BlackHat Mystery BookstoreDick Francis
[1920-2010]
| short profile | ![mystery author Dick Francis [1920-2010]](images/DickFrancis-b&w.jpg "mystery author Dick Francis [1920-2010]") |
Dick Francis was a jockey for England's Queen Mum, then became a reporter, and
began writing mystery novels centered on the horseracing industry in England & Europe.
Richard Stanley 'Dick' Francis was born on 31 October 31 1920 in Lawrenny, South Wales. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot. After the war, he worked as a jockey and became a celebrity of British National Hunt racing, winning over 350 races and becoming champion jockey in the 1953-54 season. Beginning in 1953, he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; in 1957, he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall.
The success of his autobiography in 1957 led to a job as horse-racing correspondent for "The Sunday Express". During this time he began writing fiction, and published his first novel "Dead Cert" in 1962, a resounding success. He thereafter published a novel a year for 38 years (leaving his correspondent job in 1973), for a total of over 40 books. Late in life he lived part-time in England and part-time in Florida, USA.
Dick Francis is the only author to win the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Novel three times: for "Forfeit" in 1970, "Whip Hand" in 1981, and "Come To Grief" in 1996. Also in 1996, he received the Grand Master Award, the highest honor bestowed by the M.W.A. In 1984, he was made an Officer of the British Empire, and in 2000 made Commander of the British Empire.
Around 2007, Dick Francis began working with his son Felix Francis, co-authoring four novels. Dick Francis died in February 2010 at age 89. Son Felix has since published several books on his own (see Continuation Section).
Dick Francis's official website
Dick Francis entry at Wikipedia
Dick Francis's credits at Internet Movie Database
browse Dick Francis Store {only 12 books} at Amazon
browse Dick Francis books {returns 170+ titles} at Amazon
Fiction by Dick Francis
 | "The Dick Francis Companion: The Complete Guide To The Beloved Mysteries of Dick Francis - From Plot Summaries To Character Profiles & More" [2003] by Jean Swanson & Dean James
Berkley Trade 9x6 pb [7/2003] out of print/50+ used |
"Dead Cert" [#1 = 1962]
 | Steeplechase jockey Alan York witnesses & then solves his best friend's murder.
Berkley mass pb [1/2004] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [1/2000] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/87] out of print/many, many used Armchair Detective Library 9x5¾ hardcover [12/89] out of print/scarce |
 |
feature film [United Artists May 1974] Co-written & directed by Tony Richardson; co-written by John Oaksey, based on the Dick Francis novel; starring Scott Antony, Judi Dench, Michael Williams, Nina Thomas, Julian Glover, Mark Dignam, John Bindon, Joseph Blatchley, Ian Hogg, Sean Lynch & Hideo Saito M.G.M. widescreen color DVD [10/2005] for $12.99 full credits from IMDb |
"Nerve" [#2 = 1964]
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Struggling young jockey Rob Finn is accused of losing his nerve, but his recent mounts were drugged, and when Rob gets near to finding the culprit, he is kidnapped, tortured and left for dead.
Jove mass pb [9/98] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/87] out of print/many used Armchair Detective Library hardcover [6/90] out of print/used Harper & Row hardcover [6/64] out of print/scarce |
"For Kicks" [#3 = 1965]
 |
A racing journalist is killed in a suspicious auto accident in England, and Aussie horse breeder Daniel Roke is asked to investigate the underlying horse-doping scandal.
Jove mass pb [11/98] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [5/87] out of print/many used Armchair Detective Library hardcover [2/91] out of print/used |
 | "Triple Crown: Three Complete Novels" [2005] this omnibus volume contains "Dead Cert" [1962], "Nerve" [1964] & "For Kicks" [1965] Berkley Trade 9x6 pb [9/2005] out of print/used |
"Odds Against" is #4
see Sid Halley Section below
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Flying Finish" [#5 = 1966]
 | Part-time office worker and amateur jockey Henry Grey decides to change his luck and see the world, and he finds a new job, air-transporting racehorses. But he sees something quite unexpected in the cargo hold ...
