slicing open his left hand and arm with a razor-sharp racing horseshoe. That ended his racing career, so Sid went to work for a detective agency that specializes in clients from the racing world. Two years later, Sid was shot in the abdomen during a minor job. He's put on a case investigating a group that has been sabotaging a race course so it loses its value. The crooks want to eventually sell the land for millions to developers who will turn the land into housing lots.
During the investigation Sid meets a woman whose face was severely burned when she was younger. They help each other emotionally deal with deformity and people's reactions to their disfigurements. This adds a thought-provoking theme to a good mystery.
"Odds Against" is the first of a series about Sid Halley, and I'm planning to read the next book, "Whip Hands." I enjoyed the atmosphere at the detective agency, and the steeplechase racing scene.
During the investigation Sid meets a woman whose face was severely burned when she was younger. They help each other emotionally deal with deformity and people's reactions to their disfigurements. This adds a thought-provoking theme to a good mystery.
"Odds Against" is the first of a series about Sid Halley, and I'm planning to read the next book, "Whip Hands." I enjoyed the atmosphere at the detective agency, and the steeplechase racing scene.
February 21, 2023
The first Sid Halley mystery
Jump jockey Sid Halley loses a wife, loses a hand in a racing accident, loses a championship racing career, gains a new career as a private investigator in which he foils a particularly despicable villain and saves a race course. I left out the "minor" things. As usual in a Dick Francis novel, Mr. Halley suffers considerable physical abuse at the hands of the villains but does not fall into their hands through gross carelessness and stupidity as is sometimes the case in a Dick Francis novel. Well done.
Jump jockey Sid Halley loses a wife, loses a hand in a racing accident, loses a championship racing career, gains a new career as a private investigator in which he foils a particularly despicable villain and saves a race course. I left out the "minor" things. As usual in a Dick Francis novel, Mr. Halley suffers considerable physical abuse at the hands of the villains but does not fall into their hands through gross carelessness and stupidity as is sometimes the case in a Dick Francis novel. Well done.
January 3, 2023
Jan 3, midnight plus 15 ~~ Review asap.
Jan 3, 1245pm ~~ Last year in our Zapata Reading Club, Marco and I read a couple of Dick Francis titles and enjoyed them very much. I told Marco how I had discovered DF (by reading the old Redbook magazine back in the 70's) and about the most memorable of his characters, Sid Halley. That of course got me to thinking about re-reading the three Sid Halley books in house so here we are.
Odds Against is not only the first Sid Halley title, it is the author's first novel. We get to meet Sid, who is an ex-jockey trying to come to terms with his life away from the career that he loved and was very good at.
He has a job, sort of. And a wife, sort of. Seems like everything in Sid's life when we meet him is in limbo. Except for the pain from the gunshot to his stomach. Because DF starts this book with a bang and a half and the action doesn't stop until the end. Who shot Sid and why?
There is a lot going on in this story, and not all cops and robbers, either. Sid is a man who pays attention and thinks about what he sees and hears. He learns about his new job (with a detective agency) and discovers a flair for the work. And he faces personal issues such as how to truly accept his injury and somehow move on from it. Is that actually possible?
I loved hanging out with Sid again. It has been many many years since I last read this book; so long that except for the man himself, I remembered nothing at all about the plot. I was happy to root for Sid: even though he was not on horseback, he still ran a great race and I am looking forward to the next two Sid Halley books. First up is Whip Hand, then Come to Grief.
(I know there are a couple of newer titles out with Sid, but to tell the truth I never cared much for DF's later work, so I won't be rushing off to order the 2006 Under Orders or the two that were written later by DF's son.)
Jan 3, 1245pm ~~ Last year in our Zapata Reading Club, Marco and I read a couple of Dick Francis titles and enjoyed them very much. I told Marco how I had discovered DF (by reading the old Redbook magazine back in the 70's) and about the most memorable of his characters, Sid Halley. That of course got me to thinking about re-reading the three Sid Halley books in house so here we are.
Odds Against is not only the first Sid Halley title, it is the author's first novel. We get to meet Sid, who is an ex-jockey trying to come to terms with his life away from the career that he loved and was very good at.
He has a job, sort of. And a wife, sort of. Seems like everything in Sid's life when we meet him is in limbo. Except for the pain from the gunshot to his stomach. Because DF starts this book with a bang and a half and the action doesn't stop until the end. Who shot Sid and why?
There is a lot going on in this story, and not all cops and robbers, either. Sid is a man who pays attention and thinks about what he sees and hears. He learns about his new job (with a detective agency) and discovers a flair for the work. And he faces personal issues such as how to truly accept his injury and somehow move on from it. Is that actually possible?
