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Under Orders (Hardcover)

by Dick Francis (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Beloved series character Sid Halley, a champion jockey, makes a welcome return in the latest fast-paced crime novel from bestseller Francis (Come to Grief). When a crippling injury forces Halley into retirement, he begins a second career as a PI. Thanks to his doggedness and integrity, he attracts many clients, including a mysterious government figure who asks him to assess the unintended consequences of Britain's legalization of Internet gambling, and others who wish him to unravel the nest of puzzles surrounding the murder of a jockey, Huw Walker, suspected of throwing races. This time, the sinister forces arrayed against him have an unexpected weapon—threats of violence against Halley's new significant other. The writing and action are as crisp as ever, though longtime Francis fans may find the plot a little familiar. BOMC and Mystery Guild main selection.(Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

After an absence of six years, Dick Francis comes thundering up the track with a thriller that resoundingly demonstrates that the acclaimed author, if anything, may have gained a few steps. Francis re-summons his most popular protagonist, Sid Halley, a champion jockey turned sleuth, whose racing career was shattered when a horse fell on him and then an adversary mangled his left hand. Last seen in Come To Grief (1995), Halley, who brings racing knowledge, spirit, and resilience to whatever case he tackles, remains one of the most exquisitely developed characters in crime fiction. This adventure starts with Cheltenham Gold Cup day, during which one racegoer drops dead, a horse collapses after a stirring win, and the victorious jockey is discovered shot to death in the parking lot. Juggling several sleuthing assignments, Halley finds himself working not only for the father of the slain jockey but also for a Lord who wants to know if the races his horses run in are being fixed. The plot keeps delivering shocks as Halley's investigation is derailed by threats and violence against his new love. And Francis once again proves himself a master of detail, seamlessly incorporating fascinating facts about DNA technology, myoelectric hands, Internet gambling, and even stitches. Wow. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars A Return to Form with One of Dick Francis's Great Heroes, Sid Halley, Nov 22 2006

Under Orders is vintage Dick Francis. Steeple chasing, horses, riders, trainers, owners, stable hands, bettors, and bookies abound. What's more, we get to see another side of Sid Halley as he continues his successful detective business and falls in love again.

I was impressed at how well Dick Francis handled the technical details of the story. This is a writer firmly in touch with the 21st century, handling his material like a much younger person.

In one day at the races, there are three deaths. One is almost unnoticed. Another is mourned nationwide, while the final one stirs up a controversy. Naturally, it's the last death that attracts Sid's attention. In the beginning of the story, everyone seems to want to hire Sid to find out what's going on . . . believing that things are not as they seem. Sid is inclined to agree as subsequent events don't fit his sense of the characters of the people involved. Helped by his suspicions, Sid gradually unravels the various mysteries . . . and brings great danger. The crisis scene near the end is one of the most convincing and relevant to a Dick Francis story that I can remember.

If I liked the story so much, why didn't I grade it at five stars? The mystery is pretty transparent. Had the mystery been more opaque, this would have been one of the all-time great Dick Francis stories. As it is, you'll ride happily over the obstacles to arrive at the end in record time!
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5.0 out of 5 stars RACING IS THE SPORT OF KINGS - CRIME FICTION IS THE SPORT OF DICK FRANCIS, Sep 27 2006
By Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
To the best of my knowledge it has been six years since the last Dick Francis mystery. I had reluctantly resigned myself to the fact that there probably wouldn't be another one, but here it is! Another entertaining read from the master of track thrillers featuring one of my favorite protagonists, Sid Halley, former jockey who lost a hand thus ending his career in racing. He then turned to sleuthing with an eagle eye and a nose for the nefarious.

In this, his 42nd book, Francis wastes no time in hooking readers: "Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than an eyebrow. That only one of the deaths was of a horse was more than enough to bring the local constabulary hotfoot to the track."

One of the recently departed is jockey Huy Walker - dispatched with three bullets to the heart. He had been having an affair with trainer Bill Burton's wife. That was more than enough to put Burton at the top of the suspect list......until Burton himself turned up dead.

Halley had been approached by Lord Enstone to look into why Enstone's horses weren't getting anywhere near the Winner's Circle. Enstone wants to know what's going on at the track - bribes, race fixing?
Well, that kind of skullduggery is bad enough but murder is quite another thing. Halley feels compelled to look into the killings, but in doing so puts his own life at risk.

As always, readers will relish the author's thorough knowledge of racing and his deft way with a plot. Racing, as we know, is the sport of kings. Exemplary crime fiction is the sport of Dick Francis.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke
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