Hands Down

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Hands Down is pure storytelling, wonderfully written, which had me hooked from the opening pages, it is a read which you need to know what is going to happen next and in which direction is the author going to take you. When his friend turns up dead, apparently by suicide, then he can't resist the urge to investigate, assisted once again by Chicco. But when he learns that his friend's stables have burned down and he's presumed dead, Sid feels he has no choice but to get involved. Sid starts to investigate and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of racing and then even closer to home. His marriage, on the other hand (pun intended), isn't working quite so well; in fact, his wife Marina has taken their nine-year-old daughter, Saskia, with her to stay with her elderly parents - in part because her father is dying and in part because she needs to get away for a while.

Having read many of the authors (and his fathers) previous books there is a somewhat familiar style and feel to the book, however, that does not mean that the author has not kept this book feeling fresh, the plot is wonderfully contrived, in its construction it feels as though Sid Halley is leading himself up a blind alley as he tries to do right by all but that in itself presents a conundrum in also getting justice and retribution, for me that added a clever dimension to the plot-line which allowed the book to have many a twist, the suspense and intrigue surrounding this kept me thinking as to where the book would lead.

An ex jockey friend Gary Bremner contacts Sid and begs him to drive to his stables as he feels his life is in danger, but Sid tells him he can’t that if he needs him he should drive to him.

This cuts into proceeds and earnings for the riders and the trainers, but on agent outfit gets its claws into both groups through some pretty easily arranged blackmail. Sid was missing his wife and daughter, but he also felt duty bound to sort out who was doing what to rig races. Jockey-turned-private eye Sid Halley was last seen in Refusal after losing his left hand in a nasty fight with even nastier opponents; for his troubles, he ended up with a prosthetic hand and a wife who who insisted that he quit his detecting work. He managed to get one name but it was someone he hadn’t heard of, anyone who was involved was reluctant to talk through fear of what would happen. But when they start telling the jockey and trainers which horses to lay off in specific races, that is illegal.

Felix Francis is showing himself a worthy successor to his father (though some say it was Mom Francis that really wrote for Dick) once again in this Sid Halley mystery that goes into the weeds on betting on and throwing steeplechase horseraces in England and Scotland. Consortia of agents have muscled into the selection of jockeys for races, and they demand fees from the jockeys and the trainers at stables. Sid Halley is back and he has a new left hand having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal. Set against the backdrop of horse racing this one has Sid with a new arm to replace the prosthetic one.

The story line should have packed some intrigue but a lot of pages were devoted to Sid's marital woes and I don’t know, it was just boring. The pace is fast which for me I know is always a winner, the characters are well drawn, they are believable, three dimensional, I like the camaraderie between Sid’s ex Father in law Charles and Sis, and also his relationship with his friend Chico who is there for him when he needs help. I was at a bit of a loss, after a long walk to check out the sights, went to the lounge room which had a bookcase and looked for something to read. 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. It was all going smoothly than all of a sudden child SA comes out of now where completely out of the blue and it ruined the mood throughout.

Suffice it to say the story held me captive for a few good hours - well written with plenty of action. perfect for curling up on a chilly autumn evening and reading it will definitely keep you guessing and completely engrossed from start to finish. Hands Down is the 6th mystery featuring Sid Halley, written by Felix Francis around characters originated by his late father, Dick Francis. Watching the news the following day, he sees that Bremner’s horse barn has gone up in flames, and several horses have been killed, including, perhaps, Bremner.

That and the bravado of the lead character is no where near as likeable as it was in the last century. The master of suspense and intrigue” (Country Life) is back with the next powerful installation in the Dick Francis series, featuring Sid Halley, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. This is one of the better crime stories by Felix Francis using his late father's characters, particularly Sid Halley and Chico Barnes. Besides spending time with Sid, Chico is back, too, acting as his bodyguard and so is his ex-father-in-law Charles. For me this is a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, if you like your crimes fast paced then grab a copy of this.His former father-in-law Charles also has a role to play both as reluctant caretaker for Sid's dog and sounding board for Sid's thoughts. While I felt that the story started slowly and presented a more introspective Sid than that of earlier stories, the pace did pick up and engaged me in Sid's adventures.