I loved hanging out with Sid again. It has been many many years since I last read this book; so long that except for the man himself, I remembered nothing at all about the plot. I was happy to root for Sid: even though he was not on horseback, he still ran a great race and I am looking forward to the next two Sid Halley books. First up is Whip Hand, then Come to Grief.
(I know there are a couple of newer titles out with Sid, but to tell the truth I never cared much for DF's later work, so I won't be rushing off to order the 2006 Under Orders or the two that were written later by DF's son.)
April 25, 2022
Second Read: Sid Halley is a most interesting character. Having not read one since 2011, I was quite delighted to have found a copy and was able to read it. Going to keep hunting. My Mom was a huge Dick Francis fan and she introduced him to me. We were both hooked and really enjoyed it. This was like being with an old friend and it was most enjoyable. One of the few characters champion jockey-turned-racetrack mystery writer Dick Francis has ever written more than one novel about is champion jockey-turned-racetrack private eye SID HALLEY. When his left hand is crippled in a racing accident, Halley is devastated. It's a fall from grace. Unable to face a future without racing, he takes up self-pity. Fortunately, his ex-father-in-law steps in and cons Sid into investigating some shady goings-on at a racetrack he has an interest in.
It turns out to be the boot in the arse Sid needs. Discovering he has a knack for detective work, he sets himself up as a private investigator, sometimes assisted by boyhood chum and sometime-judo instructor Chico Barnes. The crippled, introspective, moody Halley and the rough-and-tumble, happy-go-lucky Barnes are a memorable team.
Francis captures perfectly the fears, insecurities and the vulnerability of a one-handed man in a two-handed world. In a society that worships the beautiful, the deformed are the true outsiders, watching from outside the circle of light, nursing their pain and resentment, hiding their hurt like so much shame, watching. It's a toss-up as to who's the better one-armed dick -- Halley or Michael Collins' Dan Fortune.
In 1978, a British television series based on the characters created in Odds Against appeared, entitled The Racing Game. Francis served as a consultant and was very impressed with the young, one-handed actor, Michael Gwilym, who played Sid Halley. So impressed that he wrote a sequel, 1979's Whip Hand, and dedicated it to Gwilym. Many, including this author, consider it to be his best book.
And in 1995, for the first time in his career, Francis wrote a third book about the same character. Come to Grief brought us a much scarred Halley, coming to grips with his own mortality and limitations -- when a very close friend becomes the main suspect in a nasty case he's working on, involving the deliberate mutilation of racehorses. It's a troubling and disturbing read, but also a powerful one, and it nabbed Francis an unprecedented third Edgar nomination -- the only time three consecutive books in a series have each been nominated for an Edgar. Although Odds Against (his first nomination) lost, both Whip Hand and Come to Grief did win, the latter the same year he won the Grand Master award.
Unfortunately, Come to Grief was to be the last novel Francis would be able to complete with the assistance of his beloved wife and partner, Mary, who passed away in 2000. The 1999 unauthorised biography, Dick Francis: A Racing Life, had suggested that Francis' books had in fact been written by Mary herself, although Francis never confirmed the rumours. Certainly, though, Mary did do much of the research and editing of Francis' novels and stories, particularly the latter efforts.
After Mary's death, it was widely believed that Come to Grief would be Francis' final novel, but in September 2006 readers were treated to the unexpected appearances of a fourth Halley novel. Under Orders found Halley back on his feet (after the events of 1995's Come to Grief) and, if anything, more determined than ever.
First Read: I always enjoy reading a good Dick Francis novel. I really enjoy the Sid Halley series too. This is the first of them, and I really was glued to the book and didn't hardly move it was so good to me. They are pretty clean, the language isn't too bad, and not a lot of sex.... Sometimes I even reread the books, because it's like being with a friend you haven't seen in several years. I really enjoy the characters he uses, and also enjoy the series he writes about too. I'm not a gambler, but I really enjoy watching them live, as well as on screen. There is a certain excitement that I don't find in many other places.
It turns out to be the boot in the arse Sid needs. Discovering he has a knack for detective work, he sets himself up as a private investigator, sometimes assisted by boyhood chum and sometime-judo instructor Chico Barnes. The crippled, introspective, moody Halley and the rough-and-tumble, happy-go-lucky Barnes are a memorable team.
Francis captures perfectly the fears, insecurities and the vulnerability of a one-handed man in a two-handed world. In a society that worships the beautiful, the deformed are the true outsiders, watching from outside the circle of light, nursing their pain and resentment, hiding their hurt like so much shame, watching. It's a toss-up as to who's the better one-armed dick -- Halley or Michael Collins' Dan Fortune.