Jove mass pb [8/99] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [7/87] out of print/many used Armchair Detective Library 8¾x5¾ hardcover [10/91] out of print/used |
"Blood Sport" [#6 = 1967]
 | English agent Gene Hawkins agrees to search for millionaire Dave Teller's prized missing stallion; the trail of a horse-kidnapping scam leads from London to New York to Las Vegas to California.
Berkley mass pb [11/2004] for $6.99 Jove mass pb [10/99] for $6.99 Fawcett mass pb [1/88] out of print/many used Armchair Detective Library hardcover [3/92] out of print/used Harper & Row hardcover [1/67] out of print/used |
 | TV movie [R.T.E. 1989]
Directed by Harvey Hart; written by Andrew Payne; starring Ian McShane {as David Cleveland}, Heath Lamberts, Lloyd Bochner, Kenneth Welsh, Patrick Macnee, Carolyn Dunn, Jennifer Dale, Timothy Webber, Laurie Paton & Cameron Graham Northstar Ent. color VHS [2/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb DVD available as part of 3-movie set, with "In The Frame" [1989] & "Twice Shy" [1989] Koch Vision color DVD [5/2006] 2 disks for $19.99 |
"Forfeit" [#7 = 1968]
 | Won MWA's Edgar Award for Best Novel; racing reporter James Tyrone doesn't believe that the death of fellow reporter Bert Chekov was an accident.
Berkley mass pb [4/2005] for $7.50 Jove mass pb [2/99] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [6/69] out of print/used |
"Enquiry" [#8 = 1969]
 | Jockey Kelly Hughes & trainer Dexter Cranfield are barred from racing in a vicious frame-up; Hughes refuses to take the phony verdict lying down, and his struggle to clear their names puts several lives at risk.
Jove mass pb [6/2000] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [8/87] out of print/many used HarperCollins hardcover [6/69] out of print/used |
"Rat Race" [#9 = 1970]
 |
The four passengers aboard a sabotaged airplane were miraculously unharmed, but that means that the killer will try again; rental pilot Matt Shore investigates.
Berkley mass pb [7/2006] for $7.99 Pan Books mass pb [9/97] for $7.50 Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/many used HarperCollinsBook Club hardcover [3/71] out of print/used |
"Bonecrack" [#10 = 1971]
 | A grisly accident puts the owner of a stable into the hospital, and estranged son Neil Griffon takes over. Neil is soon assaulted & abducted, and an Italian-Swiss madman forces Neil to hire the man's son to ride in races
Pan Books mass pb [9/97] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [1/71] out of print/used |
"Smokescreen" [#11 = 1972]
 | Movie star Edward Lincoln plays a daring detective on screen, but feels helpless after agreeing to go to South Africa to investigate his godmother's failing horses.
Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/used Pan Books mass pb [11/96] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [8/00] out of print/used |
"Slay-Ride" [#12 = 1973]
 | British investigator David Cleveland travels to Norway to locate a missing jockey and discovers a string of murders.
Jove mass pb [10/2000] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [4/87] out of print/many used Pocket mass pb [5/80] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [9/89] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [10/73] out of print/used |
"Knockdown" [#13 = 1974]
 | A very wealthy American woman wants a young steeplechaser horse for the son of a special friend, and asks ex-jockey Jonah Dereham to bid on it for her. He buys the horse (for a generous commission) but is soon bashed on the head and suffers a series of assaults.
Berkley mass pb [3/2006] for $7.99 Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/used Harper & Row hardcover [1/74] out of print/used |
"High Stakes" [#14 = 1975]
 | Steven Scott is a hobbyist-racer whose horses begin a winning streak; but he discovers chicanery at the stables, and the fired employee seeks deathly revenge.
Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/used Pocket mass pb [1/90] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [4/76] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [1/75] out of print/used |
"In The Frame" [#15 = 1976]
 | Horse painter Charles Todd's brother's house is burglarized and the wife killed, and the brother is chief suspect. To prove his brother innocent, Charles tracks a burglary-murder-arson gang to Australia.
Berkley mass pb [9/2006] for $7.99 Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/many used Michael Joseph hardcover [2/89] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [3/77] out of print/used |
 | TV movie [R.T.E 1989] same basic story as the book, but names changed and locations moved to Germany Directed by Wigbert Wicker; written by Andrew Payne; starring Ian McShane {as David Cleveland}, Lyman Ward, Amadeus August, Peter Sattmann, Patrick Cauderlier, Rainer Grenkowitz, Cedric Smith, Joseph Ziegler, Laura Dickson, Hans-Peter Korff, Jack Duffy & Liliane Clune Northstar Ent. color VHS [2/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb DVD available as part of 3-movie set, with "Blood Sport" [1989] & "Twice Shy" [1989] Koch Vision color DVD [5/2006] 2 disks for $19.99 |
"Risk" [#16 = 1977]
 | Accountant and amateur steeplechase jockey Roland Britten wakes up confused and bound and in pitch darkness. He manages to escape, and then is quickly recaptured in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Fawcett mass pb [12/93] out of print/used Pocket mass pb [1/90] out of print/used HarperCollins hardcover [5/78] out of print/used |
"Trial Run" [#17 = 1978]
 | A British prince asks retired jockey Randall Drew to investigate threats to disrupt the horse-racing events at the upcoming Moscow Olympic Games.
Jove mass pb [8/00] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/87] out of print/many used HarperCollins hardcover [5/79] out of print/used Heron-Edito hardcover [1/78] out of print/used |
"Whip Hand" is #18
see Sid Halley Section below
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Reflex" [#19 = 1980 bestseller]
 | Daring jockey Philip Nore suspects that a track photographer's fatal accident was really murder. So he takes over the photographer's job and discovers some nasty secrets of corruption, blackmail, and murder – thus setting himself up as the killer's next target.
Berkley mass pb [10/2005] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [3/2003] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [9/86] out of print/many used Putnam 9¼x6¼ hardcover [4/81] out of print/many used |
"Twice Shy" [#20 = 1981 bestseller]
 | The first part of the book is about physics teacher Jonathan Derry and a computer-based betting system; the second part begins 14 years later as Jonathan's brother William is drawn into a conspiracy to locate the computer program.
Jove mass pb [2/2003] for $6.99 Fawcett mass pb [11/86] out of print/many used Putnam hardcover [4/82] out of print/used |
 | TV movie [R.T.E. ] Directed by Deirdre Friel; written by Miles Henderson; starring Ian McShane {as David Cleveland}, Kate McKenzie, Karl Hayden, Dearbhla Molloy, Niall Toibin, Conor Mullen, David Herlihy, Stephen Brennan, John Keegan, Oliver Maguire, Pat Leavy, Patrick Macnee & Geraldine Fitzgerald Northstar Ent. color VHS [2/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb DVD available as part of 3-movie set, with "Blood Sport" [1989] & "In The Frame" [1989] Koch Vision color DVD [5/2006] 2 disks for $19.99 |
"Banker" [#21 = 1982 bestseller]
 | Young investment banker Tim Ekaterin arranges a multimillion-dollar loan to finance the purchase of champion racehorse Sandcastle, but the horse suddenly has an apparent defect, threatening to blow his career to smithereens.
Fawcett mass pb [7/86] out of print/many used Fawcett mass pb [2/84] out of print/many used Pan Books mass pb [2/84] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [9/89] out of print/used Putnam hardcover [4/83] out of print/many used |
"The Danger" [#22 = 1983 bestseller]
 | Andrew Douglas's business is solving kidnappings. Three new crimes – golden-girl jockey Alessia Cenci, the young child of a derby winner, and the senior steward of the Jockey Club – seem connected, and soon lead from Italy to England to Washington, D.C.
