Dick Francis Reading Group discussion

There is a guy on vacation making his way lazily down a river. He has booked an appt. with some people for lunch - planning to meet at a restaurant on the river. When he arrives, management will not give him a table because he has not arrived in a car.

I am drawing a blank on which book this is in and would love some help!
Thanks,
PH

Hi, Ph! That's actually one of my favorite short stories in Field of Thirteen. It's called "Collision Course." It's been a long time since I've read that! Overall the book isn't my favorite DF, but it does have some stories I really like.

THANKS, Luann! I did not even think about the short stories! I have all the books and kept going through the plots in my mind trying to figure out which book it could be in. Appreciate the help. Now my brain can rest...

I have another one I can't find. The evil ones are trying to fix a race. One of the things I remember is them putting a mirror in a tree outside the race course so they could reflect the sun on a specific horse. I'm not even sure this is a DF book. Would appreciate anyone's help. This has been driving me crazy. Thanks.

Yes Rose, it's in "Odds Against", the first 'Sid Halley' book, where a bid to sell Seabury Racecouse for housing is thwarted by Sid and Chico.

Which Francis book had the lead character, who had just experienced bad trouble, appear at an in-progress dinner party where the host was telling a screamingly funny joke, and everyone was laughing. I believe it took a while for the dinner party to even notice the protagonist. Can anyone tell me? I want to reread that one. Sasscer Hill. http://fullmortality.blogspot.com/

I don't think this plot exists in Dick Francis' work.

Thanks. Must be some other horseracing book I read. Now I'll stop driving myself crazy re-reading his books just to find this. I've already read all of them two or three times.

Chris wrote: "Yes Rose, it's in "Odds Against", the first 'Sid Halley' book, where a bid to sell Seabury Racecouse for housing is thwarted by Sid and Chico."

I don't remember the title but may be someone else will. I think the lead character had been "warned off" and was still in an apartment on the trainer's property. I'm also pretty sure he stalled his car on a railroad track, with a train coming, because someone, trying to kill him, had put a pin hole in the exhaust manifold and he almost passed out. Later he recovers the damaged piece from the impound yard and the killer comes to his apt. looking for it.

Rose wrote: "I don't remember the title but may be someone else will. I think the lead character had been "warned off" and was still in an apartment on the trainer's property. I'm also pretty sure he stalled his car on a railroad track, with a train coming, because someone, trying to kill him, had put a pin hole in the exhaust manifold and he almost passed out. Later he recovers the damaged piece from the impound yard and the killer comes to his apt. looking for it."

The book is Enquiry, Rose.

The book about the warned off jockey is "Enquiry."

I loved that one, and confess it might have had a wee bit of influence on my fictional character,jockey Nicky Latrelle, being "ruled" off at Maryland's Laurel Park Racetrack.

What amazes me, is Francis's ability to write to completion one excellent novel after another. What a talent. I wish he was still here, I wish I could have met him, and talked to him in person about writing books. My most prized possession is the letter I received from him after he read my first chapters some years ago.

Here's my question: I remember a scene where the lead character is a guest on a boat going down the Thames, and they pass a couple coming towards them having trouble with a lock on the river, and our hero and his friend save the couple. They turn out to be bad'uns. Which book was this?

It is Blood Sport.

Thanks, Julie, I'll look it up on my list of books read.

Sasscer wrote: "Which Francis book had the lead character, who had just experienced bad trouble, appear at an in-progress dinner party where the host was telling a screamingly funny joke, and everyone was laughing..."

Could that possibly have been Banker? I remember he met Calder Jackson, the miracle horse healer, at a dinner party.

I remember a scene which I believe is at the start of a Francis book... There is a party where lots of trainers are attending. The party is held in a large tent or marquee and a horse truck rolls down a hill into the tent, killing several people... does this sound familiar to anyone?

Proof

Thank you Julie !!

You are welcome. It's a really good book, as are all of Dick Francis' books.

In what Dick Francis book (maybe F Francis) is the main character almost killed by his girlfriends family (uncle or some such and a male friend)? They are in the Bahamas or some other warm climate. Happens in the end of the book. GF comes from a family with wealth and a big company and one of the company members 'overstayed' their time in England when they were only allowed so many days in country each year.