In 1978, a British television series based on the characters created in Odds Against appeared, entitled The Racing Game. Francis served as a consultant and was very impressed with the young, one-handed actor, Michael Gwilym, who played Sid Halley. So impressed that he wrote a sequel, 1979's Whip Hand, and dedicated it to Gwilym. Many, including this author, consider it to be his best book.
And in 1995, for the first time in his career, Francis wrote a third book about the same character. Come to Grief brought us a much scarred Halley, coming to grips with his own mortality and limitations -- when a very close friend becomes the main suspect in a nasty case he's working on, involving the deliberate mutilation of racehorses. It's a troubling and disturbing read, but also a powerful one, and it nabbed Francis an unprecedented third Edgar nomination -- the only time three consecutive books in a series have each been nominated for an Edgar. Although Odds Against (his first nomination) lost, both Whip Hand and Come to Grief did win, the latter the same year he won the Grand Master award.
Unfortunately, Come to Grief was to be the last novel Francis would be able to complete with the assistance of his beloved wife and partner, Mary, who passed away in 2000. The 1999 unauthorised biography, Dick Francis: A Racing Life, had suggested that Francis' books had in fact been written by Mary herself, although Francis never confirmed the rumours. Certainly, though, Mary did do much of the research and editing of Francis' novels and stories, particularly the latter efforts.
After Mary's death, it was widely believed that Come to Grief would be Francis' final novel, but in September 2006 readers were treated to the unexpected appearances of a fourth Halley novel. Under Orders found Halley back on his feet (after the events of 1995's Come to Grief) and, if anything, more determined than ever.
First Read: I always enjoy reading a good Dick Francis novel. I really enjoy the Sid Halley series too. This is the first of them, and I really was glued to the book and didn't hardly move it was so good to me. They are pretty clean, the language isn't too bad, and not a lot of sex.... Sometimes I even reread the books, because it's like being with a friend you haven't seen in several years. I really enjoy the characters he uses, and also enjoy the series he writes about too. I'm not a gambler, but I really enjoy watching them live, as well as on screen. There is a certain excitement that I don't find in many other places.
June 1, 2023
Fantastic! Dick Francis is one of my very favorite authors. This is the first in a 4 book series. A great re-read and a fantastic place to start with Francis (he has written 45 novels). Sid Halley is an ex-jockey who has a ruined hand from a steeple chasing accident. He works for a detective agency in a job where he is not sure he even deserves to work. He proves his worth while plotting against nasty characters trying to take over an English race course. This book has an amazing chase scene!
January 31, 2018
This is an old-fashioned delight: a taut, well-plotted novel that's grounded in competence, suspense, and nitty-gritty professional details. While also being laid-back and pleasant. This was my first Francis, but it definitely won't be my last.
Sid Halley used to be a jockey until his hand was badly mangled in a fall--Francis alludes to what a sharp horseshoe and a horse's full weight can do to you, and it's not pretty--and since then, he's been drifting through life without fully participating it. He's wound up as a consultant in a large PI firm that frequently deals with racetrack security and related matters, but he basically goes through the building like a ghost. Until, that is, the opening of the novel, where a case has gotten him gut-shot. This time, his recovery will be a little more eventful and a little more engaging.
His father-in-law--he's separated from his wife, but maintains an excellent, genuinely warm relationship with her father--invites him to do some of his recuperation at his country house, where it turns out he has a plan to give Sid something to do in his recovery. Seabury, a fading racecourse, might not be fading so naturally. Rather, it might be being sabotaged repeatedly so that it will lose business and shareholders will be inclined to sell, leaving one particularly nasty creature named Kraye to buy up all the shares and then turn the land over to developers. And so Sid finds himself once again with a purpose, ferreting out the scheme and the people behind it and at least providing Seabury with a chance to save itself.
Come on, that's fun. And Sid is eminently likable--matter-of-fact about his shortness, annoyed by his inability to eat anything but beef broth while his stomach is healing, self-conscious about his hand, smart, capable, and slowly putting his life back together. I actually kind of do think they don't make these like they used to, so if you like, say, old school Robert Parker or John D. MacDonald and would also like them if they were British, a little more mild-mannered, and set around a bunch of horses, you will like this.
Sid Halley used to be a jockey until his hand was badly mangled in a fall--Francis alludes to what a sharp horseshoe and a horse's full weight can do to you, and it's not pretty--and since then, he's been drifting through life without fully participating it. He's wound up as a consultant in a large PI firm that frequently deals with racetrack security and related matters, but he basically goes through the building like a ghost. Until, that is, the opening of the novel, where a case has gotten him gut-shot. This time, his recovery will be a little more eventful and a little more engaging.