Fawcett mass pb [2/86] out of print/many used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [3/96] out of print/used Putnam 9¼x6¼ hardcover [4/84] out of print/many used |
"Proof" [#23 = 1984]
 | A brutal attack on a party catered by wine merchant Tony Beach sweeps him suddenly into the midst of a terrifying mystery that begins with sham scotch & counterfeit claret and escalates to hijacking and murder.
Berkley mass pb [7/2005] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [7/97] out of print/used Putnam hardcover [3/85] out of print/many used |
"Break In" [#24 = 1985 bestseller]
 | Sporting hero Kit Fielding is drawn into a crusade to save his twin sister Holly's marriage from ruinous scandal that soon escalates into a deadly feud between a ruthless media czar, a black-hearted robber baron, and his own family.
Berkley mass pb [1/2005] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [7/2001] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/87] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9¼x6½ hardcover [3/86] out of print/many used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [5/93] out of print/used |
"Bolt" [#25 = 1986 bestseller]
 | Jockey Kit Fielding is back: After bad-guy Henri Nanterre's ruthless new plans are thwarted, horses die violently, then humans are attacked, and Kit must stop Nanterre for good, while fending off the escalating feud with Maynard Allardeck.
Berkley mass pb [5/2005] out of print/used Jove mass pb [4/2001] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/88] out of print/many, many used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [10/86] out of print/used Putnam hardcover [3/87] out of print/many used |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Hot Money" [#26 = 1987 bestseller]
 | Jockey Ian Pembroke is saddled with relatives who are simply trouble: his father is a gold arbitraguer with a Midas touch in everything but wives; the five ex-wives are Ian's grudge-bearing mother; a vicious pair called 'the witches'; a fourth dead in a tragic accident; and the most recent ex-wife, now a victim of murder.
Fawcett mass pb [1/89] out of print/many, many used Pan Books mass pb [12/88] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [3/96] out of print/used Putnam hardcover [3/88] out of print/many, many used |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"The Edge" [#27 = 1988 bestseller]
 | The Great Transcontinental Mystery Race is a glittering railroad junket across Canada to race thoroughbreds on some of the world's greatest courses. Tor Kelsey, undercover security agent for the British Jockey Club, contends with the murder mystery to be acted out on board, as well as a ruthless underworld racing figure – a combination that explodes into a nightmare of real and bloody murder.
Kindle Edition from Berkley/Penguin [2005 edition] for $7.99 Berkley mass pb [8/2005] for $7.19 Jove mass pb [8/2001] out of print/many used Fawcett mass pb [1/90] out of print/180+ used Pan Books mass pb [1/90] out of print/100+ used Putnam hardcover [2/89] out of print/200+ used |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Straight" [#28 = 1989 bestseller]
 | Injured steeplechase jockey Derek Franklin is thrust into trouble and mayhem by the accidental death of his older brother, Greville, an importer of gemstones. The inheritance includes the brother's desk, business, gadgets, horses, and mistress – and deadly danger coming from unknown enemies.
Berkley mass pb [2/2006] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [1/2003] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [1/91] out of print/many, many used Putnam hardcover [11/89] out of print/many, many used |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Longshot" [#29 = 1990]
 | Survivalist author John Kendall impulsively (and for the money) takes an assignment to write the biography of a successful racehorse trainer. His research uncovers a stablegirl gone missing years prior, then her body is found in the woods, and the intrepid writer is suddenly under fierce attack and his survival in doubt.
Fawcett mass pb [2/92] out of print/many, many used Ballantine Books mass pb [7/99] out of print/used hardcover not available? |
"Comeback" [#30 = 1991]
 | British First Secretary Peter Darwin stops over in Miami, Florida on his way from Tokyo to a holiday in England; he and two acquaintances survive a mugging there and continue together to Gloucestershire, his childhood home – where he finds long-hidden memories, a string of racehorse deaths, and homicide.
