Dick Francis Reading Group discussion

You've read every Dick Francis book and can't wait for his next new one. Who do you read in the meantime? Or you've found a great author that you just know other Dick Francis fans would love as well. Share those authors with others by creating a thread in this folder!

Or reply right here in this thread. :) I know you have some great mystery authors to recommend, so don't be shy!

maggie estep writes racetrack novels featuring a true original, a young woman named ruby murphy, who lives on coney island and is an amateur PI. the first in the series is called 'HEX'. estep is nothing like dick francis in writing style, but if you like racetrack mysteries/and or unconventional female leads you might enjoy her books. joan

I love Dick Francis and his writing has influenced mine in many ways. My novels aren't about racing but about reporting. The sleuth is Mitch Malone who works at Grand River Journal. He's hard edged and unique like Dick Francis' protaganist. Check them out on Kindle, Nook and other electronic formats or in paper.
Book 1: A Case of Infatuation
Book 2: A Case of Accidental Intersection
I hope you don't mind the BSP but I do love Dick Francis!
W.S. Gager
www.wsgager.com

Joan wrote: "maggie estep writes racetrack novels featuring a true original, a young woman named ruby murphy, who lives on coney island and is an amateur PI. the first in the series is called 'HEX'. estep is ..."

Thanks for the recommendation, Joan! I'll have to see if my library has any books by Maggie Estep.

W.S. wrote: "I love Dick Francis and his writing has influenced mine in many ways. My novels aren't about racing but about reporting. The sleuth is Mitch Malone who works at Grand River Journal. He's hard edged..."

Thanks for the recommendation, W.S.! I'm always interested in hearing about authors who have been influenced by Dick Francis.

W.S., my library didn't have any of your books, but I did download a sample to my Kindle. Joan, same with Maggie Estep.

Great! Let me know what you think. I love feedback, even bad. Hapy reading!
W.S. Gager

John Francome writes racing mysteries as well. They're somewhat hard to come by in the US (I've only ever seen two; perhaps his others weren't published here). To be honest, I'm not terribly impressed, but it's an option if you like racing mysteries. (Whatever attracts me to Dick Francis isn't the racing. Dick Francis's books are pretty much the opposite of what I look for in a mystery, but I inexplicably love them.)

i completely agree, hoyland. i have no interest in racing either. what i love about francis's books is the everyman hero he has created. a guy, who, at least in the earlier books, is a jockey and therefore used to pain. this translates into a stoic, low key hero who endures pain from the ferocious villians that francis creates in a believable way (unlike, say, jack reacher in lee childs books which i love, but don't find realistic). versions of this man appear in every single one of his books. what is it about francis, do you think, that you 'inexplicably' love about them??? thanks, joan

W.S. wrote: "I love Dick Francis and his writing has influenced mine in many ways. My novels aren't about racing but about reporting. The sleuth is Mitch Malone who works at Grand River Journal. He's hard edged..." W.S.- have you read bryan gruley's 2 fantastic mysteries about a small town journalist (also lots of hockey)? there is 'starvation lake', the first in the series. followed by 'the hanging tree'. gruley is chicago bureau chief for the wall st. journal and a rabid hockey fan. as with francis, i don't care about the sport, per se, but if the writing is exceptional and the plot believable, i'm captivated.

Joan: I've heard of his books, but have never read them. I will add them to my TBR list which is huge. I've sacrificed my reading time to find more time to write. I'm trying to find at least 15 minutes a day to read again. Thanks for the recommendation. I will check them out.

Joan wrote: "i completely agree, hoyland. i have no interest in racing either. what i love about francis's books is the everyman hero he has created. a guy, who, at least in the earlier books, is a jockey an..."

Joan, I too, love Jack Reacher and all the Dick Francis Heroes! I am also a big fan of Michael Connelly's character "Harry Bosch."
Sasscer Hill,author of the horse racing mystery: FULL MORTALITY

Joan: The first Dick Francis book I read was Straight and I think the ones that focused on specific professions were what got me into his books. (My favourite is Reflex.) I'm not sure his books would have been so appealing if I'd started with Sid Halley, as I don't generally like private detective novels. Actually, as a rule I avoid 'random member of the public starts investigating' as well, but the occupational background stuff is interesting. But I've never pinpointed precisely what it is that makes me like them.

i'd like to say how impressed i am to find that 2 of the people posting here are published authors, and both have received good reviews. i'm not a writer myself, but i have some idea of the difficulty of getting published so i'm full of admiration for sasscer hill and w.s.gager. i wish i could promise to go out and buy your books. alas, i must rely on the public library for reading materials and the chicago libraries don't carry either of your books. i will fill out suggestions for both, but the budget has been cut, not surprisingly, so i'm not sure what to expect... joan

After reading all of the Dick Francis books (except for the short stories) I tried some internet "if you've read... then you'll like..." lists but for Dick Francis they seem to think "we" like racing and unofficial detective work. (Which, I admit, are good parts of Francis.) But what I like is the way the action keeps moving forward and you can't stop reading.
(Also the not too much sex and heart-rending crime.)

I've found one author that does almost as good a job: John Dunning and his "Cliff Janeway" series.

john dunning is great. unfortunately, there arent a lot of books in the series, only 5. i enjoyed them all years ago. joan

Joan, thank you for your January comment about us authors! You can read the first chapter of FULL MORTALITY for free. I know, I know. Who wants to chance getting hooked on a book and then not be able to read the rest? But if you like the first chapter enough, you could push your library harder. Tell them the book was a Finalist For Best First Agatha! Maybe that would help.
My best to you and bye for now, Sasscer Hill http://fullmortality.blogspot.com/

Sasscer wrote: "Joan, thank you for your January comment about us authors! You can read the first chapter of FULL MORTALITY for free. I know, I know. Who wants to chance getting hooked on a book and then not be ab..." sasscer, you have a lot to be proud of. i will ask the library again, but budget cuts here in chicago are terrible. i will read your first chapter, thanks.

Hi Everyone I read every Dick Francis book going over the last 30 yrs.I even got an email reply from him once.
I have just written my first book about a ballerina and a horse who heal each other,The Healing Touch which I think Dick Francis fans will love avaliable now on Kindle and Amazon.com
webwww.thehealingtouch.eu blog http://thehealingtouchbook.blogspot.com

I am always looking for a new author to devour. I'm a mystery reader who isn't big into graphic violence but is willing to get over difficult ground lightly if the story is well written (as are the DF books). The book doesn't have to be fast-paced or full of dialogue as long as I'm not rolling my eye-balls and shouting out loud at it. I don't read and re-read DF because of the horse-racing connection; it is the storytelling and individuality of each book that makes DF special. He hasn't pinned his opus the continuing saga of one character.

So, where to from here?? Who to read next? Dissatisfied with the current crop of writers, I've jumped in the way-back machine and started to look for more authors with backgrounds similar to that of Dick and Mary Francis, that is to say raised in the first part of the 20th century. One author I've discovered is Eric Ambler (A Coffin for Dimitrios,Epitaph for a Spy). His stuff is a bit dark and somber but well written.

I'm tired of the cookie-cutter, same characters outing after outing series; I can read one or two and then I'm done. Does any else have older authors they like to read?

I love Mary Stewart's adventure stories such as The Moonspinners and This Rough Magic - they were written in the '50s and '60s so may be hard to find in print. I also love P.D. James' Adam Dalgleish mysteries, beginning with Cover Her Face. These are set from 1960-2005.

Lorraine wrote: "I love Mary Stewart's adventure stories such as The Moonspinners and This Rough Magic - they were written in the '50s and '60s so may be hard to find in print. I also lov..."

I remember The Moonspinners as a Disney movie. :-) If you are going in that direction, then Victoria Holt comes to mind, but she is really more of a 'gothic mystery/romance' kind of writer.

For some light-weight crime stories, try Donald Westlake's Dortmunder series. Dortmunder and his buddies are really characters and there is no graphic violence. He has other non-Dortmunder stories as well that I have yet to read plus he wrote under a multitude pseudonyms.

Donald Westlake Victoria Holt

You can't go wrong with Lawrence Block's Burglar series. The only problem is that there are not enough of them.

Dick Francis was always a favorite author. I also love Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton and George Pelecanos.

Since my publisher had the gall to proclaim Sasscer Hill is "America's answer to Dick Francis," you might want to test ride my second novel, "Racing from Death." You can read the first chapters for free on Amazon. That way you don't waste money on an impostor. But if you decide Hill is not an impostor, you can order the book!

Read the new, glowing review from “Mystery Scene” Magazine on the latest novel in the Nikki Latrelle Horse Racing series. http://tinyurl.com/cnamnpb

I just realized that Rita Mae Brown is coming out with another book in her Jane Arnold/ Hunt Club series in November (November 20th).

I've got all of that series and re-read them on occasion. The horse details are always very correct and I like the look into the 'hunt club scene' that she provides.

I was wondering if she was finished with the series, as the last four in the series came annually but then nothing since 2008. Definitely going to be glad to get this one.

Joan wrote: "i completely agree, hoyland. i have no interest in racing either. what i love about francis's books is the everyman hero he has created. a guy, who, at least in the earlier books, is a jockey and t..."

I love the anti-hero underdog nature of the heroes too. Who would you recommend now? The specialist nature of each character's profession.... the Britishness of his stories; the only other writer I found that gets close is Robert Goddard... ideas?

Jonathan wrote: "Joan wrote: "i completely agree, hoyland. i have no interest in racing either. what i love about francis's books is the everyman hero he has created. a guy, who, at least in the earlier books, is a..."

If you're looking for something British, I really like the older thrillers of Hammond Innes. If you're looking for a crime mystery with a professional angle, I would say John Dunning, whose thrillers are based on the misadventures of a bookseller.

Although my work, and therefore my writing, is rooted in the horseracing world, I have always aspired to match Dick Francis' ability to transcend worlds. My publisher bills my novels as thrillers, but I personally feel they are slower, more dramas. But if you are looking for racing fiction, please check them out, I'm always here to answer questions or help with copies.

Avril wrote: "Hi Everyone I read every Dick Francis book going over the last 30 yrs.I even got an email reply from him once.
I have just written my first book about a ballerina and a horse who heal each other,Th..."

Peregrina651 wrote: "I am always looking for a new author to devour. I'm a mystery reader who isn't big into graphic violence but is willing to get over difficult ground lightly if the story is well written (as are the..."

Lorraine wrote: "I love Mary Stewart's adventure stories such as The Moonspinners and This Rough Magic - they were written in the '50s and '60s so may be hard to find in print. I also love..."

I know I've stumbled upon this thread over a decade after it began, but let me throw out two wonderful authors whose books I have also devoured Michael Koryta and Robert Pobi. I think Michael Koryta is closer to Dick Francis in writing style, but I enjoy Robert Pobi's mysteries as well. Let me know what you think, if you get a chance to read any. I loved Koryta's "Those who wish me dead" and Pobi's "City of Windows"