His father-in-law--he's separated from his wife, but maintains an excellent, genuinely warm relationship with her father--invites him to do some of his recuperation at his country house, where it turns out he has a plan to give Sid something to do in his recovery. Seabury, a fading racecourse, might not be fading so naturally. Rather, it might be being sabotaged repeatedly so that it will lose business and shareholders will be inclined to sell, leaving one particularly nasty creature named Kraye to buy up all the shares and then turn the land over to developers. And so Sid finds himself once again with a purpose, ferreting out the scheme and the people behind it and at least providing Seabury with a chance to save itself.
Come on, that's fun. And Sid is eminently likable--matter-of-fact about his shortness, annoyed by his inability to eat anything but beef broth while his stomach is healing, self-conscious about his hand, smart, capable, and slowly putting his life back together. I actually kind of do think they don't make these like they used to, so if you like, say, old school Robert Parker or John D. MacDonald and would also like them if they were British, a little more mild-mannered, and set around a bunch of horses, you will like this.
July 28, 2021
This was pretty great, and it was narrated by the great Ralph Cosham! Published in 1965, it's unapologetically insensitive - and that's about the only negative thing I can say about it.
Sid Halley was a champion horse jockey until a tragic accident left him with a severely disfigured left hand. Unable to compete any longer, Sid starts taking minor surveillance jobs with a friend's investigation agency. After a few years of halfhearted work, one of his targets shoots him in the gut. The experience finally puts a fire in his belly (ha!) Not only is he on a permanent liquid diet (he prefers brandy), but the unfairness of it all drives Sid to hunt down the man who shot him. That investigation becomes entangled with unusual goings-on at one of his favorite horse tracks.
There were a few delightfully unexpected developments in this short novel. First, his father-in-law's behavior at an invited weekend at his estate came out of nowhere. For another thing, the Crays: what a deliciously nasty couple they are! Finally, I was not expecting the kind of retaliation delivered when the bad guys couldn't find a series of photo negatives - wow!
Maybe I underestimate older mysteries, but this book was a real gem. I look forward to reading others in Dick Francis' Sid Halley series.
Sid Halley was a champion horse jockey until a tragic accident left him with a severely disfigured left hand. Unable to compete any longer, Sid starts taking minor surveillance jobs with a friend's investigation agency. After a few years of halfhearted work, one of his targets shoots him in the gut. The experience finally puts a fire in his belly (ha!) Not only is he on a permanent liquid diet (he prefers brandy), but the unfairness of it all drives Sid to hunt down the man who shot him. That investigation becomes entangled with unusual goings-on at one of his favorite horse tracks.
There were a few delightfully unexpected developments in this short novel. First, his father-in-law's behavior at an invited weekend at his estate came out of nowhere. For another thing, the Crays: what a deliciously nasty couple they are! Finally, I was not expecting the kind of retaliation delivered when the bad guys couldn't find a series of photo negatives - wow!
Maybe I underestimate older mysteries, but this book was a real gem. I look forward to reading others in Dick Francis' Sid Halley series.
August 4, 2012
What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.
But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.
Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.
You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).
There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.
Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.
But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.
Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.
You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).
There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.
Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.
November 2, 2015
Sid Halley used to be a jockey, one of the greats. He used to be alive.
Now he merely drifts in a job at that he thinks was given to him out of pity; pity for a cripple with a deformed and useless hand. Then a two-bit crook takes a pot shot at Halley who winds up, once again, in a hospital. On leave, visiting with the father of his ex-wife, Halley is drawn into a complex investigation of financial fraud, crooked real estate deals and race track politics. Along the way he will learn to confront his debility and rediscover the will to live.
There are moments of pure terror, terrific characters and a clever, twisty plot, but what makes this one is a five star is how Francis dissects the instinctive human reaction to disability, to physical ugliness--and to being disabled--with unflinching candor and a sensitivity that never becomes maudlin or manipulative. Highly recommended even for those who rarely read adventure or detective stories.
This might be my all-time favorite Dick Francis and Sid Halley is his most inspiring hero. Fortunately, there are three more in the series: Whip Hand, Come to Grief and Under Orders, all excellent.
Content rating PG for violence, and two particularly sadistic and twisted villains.
Now he merely drifts in a job at that he thinks was given to him out of pity; pity for a cripple with a deformed and useless hand. Then a two-bit crook takes a pot shot at Halley who winds up, once again, in a hospital. On leave, visiting with the father of his ex-wife, Halley is drawn into a complex investigation of financial fraud, crooked real estate deals and race track politics. Along the way he will learn to confront his debility and rediscover the will to live.