Fawcett mass pb [2/93] out of print/many, many used Del Rey mass pb [12/99] out of print/used Putnam 9x6¼ hardcover [10/91] out of print/many, many used |
"Driving Force" [#31 = 1992 bestseller]
 | Young ex-jockey Freddie Croft owns a profitable fleet of horse vans that convey runners to the course. He breaks a hard, fast rule and picks up a hitchhiker; the passenger turns up dead, and Freddie's livelihood and his life are soon in deadly jeopardy.
Fawcett mass pb [12/93] out of print/many, many used Pan Books mass pb [12/93] out of print/many used Putnam 9¼x6½ hardcover [10/92] out of print/many, many used |
"Decider" [#32 = 1993]
 | Architect Lee Morris accepts the job of reshaping the facilities at Stratton Park racecourse, which requires dealing with the combative clan that wholly owns it. With multi-millions on the line and menace edging closer, the infighting turns violent, and he finds himself a major player in a supremely dangerous game.
Berkley mass pb [12/2004] for $6.99 Jove mass pb [4/95] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x6 hardcover [2/93] out of print/many, many used |
"Wild Horses" [#33 = 1994 bestseller]
 | Newspaperman Valentine Clark is aged, confused, blind and dying. Mistaking his visiting film-director friend, Thomas Lyon, for a priest, he confesses a daunting secret and then passes away, seemingly at peace. On location in Newmarket, the director uncovers a long-unsolved murder that is very much not forgotten – by the killer.
Berkley mass pb [5/2004] for $7.99 Berkley Trade 8x5 pb [5/2008] for $11.86 Jove mass pb [10/95] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x5¾ hardcover [10/94] out of print/many, many used |
"Come To Grief" is #34
see Sid Halley Section below
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"To The Hilt" [#35 = 1996 bestseller]
 | Artist Alexander Kinloch, lives & works alone on a remote mountain in Scotland, painting on commission and making a decent income. One day, however, he returns home to find a group of strangers waiting for him; after a scuffle, he is left for dead with only the words 'Where is it?' ringing in his ears.
Berkley mass pb [6/2004] for $6.99 Jove mass pb [10/97] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x6 hardcover [9/96] out of print/many, many used |
"10 Lb. Penalty" [#36 = 1997 bestseller]
 | Young Benedict Juliard, after graduating from university, has abandoned his dream of life as an amateur jockey in steeplechase races, and enters the political arena in support of his father. He finds himself viciously attacked by increasingly violent enemies determined to discredit & destroy his father's drive toward the prime ministership.
Berkley mass pb [8/2004] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [10/98] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x6 hardcover [9/97] out of print/many, many used |
"Field of Thirteen" [stories; #37 = 1998]
 | includes previously-published "Blind Chance" [1979], "Bright White Star" [1979], "Carrot For A Chestnut", "The Day of The Losers" [1977], "The Gift" [1972], "Nightmare" [1974], "Raid At Kingdom Hill" & "Spring Fever", and new stories "Collision Course", "Corkscrew", "Dead On Red", "Haig's Death" and "Song For Mona"
Berkley mass pb [3/2004] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [10/99] out of print/many, many used Putnam 8¼x6 hardcover [9/98] out of print/many, many used |
"Second Wind" [#38 = 1999]
 | TV meteorologist Perry Stuart's life is calm and ordered, until a fellow forecaster offers him a Carribean hurricane-chasing ride in a small aeroplane as a holiday diversion. By frightening accident, Stuart learns dangerous secrets from the flight, and back home in England he faces threats and danger as deadly as anything that nature can provide.
Jove mass pb [10/2000] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x6¼ hardcover [10/99] out of print/many, many used Macmillan hardcover [8/99] out of print/used |
"Shattered" [#39 = 2000 bestseller]
 | Upon the death of a jockey friend at Cheltenham, glass artisan Gerard Logan becomes embroiled in a perilous search for a stolen videotape, and he is suddenly faced with terrifying threats to his livelihood, his courage and, finally, to his life.
