Those of you who joined us yesterday for the author review on Dick Francis know what a unique and varied life he has led. But Dick didn’t just leave it at jockeying and fighting in the war – he does a copious amount of research into each book, giving you the feeling that he knows every aspect of every hero inside and out, from painting to glass blowing to chasing tornadoes.
Each of Dick’s books is full of adventure and drama. As my dad once commented to me, the heroes always seem to find themselves in situations where they have to endure the most physical pain possible. One man found himself handcuffed to a steering wheel. Another had a hot grate laid on his back. Yet another was tied to a tree for hours and hours. A good part of the mystery lies in – how will they escape?
But how do they find themselves in these predicaments? In each book, the main character stumbles upon a crime and either decides to solve it or happens upon the solution. The bad guys must either do away with him or suffer the consequences, so they choose to do away with him, usually in a very creative way. The crimes to be solved range from fixing races, stealing horses, stealing jewels, murder, kidnapping – you name it, they’re in there, and just waiting for Francis’ hero to blow the whistle on the whole thing. That is, after he extricates himself from the rapidly shrinking ropes that currently bind him fast. You are certainly not in for a dull read while enjoying a Francis.
I do need to issue one word of warning, however. In nearly every book, there is one scene you will most likely want to skip. It’s odd, in a way; the scenes are not abundant and they don’t last very long, almost as if Dick didn’t want to put it there in the first place and only did it to placate some demanding publisher. That’s just my theory, not a documented fact. But I do throw out that warning so that if you find yourself sensitive to scenes of that nature, you can go into the books prepared.
There are four books that I actually don’t recommend at all for those reasons, and they are “Enquiry,” “Twice Shy,” “Wild Horses,” and “Risk.” For some reason, those books have just a bit more than their fair share of “iffy” passages. But I don’t mean to scare you off altogether. Beyond that, the books are a sheer delight of adventure, mystery, action, and horse-racing, full of depth and detail that will paint a picture of utmost clarity in your mind. Dick Francis is a writer among writers.
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