There are moments of pure terror, terrific characters and a clever, twisty plot, but what makes this one is a five star is how Francis dissects the instinctive human reaction to disability, to physical ugliness--and to being disabled--with unflinching candor and a sensitivity that never becomes maudlin or manipulative. Highly recommended even for those who rarely read adventure or detective stories.
This might be my all-time favorite Dick Francis and Sid Halley is his most inspiring hero. Fortunately, there are three more in the series: Whip Hand, Come to Grief and Under Orders, all excellent.
Content rating PG for violence, and two particularly sadistic and twisted villains.
January 16, 2011
probably the best known thriller by Dick Francis, the introduction of Sid Halley - steeplechase jockey turned private investigator. It contains all the trademark aspects of mr. Francis heroes and plot development, still fresh close to the start of his writing career
May 6, 2021
One of his best, start to finish.
This is a second read. Maybe a third? Anyway, jumped on it to cleanse my palate of a distasteful experience from my last book. Francis is so straightforward.
This is a second read. Maybe a third? Anyway, jumped on it to cleanse my palate of a distasteful experience from my last book. Francis is so straightforward.
February 25, 2014
I have read every Dick Francis book, here is what they have to offer:
Great characters
Excellent stories
Well thought out plots
Great books!
Great characters
Excellent stories
Well thought out plots
Great books!
November 9, 2021
Sid Halley, former steeplechase jockey and now token racing advisor to a prominent private detective firm, has just been shot in the stomach by a low-level hoodlum. Coupled with his physically deformed left hand, the result of the racing accident that ended his brilliant career, his future looks foggy. But his instincts kick in and since the case revolves around a racecourse, he convinces the PI firm’s leadership to let him take the lead on the case.
This is the first book in the Sid Halley series, the only series written by Dick Francis who was primarily a solo novel writer. To understand how this one launched a series (4 books followed by another written by son Felix Francis), one need look no further than the character of Sid Halley himself. A truly engaging first person narration leads the reader to feel his successes and failures. And there are many of both. He grows considerably as a character throughout the novel but it is clear that he has a lot more to do. Fortunately, the ending of this first book in the series is quite satisfying and leaves Sid in a place where his future might not look so foggy after all.
I've liked every Dick Francis novel I've read and know I can count on them to be excellent reads. I relish the thought of riding along with Sid as he becomes a full-fledged detective.
This is the first book in the Sid Halley series, the only series written by Dick Francis who was primarily a solo novel writer. To understand how this one launched a series (4 books followed by another written by son Felix Francis), one need look no further than the character of Sid Halley himself. A truly engaging first person narration leads the reader to feel his successes and failures. And there are many of both. He grows considerably as a character throughout the novel but it is clear that he has a lot more to do. Fortunately, the ending of this first book in the series is quite satisfying and leaves Sid in a place where his future might not look so foggy after all.
I've liked every Dick Francis novel I've read and know I can count on them to be excellent reads. I relish the thought of riding along with Sid as he becomes a full-fledged detective.
March 29, 2018
The first of the wonderful Sid Halley books ... my favorites of the Dick Francis horse racing mystery thrillers - perhaps because of the damaged (in this case, literally) nature of the hero protagonist?
April 15, 2019
Always good!
November 21, 2017
Mix equal parts of Agatha Christie, Eric Ambler, Graham Greene and Leslie Charteris. Shake well. And garnish with a dash of Grey and L'Amour.
Dick Francis is the perfect author for an enjoyable reading experience. His characters remind me of watching the old Roger Moore Saint TV show or the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple movies... just good clean fun.
Dick Francis is the perfect author for an enjoyable reading experience. His characters remind me of watching the old Roger Moore Saint TV show or the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple movies... just good clean fun.
February 13, 2015
Re-read much Francis. Scary when warped sadistic couple attack his already deformed hand. I've never even been to a horse race, but Francis has a knack - Dick, not son. I'm planning to work my way up (down?) series (again).
Sid Halley narrates rough recuperation. Fall as jockey deformed left hand, so he has "worked" for two years, hanging around cramped PI firm for Hunt Radnor 71 p 225. His former father-in-law Admiral Charles Roland believes sadistic Howard Kraye ~50 "rotten underneath" p 33 sabotages racecourses, now Seabury, to take them over cheap, sell to developers.