Berkley mass pb [3/2005] for $7.99 Jove mass pb [9/2001] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9x6¼ hardcover [9/2000] out of print/many, many used |
the six-year gap ended with "Under Orders" #40
see Sid Halley Section below
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Dead Heat" with Felix Francis [#41 = 2007]
 | Rising culinary star Max Moreton faces career meltdown when 200 guests at a racetrack dinner affair fall victim to severe food poisoning; but the catered lunch at the track next day goes off without a hitch – until a terrorist's bomb blast decimates the crowd behind the glass-fronted box of the grandstand.
Berkley mass pb [9/2008] for $9.99 Putnam 9x6¼ hardcover [9/2007] for $15.57 |
"Silks" with Felix Francis [#42 = 2008]
 | Barrister and amateur jockey Geoffrey Mason defends rich boy Julian Trent for the fee, and is upset that the lengthy trial will prevent participating in the Foxhunter Steeplechase. When a pro-rider is murdered with another's pitchfork, Mason finds himself pulled into the case as a junior barrister. To make matters worse, Trent has somehow wiggled his way out of prison and demands that Mason do what hes told in the jockey murder case.
Kindle Edition from G.P. Putnam/Penguin [8/2008] for $9.99 G.P. Putnam's Sons mass pb [8/2009] for $9.99 Putnam Adult 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/2008] out of prodn/200+ used |
"Even Money" with Felix Francis [#43 = 2009]
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Crossfire" with Felix Francis [#44 = 2010]
Dick Francis Omnibus Books
Dick Francis Omnibus [1994]
"Trial Run" [1978], "Whip Hand" [1979] & "Twice Shy" [1981]
Bloomsbury Books hardcover [2/94] out of print/used
Three Favourites by Dick Francis [1994]
"Odds Against" [1965], "Flying Finish" [1966] & "Blood Sport" [1967]
Michael Joseph Ltd. pb [3/94] out of print/scarce
Dick Francis Omnibus [1994]
"Enquiry" [1969], "Risk" [1977] & "The Danger" [1983]
Pan Books pb [11/94] out of print/used
Dick Francis Double [1995]: "Reflex" [1980] & "Comeback" [1991]
Pan Books pb [10/95] out of print/scarce
Dick Francis Double [2003]: "Twice Shy" [1981] & "The Danger" [1983]
Pan Books pb [7/2003] out of print/scarce
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
 | Dick Francis: Three Complete Novels [1997] "Decider" [1993], "Wild Horses" [1994] & "Come To Grief" [1995] Putnam 9½x6½ hardcover [11/97] out of print/used |
 |
Dick Francis Omnibus One [1999] "High Stakes" [1975], "Straight" [1989] & "Longshot" [1990] Pan Books 7½x5 pb [11/99] for $19.96 |
 |
Dick Francis Omnibus Two [1999] "Forfeit" [1968], "Risk" [1977] & "Reflex" [1980] Pan Books 7½x5¼ pb [11/99] for $19.73 |
 |
Dick Francis Omnibus Three [2000] "Slay-Ride" [1973], "Banker" [1982] & "Proof" [1984] Pan Books 7½x5¼ pb [11/2000] for $19.96 |
 |
Dick Francis Omnibus Four [2000] "Enquiry" [1969], "Rat Race" [1970] & "Smokescreen" [1972] Pan Books 7½x5 pb [10/2000] for $17.97
|
 | Dick Francis Kit Fielding Omnibus [2003] is sixth "Break In" [1985] & "Bolt" [1986] Pan Books 7½x5¼ pb [9/2003] out of print/used |
 | Dick Francis Omnibus Seven [2004] "Nerve" [1964], "Blood Sport" [1967] & "In The Frame" [1976] Pan Books 9x5¾ pb [9/2004] out of print/used |
| | Dick Francis Triple Crown: Three Complete Novels [2005] "Dead Cert" [1962], "Nerve" [1964] & "For Kicks" [1965] Berkley Trade 9x6 pb [9/2005] out of print/used |
