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5.0 out of 5 stars
Anything but a straight path to solve the mystery..., Jun 24 2003
By A Customer
Dick Francis does it once again, delivering a solid mystery with a hero who is an honest, intelligent, basically a good guy who tries to solve the mysteries that arise after the death of the hero's considerably older brother, robberies, muggings, and car wreck, and to do so must veer from the straight and narrow path.
Derek is a steeplechase jockey who has broken his ankle when he receives word that his older brother (19 years his senior) has been seriously injured in a freak accident. Derek has to make a hard decision, then, when he learns that he is his brother's heir, he realizes that he got far more than he bargained for. Not only has he inherited his brother's house, car, and gem business (something Derek has no knowledge of nor any interest in), but also all of the troubles as well, including thefts, missing diamonds, secret passwords, troubled friendships and his brother's mistress!
Derek rises to the challenges, hindered physically by his broken ankle but more so by his inability to discover who is behind the subsequent break-ins, assaults, missing diamonds, and a nasty car wreck. All the while, Derek grieves for his brother, copes with his brother's mistress, and uncovers a second criminal element involving horses and horse racing.
The usual humor that I associate with Francis is in this novel, but what I liked most was the greater attention paid to the relationships between the characters (Greville, Derek, Prospero, Brad and Clarissa in particular) and gave more emotional development as well. It is nicely illustrated by Derek's reflection on what his brother meant to him, the closeness of their relationship despite the difference in their ages, and the regret that the relationship ended far too soon and too suddenly without having the chance to say how much he meant to him nor a chance to say goodbye.
Like other Dick Francis mysteries, this one has plenty to keep the reader interested, has the usual connection to horse racing, and enough suspense and action without becoming an ordinary mystery.
Straight may refer to Derek's general moral core (no reference to his sexuality, though), but the path Derek takes to solve the mysteries thrown in his way is anything but straight. Highly recommended.
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