With tiny camera, Sid photographs Kraye's private papers on a country weekend at Oxfordshire where host Charles pretends to criticize Sid. Kraye "dangerous big-time crook" p 56 and wife Doria share deviant love of torture, pain, hurt Sid's hand.
Kraye also steals most rare expensive quartz sample borrowed just to get guests. Luckily Sid advised Charles to get insurance. Couldn't they report theft later and get rock back?
Oxon drugs guards, even stable lads, "fast asleep" p 183 with free beer. At night alone, villains chase Sid around deserted Seabury building. Chico Barnes waits by phone at boss Hunt's home.
In silence, "soft single cough" p 194 draws Sid to tap, leaking, scalding hot. Boiler is set to blow in three hours. Actually less. Oxon miscalculated.
In side-plot, nasty lawyer Ellis Bolt has secretary Zanna Martin "late thirties" p 105. Accident from "rocket" p 107 firecracker at 16 makes her "shy lonely spinster" p 105. She agrees to turn desk around toward door so clients see her badly disfigured face, false eye, if Sid keeps useless left hand out of his pocket. She kicks him out before dinner when he admits his real identity.
Sid Halley narrates rough recuperation. Fall as jockey deformed left hand, so he has "worked" for two years, hanging around cramped PI firm for Hunt Radnor 71 p 225. His former father-in-law Admiral Charles Roland believes sadistic Howard Kraye ~50 "rotten underneath" p 33 sabotages racecourses, now Seabury, to take them over cheap, sell to developers.
With tiny camera, Sid photographs Kraye's private papers on a country weekend at Oxfordshire where host Charles pretends to criticize Sid. Kraye "dangerous big-time crook" p 56 and wife Doria share deviant love of torture, pain, hurt Sid's hand.
Kraye also steals most rare expensive quartz sample borrowed just to get guests. Luckily Sid advised Charles to get insurance. Couldn't they report theft later and get rock back?
Oxon drugs guards, even stable lads, "fast asleep" p 183 with free beer. At night alone, villains chase Sid around deserted Seabury building. Chico Barnes waits by phone at boss Hunt's home.
In silence, "soft single cough" p 194 draws Sid to tap, leaking, scalding hot. Boiler is set to blow in three hours. Actually less. Oxon miscalculated.
In side-plot, nasty lawyer Ellis Bolt has secretary Zanna Martin "late thirties" p 105. Accident from "rocket" p 107 firecracker at 16 makes her "shy lonely spinster" p 105. She agrees to turn desk around toward door so clients see her badly disfigured face, false eye, if Sid keeps useless left hand out of his pocket. She kicks him out before dinner when he admits his real identity.
May 23, 2022
It’s been a million years since I first read this. Knowing what happens to Sid ahead of time helped to soften the blow. Still devastating. I’d forgotten that Sid was able to fool even me with his play acting. Looking forward to more Sid Halley!
Dick Francis wrote this book as a stand alone, but Sid’s popularity made him write a few more. Lucky us. He’s a well fleshed out character. No family to speak of, grew up working in stables, newly divorced, and underestimated off the racecourse. On the racecourse he was a brilliant jockey who wasn’t afraid to take risks. Actually enjoyed it. After he loses the use of his right hand, thus curtailing his racing career, Sid gets hired to work at a detective agency. (Guess who’s not afraid to take risks at this job too.) I sometimes think I like Dick Francis’s heroes because they’re everyday people like me. Maybe if the situation arose, and I hope it doesn’t, I could step up and coolly handle it. You never know.
Dick Francis wrote this book as a stand alone, but Sid’s popularity made him write a few more. Lucky us. He’s a well fleshed out character. No family to speak of, grew up working in stables, newly divorced, and underestimated off the racecourse. On the racecourse he was a brilliant jockey who wasn’t afraid to take risks. Actually enjoyed it. After he loses the use of his right hand, thus curtailing his racing career, Sid gets hired to work at a detective agency. (Guess who’s not afraid to take risks at this job too.) I sometimes think I like Dick Francis’s heroes because they’re everyday people like me. Maybe if the situation arose, and I hope it doesn’t, I could step up and coolly handle it. You never know.
August 30, 2022
Dick Francis has created a character like no other in Sid Halley, former champion jockey turned Private Eye.
This book has you feeling sorry for Halley as his professional and personal life are in the gutter . As the book progressed I found myself cheering wildly for him as he picked himself up and plunged headfirst into an investigation. He relies on pluck and brains to overcome some villains and unravel a mystery.
The book is equal parts action, drama, thriller, and gumshoe story. I didn't want to put it down!
This book has you feeling sorry for Halley as his professional and personal life are in the gutter . As the book progressed I found myself cheering wildly for him as he picked himself up and plunged headfirst into an investigation. He relies on pluck and brains to overcome some villains and unravel a mystery.
