Books by Dick Francis
“Dad had gone back to the merchant banker and asked, ‘Would you lend me a million pounds to buy a stallion?’ A million pounds was a lot more in 1981 than it is today. So they sat down and went through all the details. The merchant banker didn’t realise it was research for a plot. He only found out when he asked, ‘What is the name of the stallion?’ And my father said he didn’t know yet.” Read more...
Felix Francis, Thriller and Crime Writer
“He was a columnist for the Sunday Express, but it’s more than just that. In Forfeit, James Tyrone’s wife has polio and has a Spiroshell breathing system. It’s very personal because my mother had polio when she was 26. She spent eight weeks in an iron lung that did the breathing for her. She did recover, but her breathing was never very good. In an English winter, she used to take to her bed in November and reappear in April.” Read more...
Felix Francis, Thriller and Crime Writer
“The main character is Daniel Roke. He’s English but he moved to Australia. There is something going on at the Jockey Club (nowadays called the British Horseracing Authority) and they want to bring over someone they know is not involved to investigate.” Read more...
Felix Francis, Thriller and Crime Writer
“In a lot of my father’s (and my) books, you have an investigator who’s an amateur, a reluctant investigator. Sid was a champion jockey, but his hand was very badly injured when a horse landed on it. The horse’s trainer had saved a bit of money by reusing racing plates and that had led to the damage to Sid’s hand. He had to stop riding and didn’t know what to do. He’s offered a job as an advisor at a private detective agency which has a racing section, but Sid doesn’t do much. He sits around the office. Before long, Sid finds himself involved in an investigation.” Read more...
Felix Francis, Thriller and Crime Writer
“Bonecrack has always been my favourite book, so that was an easy choice. I was 18 when it was published and it was set in Newmarket. There are all sorts of things about the book which I absolutely loved. It isn’t a whodunit because you know whodunit right from the beginning. It’s a ‘how the hell do I get out of this mess?’ book.” Read more...
Felix Francis, Thriller and Crime Writer
“Dick Francis was a former jockey. Every book I have read of his is very exciting. They always begin with something that captures you right from the start. In this book, the main character is a young author called John Kendall who has agreed to write the biography of a famous horse trainer. When he arrives at the trainer’s house, one of the riders has just been acquitted of the murder of a young woman he had quarrelled with. But after spending time with the trainer and his team, Kendall discovers there is more to the stable girl’s murder than meets the eye…he is so knowledgeable about the world he is writing about. Also, the books are very easy to read. They are something you can pick up and you don’t have to concentrate too hard on. There is always lots of mystery and intrigue, and a bit of romance – which all makes for a good mix.” Read more...
The best books on The Equestrian Life
Mary King, Sportspersons & Sportswriter
Interviews where books by Dick Francis were recommended
The best books on The Equestrian Life, recommended by Mary King
The world championship winning horse rider Mary King, who has represented Great Britain at six Olympics from 1992 to 2012, tells us what it takes to succeed in her sport
The Best Dick Francis Books, recommended by Felix Francis
There are now 56 Dick Francis books. 39 of them were written by Richard Francis (1920-2010), a champion jockey who rode for the Queen and the Queen Mother before retiring and turning to a career as a writer. Since then, they’ve been written by his son, Felix Francis, who has continued writing thrillers in the style of his father. Felix’s latest book, set at the bloodstock sales in Newmarket, is No Reserve.