SID HALLEY mystery series
Tales of the one-handed ex-jockey turned detective.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Odds Against" [#4 = 1965]
 | Crippled in a fall, ex-jockey Sid Halley works a depressing job as an investigator. But then he is shot, he meets the woman of his dreams, his offices & apartment are blown up, and he discovers the attempted illegal takeover of a racetrack
Jove mass pb [4/2000] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [9/87] out of print/many used Armchair Detective Library 8¾x5¾ hardcover [10/91] out of print/used |
Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark; written by Terence Feely; starring Mike Gwilym {as Sid Halley}, Mick Ford
{as Chico Barnes}, James Maxwell, Susan Wooldridge, Rachel Davies & Gerald Flood
available on six-episode DVD below full credits from IMDb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Whip Hand" [#18 = 1979]
 | won Edgar Award for Best Novel; the wife of a trainer asks haunted-by-the-past ex-jockey Sid Halley to prevent threatened foul play at the track, but the case expands into three: mail fraud, crooked syndicates, and racehorse tampering.
Jove mass pb [5/99] out of print/used Fawcett mass pb [2/87] out of print/many used Im Press hardcover [12/2001] out of print/used Harper & Row hardcover [1/79] out of print/used |
"The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game"
6-episode TV series [I.T.V./P.B.S. Nov 1979 - Jan 1980]
 |
Directed by Peter Duffell, Lawrence Gordon Clark, Colin Bucksey or John MacKenzie; written by Dick Francis, Terence Feely, Leon Griffiths, Trevor Preston and Evan Jones; starring Mike Gwilym {as Sid Halley}, Mick Ford {as Chico Barnes}, James Maxwell, Susan Wool- dridge & Rachel Davies Six one-hour episodes: "Odds Against" [Nov 1979]; "Trackdown" [Nov 1979]; "Gambling Lady" [Dec 1979]; "Horses For Courses" [Dec 1979]; "Horsenap" [Dec 1979]; and "Needle" [Jan 1980] series credits at IMDb Acorn Media color DVD box set [8/2008] 2 disks for $9.99 Mystery! color DVD [12/2002] 2 disks - out of prodn/used VHS Volume 1: Mystery! color VHS [10/2002] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used VHS Volume 2: Mystery! color VHS [10/2002] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Come To Grief" [#34 = 1995]
 | Won MWA's Edgar Award for Best Novel; having exposed a friend for committing an obnoxious crime, Sid Halley now must testify at the man's trial. But the first day of the trial is shattered by a tragic suicide that jars Halley's conscience with the suspicion that there's more to the situation than the surface facts.
Pan Books mass pb [12/96] for $9.99 Jove mass pb [10/96] out of print/many, many used Putnam 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/95] out of print/many, many used |
"The Sid Halley Omnibus"
 | "Win, Place, and Show" [2004] "Odds Against" [1965], "Whip Hand" [1979] & "Come To Grief" [1995] Berkley Trade 8¾x6 pb [10/2004] out of print/used Berkley 8½x5¾ hardcover [10/2004] out of print/used "The Sid Halley Omnibus" [2002] Pan Books 7¾x5 pb [9/2002] out of print/used |
"Under Orders" [#40 = 2006]
 | Halley's clients include a mysterious government figure concerned with internet gambling, and others who seek a solution to the nest of puzzles surrounding the murder of a jockey at the Cheltenham Gold Cup Race.