The book is equal parts action, drama, thriller, and gumshoe story. I didn't want to put it down!
November 13, 2018
Dick Francis is a delight. The man can spin a mystery/thriller like no other, and featuring horses to boot. Great characters, hijinks, and suspense. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and also like or do not mind stories about horse racing, you won't be disappointed. Barring some minor 1960s-appropriate sexism (although it's a lot better than most books of that time that I've read), it really holds up even 50+ years later.
November 22, 2017
In "Odds Against," Francis's fourth fictional outing, he takes a decidedly darker turn. Although not lacking in evil villains, both "Dead Cert" and "For Kicks" had a strong aspect of glamorous wish fulfillment, and so, in its own way, did "Nerve." Alan, Rob, and Daniel all had tough times, sure, but overall they were living lives other people think they would want to lead. In "Odds Against," though, Francis creates for the first--but not the last--time a hero whose life is decidedly unaspirational, and in doing so, introduces his most long-running hero and a theme that would haunt much of his works: what do you do when the thing you most want is taken away from you, and you still have a lot of life left to live?
Sid Halley was a champion steeplechase jockey until a riding accident left him with a crippled hand and a bitter mind. He drags himself into his new job, acquired for him by his father-in-law, as a dogsbody at a private investigative firm, until one day he gets shot. While convalescing, he is once again dragged by his father-in-law into a mystery that will turn out to be much bigger than either of them expected. Sid will have to come to terms with who he really is.
Francis had a long fascination with the physically and mentally damaged, and Sid is his first, and most prominent, overtly disabled character. Still identifying as a jockey three years after the accident took place, he doesn't know what to do with himself or what to get up for in the morning, until the villains make the mistake of not taking him seriously. He discovers that he is tough, fearless, and likes to win--no surprises there, but it turns out he is tough, fearless, and likes to win off the racecourse as well as on it--but that most people fail to see this in him, something he learns to use to his advantage.
Although there's plenty of action here, and of course a tightly constructed plot that keeps you guessing till the end, the real suspense is in what Sid will do. Will he give up and go away, as he wants to? Or is he going to come back fighting? As Sid himself doesn't know and is quite astonished at times at his own behavior, it's impossible for the reader to guess (although of course we know how these books end, but still...), and the double tension drives the book forward to its nail-biting conclusion. "Odds Against" is not for the super-squeamish or fainthearted, as Sid's injuries are pretty extensive, but it heralds a new step forward in Francis's writing and now, more than 40 years after it was first published, is still fresh and shocking.
Sid Halley was a champion steeplechase jockey until a riding accident left him with a crippled hand and a bitter mind. He drags himself into his new job, acquired for him by his father-in-law, as a dogsbody at a private investigative firm, until one day he gets shot. While convalescing, he is once again dragged by his father-in-law into a mystery that will turn out to be much bigger than either of them expected. Sid will have to come to terms with who he really is.
Francis had a long fascination with the physically and mentally damaged, and Sid is his first, and most prominent, overtly disabled character. Still identifying as a jockey three years after the accident took place, he doesn't know what to do with himself or what to get up for in the morning, until the villains make the mistake of not taking him seriously. He discovers that he is tough, fearless, and likes to win--no surprises there, but it turns out he is tough, fearless, and likes to win off the racecourse as well as on it--but that most people fail to see this in him, something he learns to use to his advantage.
Although there's plenty of action here, and of course a tightly constructed plot that keeps you guessing till the end, the real suspense is in what Sid will do. Will he give up and go away, as he wants to? Or is he going to come back fighting? As Sid himself doesn't know and is quite astonished at times at his own behavior, it's impossible for the reader to guess (although of course we know how these books end, but still...), and the double tension drives the book forward to its nail-biting conclusion. "Odds Against" is not for the super-squeamish or fainthearted, as Sid's injuries are pretty extensive, but it heralds a new step forward in Francis's writing and now, more than 40 years after it was first published, is still fresh and shocking.
April 8, 2017
Quite advanced for its time, really. Sid Halley, an ex-jockey, is a doubly damaged anti-hero: not only does he have a smashed hand that leaves him partially disabled, he was abandoned by his mother as a toddler. After his riding career is over, he is offered a job as an investigator but his emotional scars keep him from doing much, until he meets someone as wounded as himself. Halley is a typical Francis drifter-through-life, emotionally isolated but still financially comfortable enough to know the rules of Sloane Rangerdom and enjoy rubbing shoulders with the rich.
