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  • Refusal

  • A Dick Francis Novel
  • By: Felix Francis
  • Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
  • Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (288 ratings)
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Refusal cover art

Refusal

By: Felix Francis
Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
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Summary

Six years ago, investigator Sid Halley retired for good. He’d been harassed, beaten, shot, even lost a hand to his investigating business, and enough was enough. For the sake of his wife and new daughter he gave up that life of danger and uncertainty, and he thought nothing would ever lure him back into the game. He thought wrong.

Sir Richard Stewart, chairman of the racing authority, begs Sid to investigate a series of dodgy races. Sid adamantly refuses, but the following day, Sir Richard is found dead under suspicious circumstances. And then a man with an Irish accent contacts Sid, telling him to deliver a whitewashed report about the suspected race-fixing...or else.

At first Sid ignores these warnings, knowing that once he submits to this criminal bully, he will forever be under his control. But as the intimidation tactics escalate - and Sid’s own family comes under threat - Sid realises he must meet his enemy head-on...or he might pay the ultimate price for his refusal.

©2013 Felix Francis (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"This is fascinating reading on every level, from the neatly calibrated plot, moving from suspense to terror, to all the details of the racing world Francis provides. Halley is now, as before, an utterly complex, interest-holding character. And the final, moral turn that Francis makes of “refusal” is brilliant. A heroic return for Sid Halley." ( Booklist)
"Francis successfully resurrects one of his late father’s most popular creations and only series character—disabled jockey–turned–PI Sid Halley... Longtime fans will be hard put to tell this gripping thriller from the senior Francis’s work." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Refusal

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Dreadful pastiche of the Dick Francis style

What disappointed you about Refusal?

No sense of action like the originals, the 'hero' agonises in tiresome internal self-questioning monologues for minutes at a time where a true Dick Francis hero would have just got on with it and allowed his internal confusion to be inferred.

What was most disappointing about Felix Francis’s story?

the result is that the whole book is interminably slow and has me practically shouting 'get on with it'.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Martin Jarvis's droll voice, perfectly suited to the Just William stories, which he made his own in an admittedly idiosyncratic way, is just not remotely suited to what ought to be a pacy thriller. It simply compounds the book's weakness.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Refusal?

All the internal monologues.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Story good, narrator disappointing

Another fast paced and enjoyable Sid Halley story from the Francis stable, if sometimes seeming more laboured than the original ones.

I did not like the narration though, not varied enough and the Michael Caine imitation voice of the police inspector drove me mad!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Not the same

Dick Francis is one of my favorite authors and I have read all of his books, including those he cowrote with his son (although these are often my least favorite). I will admit that I was not able to listen to this all the way through. Firstly Martin Jarvis is not a patch on Tony Briton. Jarvis has a drolling monotone which lacks the drama and vigor this type of book deserves and unlike Tony Briton whos characterizations brought the story to life, Jarvis makes them uninteresting and dull. On to the story, there is something missing from this book, with his father's books there was a sense of charm, fun as well as the drama and danger. Felix however does not seem to be able to bring these elements together opting for a more "gritty realism" and that is fine, he is entitled to develop his own style. However I wish he had not done it to characters his father crested. This is something I do find irritating where the son is clearly capitalising on his father's popularity but also trying to be "different enough", I kind of feel you have to do one or the other . I have tried to listen or read a number of Felix Francis books and for the most part I do give up as they are mostly dreadful. If you are looking for your next read after finishing all of Dick Francis's books of skip anything written by Felix you will feel disappointed. If you have not read his father's books then give this and other Felix Francis books a.go first.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Don't get me wrong...

I wanted to like it, I'm not sure if it was the director/producer who made this seem like the main character was just angry all the time, there was no build.... just angry which was frustrating because I liked the actors voice. The story lacked any depth unfortunately but I hope he can find his feet as an author in his own right. Dick Francis the first books I read, rather than school books, they all are very different and some I like more than others. I've loved the audio recordings by the Late Tony Britton and of course neither writer nor actor can be replaced.
Make your own mind up about the authors and actor please but if you are a Dick Francis fan take it with a pinch of salt.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointingly

I'm a D Fracis fan but this was a weak story the hero unbelievably even in fiction who would put their family into such danger. also very badly narrated by Martin Jarvis.wa

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A stonking good yarn

Six years after investigator Sid Halley’s retirement, a request from racing authority chairman Sir Richard Stewart looks like pushing Sid back into the sleuthing game. But the former jockey-turned-detective has no desire to revive a line of work that got him shot, beaten up and thrown in the path of danger on a regular basis. With his wife and daughter to think about, Sid makes it clear he’s not interested in checking out a series of dodgy races. But when Sir Richard turns up dead, Sid may have to reconsider, and that’s before a mysterious Irishman starts making threatening phone calls.

After co-authoring a few books with Francis senior, Dick’s son Felix took up his father’s mantle in 2011 with his first novel ‘Gamble’. This is the fourth (of eight) and is also the fifth book featuring Sid Halley.

Years ago, I had a Dick Francis novel that sat on my bookshelf untouched for months, purely because I thought a book centred around horseracing wouldn’t interest me. So it was pure chance that I happened across ‘Refusal’ on Amazon while perusing something completely different. Though the first few pages intrigued me, I still wasn’t certain it was my cup of jockey’s tea, so opting for the audiobook version, I allowed the marvellous Martin Jarvis to garner my interest.

‘Refusal’ is a stonking good yarn that gives its hero plenty to keep him busy. With murder, kidnapping and arson on the agenda, the poor man is thrown from one impossible situation into another, with a villainous Irishman hovering over his shoulder at every turn. The plot spirals into a thrilling denouement where Halley’s future, and that of his family, could easily go up in flames.

Some knowledge of horseracing and betting might clarify the plot, but for a novice like me, these details are clearly explained by the author without over-egging the steeplechase custard. A great story with that’ll appeal to anyone who loves a mystery.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Felix simply doesn’t have the story telling ability of his father. This tale is ‘clunky’ not helped by the reading of Martin Jarvis which is too
Much ‘in the face’ of the listener. As a result I don’t expect to want to listen to it again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • pm
  • 26-04-23

Enjoyed immensely

As usual a good Sid Halley book, thoroughly enjoyed it, however not sure why Felix has given Sid such a whingeing wife! He deserves better.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Much enjoyed the book

Excellent book. It was a gripping story by Felix Francis and very well read by Martin Jarvis.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Usual great listen

Felix hasn’t quite got the pen of his father but the characters and plot have the same page-turning quality.

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