Berkley mass pb [8/2007] for $9.99 Putnam 9x6 hardcover [9/2006] for $23.36 |
Continuation Novels by Felix Francis
Felix Francis entry at Wikipedia
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Dick Francis's Gamble" by Felix Francis [#45]
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Dick Francis's Bloodline" by Felix Francis [#46]
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Dick Francis's Refusal" by Felix Francis [#47] >> Sid Halley
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Dick Francis's Damage" by Felix Francis [#48] Putnam 9780399168222
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Front Runner" by Felix Francis [#49 = 2015]
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Triple Crown" by Felix Francis [#50 = 10/2016] 
 | British Horseracing Authority investigator Jefferson Hinkley is sent to the United States to assist in finding and stopping a mole; a raid at the Kentucky Derby is a fiasco, with one man dead; Jeff goes undercover at Belmont and his investigation puts him danger for his life . . .
Kindle Edition from G.P. Putnam/Penguin [10/2016] for $14.99 Simon & Schuster Ltd. pb [DUE May 2017] for $7.51 G.P. Putnam's Sons 9½x6½ hardcover [10/2016] for $20.53 |
Other Works by Dick Francis
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
 | "The Sport of Queens: The Autobiography of Dick Francis" [orig 1957; rev 1974; updated 1995] Pan Books mass pb [9/95] out of print/used Warner Books mass pb [8/88] out of print/used Warner Books mass pb [7/86] out of print/used Otto Penzler Books 8¾x5¾ hardcover [9/93] out of print/used |
 | "A Jockey's Life: The Official Biography of Lester Piggott" [1986] by Dick Francis Fawcett mass pb [7/87] out of print/used Putnam 9½x6½ hardcover [9/86] out of print/used Michael Joseph Ltd. hardcover [3/86] out of print/many used |
 | "The Dick Francis Treasury of Great Racing Stories" [14 stories 1990] Edited by Dick Francis & John Welcome includes tales by Sherwood Anderson, Arthur Conan Doyle ("Silver Blaze"), Richard Findlay, editor Francis ("Carrot For A Chestnut"), John Galsworthy, Beryl Markham, J.P. Marquand, Somerville & Ross, Edgar Wallace, editor Welcome, and others Fawcett mass pb [3/92] out of print/used W.W. Norton 9½x6½ hardcover [11/90] out of print/many used |
 | "The New Treasury of Great Racing Stories" [14 stories 1992] Edited by Dick Francis & John Welcome includes tales by C.C.L. Browne, Donn Byrne, Colin Davy, editor Francis ("Spring Fever"), Maurice Gee, Gordon Grand, Molly Keane, A.B. (Banjo) Paterson, Damon Runyon, J.C. Squire, Edgar Wallace, editor Welcome, and two more W.W. Norton hardcover [8/92] for $16.16 |
 | "The Dick Francis Complete Treasury of Great Racing Stories" [28 stories 2003] Edited by Dick Francis & John Welcome the 28 stories from the prior two volumes, including tales by John Taintor Foote, and two each by editor Francis, Edgar Wallace & editor Welcome Galahad Books 9¼x6¼ hardcover [5/2003] out of print/used Galahad Books 9x6¼ hardcover [6/2004] out of print/used |
Other Media
 | "Dick Francis Mysteries" on DVD [2006] contains "In The Frame" [1989], "Blood Sport" [1989] & "Twice Shy" [1989] starring Ian McShane Koch Vision color DVD [5/2006] 2 disks for $19.99 Lance Ent. color DVD [6/2003] 2 disks - out of prodn/used Northstar Ent. color VHS [2/98] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used |
Works About Dick Francis
 | "Dick Francis: A Racing Life" [1999] by Graham Lord A very negative 'unauthorised biography' included here for completeness. Kindle Edition from CB Creative Books [7/2013] for $2.99 TimeWarner mass pb [9/2000] out of print/40+ used |
L i n k s
browse Dick Francis books
browse Dick Francis audio
Dick Francis's official website
Dick Francis's credits at Internet Movie Database
Dick Francis entry at Wikipedia
Felix Francis entry at Wikipedia
KB's unofficial Dick Francis website
AM's Dick Francis fansite
WmF's Dick Francis fansite
JB's German-language Dick Francis fansite
here on the Dick Francis [1920-2010] Page at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore
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