Though his wife left him early on, his ex-father in law still has him round to the big house occasionally, and this time it's to try and kickstart his interest in life again through investigating the dodgy dealings of a wide boy with perverted sexual tastes. Unfortunately, this character isn't really revealed; I felt Francis could have done a lot more with Kraye (yup, same name as the famous murdering twins) and his past. This is the first appearance in a Francis novel of the twisted appetites that later became standard fare for the baddies--was this Francis' idea, or the publishers', I wonder? Sid comes in for a lot of physical abuse--to the place that I wondered how he lived through it, but according to Francis' autobiographies all jockeys have amazing powers of healing--or they retire early.
One thing I did notice was the odd surnames given those in power: the dilatory Lord Hagborne (born to a hag, was he?) and Captain Oxon, who in my head quickly morphed into Captain Oxo!
A quick read and a welcome change after For Kicks which I have so far been unable to finish because I find it too full of deadwood.
Though his wife left him early on, his ex-father in law still has him round to the big house occasionally, and this time it's to try and kickstart his interest in life again through investigating the dodgy dealings of a wide boy with perverted sexual tastes. Unfortunately, this character isn't really revealed; I felt Francis could have done a lot more with Kraye (yup, same name as the famous murdering twins) and his past. This is the first appearance in a Francis novel of the twisted appetites that later became standard fare for the baddies--was this Francis' idea, or the publishers', I wonder? Sid comes in for a lot of physical abuse--to the place that I wondered how he lived through it, but according to Francis' autobiographies all jockeys have amazing powers of healing--or they retire early.
One thing I did notice was the odd surnames given those in power: the dilatory Lord Hagborne (born to a hag, was he?) and Captain Oxon, who in my head quickly morphed into Captain Oxo!
A quick read and a welcome change after For Kicks which I have so far been unable to finish because I find it too full of deadwood.
November 7, 2017
A fast, fun read, well up to the usual Francis standards.
Sid Halley, former jockey, has been working for a P.I. firm since his final race, which cost him the use of a hand. He had only been marking time until being shot during an ambush. He's given a big case involving racecourses that leads him to truly become an investigator, but at great cost.
Halley is a fantastic hero, sardonic and pragmatic, and the support characters are all swell. The mystery is properly twisty, and there is some rather nasty action as well.
All in all, this is a fine read, perfect for Francis fans as well as any mystery readers wanting to see what this author is all about.
Sid Halley, former jockey, has been working for a P.I. firm since his final race, which cost him the use of a hand. He had only been marking time until being shot during an ambush. He's given a big case involving racecourses that leads him to truly become an investigator, but at great cost.
Halley is a fantastic hero, sardonic and pragmatic, and the support characters are all swell. The mystery is properly twisty, and there is some rather nasty action as well.
All in all, this is a fine read, perfect for Francis fans as well as any mystery readers wanting to see what this author is all about.
January 8, 2023
Review to follow
May 5, 2020
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 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.
April 25, 2016
The very first Sid Halley novel, and one of Dick Francis’ best.
Sid Halley, the former jockey with the disfigured, nearly useless hand, a failed marriage, and a job as a private investigator. He’s not really required to do any work, and he does precious little. Until his ex-father in law pushes him out of depression and into action.
Action, suspense, insight into both horse racing and human nature. Evil villains, sadistic violence, a few deft twists. All in all a thumping good read.
Halley would be featured in four novels by Francis, and a fifth by Francis’ son Felix.
Odds Against would earn Francis his first Edgar Award nomination for best novel. The next Halley novel, Whip Hand, would earn Francis the Edgar and the CWA Gold Dagger.
Look for the Pocket paperback editions with the cover art, usually depicting a scene of violence from the novel, divided up into cubes with a couple missing; like missing pieces of a puzzle. Those are my favorites, and give the reader a great sense of the action.
Sid Halley, the former jockey with the disfigured, nearly useless hand, a failed marriage, and a job as a private investigator. He’s not really required to do any work, and he does precious little. Until his ex-father in law pushes him out of depression and into action.
Action, suspense, insight into both horse racing and human nature. Evil villains, sadistic violence, a few deft twists. All in all a thumping good read.
Halley would be featured in four novels by Francis, and a fifth by Francis’ son Felix.
Odds Against would earn Francis his first Edgar Award nomination for best novel. The next Halley novel, Whip Hand, would earn Francis the Edgar and the CWA Gold Dagger.
Look for the Pocket paperback editions with the cover art, usually depicting a scene of violence from the novel, divided up into cubes with a couple missing; like missing pieces of a puzzle. Those are my favorites, and give the reader a great sense of the action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews