For Kicks [Unabridged] (Paperback)

The classic Francis protagonist is the principled loner (sometimes jaded, sometimes not) who stumbles onto a mystery and into trouble, then follows through to the bitter (and successful) end, usually with numerous bruises, a couple of sprains, and probably at least one fairly serious broken bone or other bloody inconvenience. More often than not (at least in the first three decades of his books), the narrator finds love, as well. Throughout four decades of writing, Francis' stoic narrators have become a bit predictable (though still fun), which makes the unpredictability of this collection all the more enjoyable.

Relying more on irony and wit than in any other book, Francis has concocted a series of clever plots with interesting characters (really different from his usual heroes). These stories are very enjoyable and even a bit droll. They move quickly, surprise, and reward. By all means pick this one up.

At a time when Mr. Francis may be winding down his career, this collection is a real gold mine, and one last glimpse at a great mystery writer's talent.

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a) Raid at Kingdom Hill -- A bomb scare at the racetrack, and money goes missing during the chaos. (2.00/5.00)

b) Dead on Red -- A contract killer kills a jockey for another jockey, but the results are not quite what the surviving jockey had desired. (4.00/5.00)

c) Song for Mona -- A snobbish daughter is ashamed of her mother's life and history while others find her charming and praise her. (4.00/5.00)

d) Bright White Star -- The theft of a horse from an auction and a wandering tramp who is displaced from his home on the land. (2.00/5.00) * "Write us a story," they said. I asked, "What about?" "About three thousand words," they replied.

e) Collision Course -- An editor loses his job and runs into snobs who won't let him park his boat at their restaurant while he has dinner with three publishers. Turns out the owner is a up-and-comer who needs to win an upcoming race in order to attract horses to his farm. An interesting battle develops. (4.00/5.00)

f) Nightmare -- A horse thief is running from his past where his father was killed during a theft. (2.50/5.00)

g) Carrot for a Chestnut -- Fixing a race by doping the horse with a doctored carrot. With a great twist at the end. (3.50/5.00)

h) The Gift -- A down-and-out alcoholic journalist finds the horseracing story of the century, but may be too drunk to write it. (2.00/5.00)

i) Spring Fever -- A woman falls in love with her jockey and is taken advantage of, at first. (2.50/5.00)

j) Blind Chance -- A man has a perfect way to know the outcomes of photo-finish races, and to make money on it. Until disaster strikes. (4.00/5.00)

k) Corkscrew -- An honest man is charged with a crime and his lawyer swindles his parents out of the bail money. He doesn't count on the road to justice being somewhat long and windy. (3.75/5.00)

l) The Day of the Losers -- Money from an old robbery is the glue that holds this story together as the police attempt to fix a race in order to catch a crook. There are twists all around at the end. (3.50/5.00)

m) Haig's Death -- All the people who have their fates resting on the outcome of a race are all affected when the decision falls to the judge, whose fate has already been decided. Multiple storylines all leading to a combined finish. (3.50/5.00)

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