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Hands Down

Dick Francis Novels, Book 11

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About this listen

Sid Halley, a private investigator, has a new left hand, having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal. After receiving death threats, an ex-jockey trainer friend calls Sid to ask for his help, but Sid has his own problems to deal with, like recovering from surgery and saving his crumbling marriage.

When his friend’s stable yard is torched, horses killed and the friend is found dead, Sid can only blame himself for not helping sooner. The police think it’s suicide, but Sid is not convinced after his friend’s terrified phone calls. Heavy with a guilty heart, Sid starts to investigate and soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of the integrity of British horse racing.

Can Sid figure out what happened to his friend, or will he be the next one that the killer targets?

©2022 Felix Francis (P)2022 Recorded Books Inc Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Private Investigators Animal Sports Sports Suspense Crime
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I have been a fan of Dick Francis novels for longer than I want to remember and thought Felix Francis has developed a number of good novels to the series. However, whilst the storyline in parts is very strong this is due to the amount of detail and how it appertains to the plot at a particular moment in time. Unfortunately I found the description to be plodding and has the suspense of sitting in a comfy armchair with slippers on. There is all the description of how Sid's right arm or plastic prosthesis is replaced with a transplant at the beginning, with all the relevant detail and his feelings and his wife's feelings on the matter but I just felt what has this to do with the genre Francis is writing about? It might make a character more human but I found parts irritating. I enjoyed Sid Halley's previous outings but just couldn't read this with the same anticipation.

Not a vintage Francis novel

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Full of twists and turns, set in the background racing. Great to listen to. Up to the usual Francis standard.

Typical Francis book

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This story spends too much time on the break up of Sid's relationship with his wife and not enough on the main investigation. Did not finish the story as it was mostly boring, uninteresting and drawn out. Find a good plot and stick to it and maybe I may try again.

Again disappointed.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the narration. Will now be listening to more from this author.

First Time

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Although Felix Francis isn’t his father his books are
generally a “good read” and those set in the racing world have a colourful sense of place. Racing, and it’s world is popular and plays an important place in current times and is fertile territory for good stories. However Martin Jarvis, a good actor for his time, is sadly badly miscast, making them feel horribly old fashioned and leaden. Perhaps he is used again and again out of a sense of loyalty and being the nearest person to Tony Britten there is, (even he would not be right today)but he doesn’t bring any life, vibrancy or truth to the characters. I feel like I’ve been yanked back to the 50s or 60s. I know it’s important to satisfy long time Francis followers but if this continues there is little
chance of gathering any new readers / listeners. Be brave. Cast a younger actor!

Good story, miscast poor performance

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