Field of Thirteen
Short Stories
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4.0 • 11 Ratings
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Discover the classic collection of mysteries from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time
'Masterful stories' 5***** Reader Review
'An exciting read from start to finish' 5***** Reader Review
'Dick Francis never disappoints' 5***** Reader Review
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This is the brilliant collection of thirteen gripping short stories by the master of crime, Dick Francis - a must-read for any fan.
Ranging from the National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham to Churchill Downs in America, each of these stories combine unforgettable characters, ingenious plotting and a sharp sting in the tail . . .
Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Field of Thirteen is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis.
Praise for Dick Francis:
'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror
'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman
'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph
'A regular winner . . . as smooth, swift and lean as ever' Sunday Express
'The master of suspense and intrigue' Country Life
'Francis writing at his best' Evening Standard
'Still the master' Racing Post
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though nearly two score of his novels have come to print, Francis has published only eight short stories in his 41 years as a bestselling author. That octet, composed mostly in the 1970s and initially appearing in various journals (Sports Illustrated, the Times of London, etc.), is reprinted here, along with five new tales, each introduced in brief by Francis. There's not a slacker among them, though few champions either. The earliest yarn, "Carrot for a Chestnut," dating from 1970 (eight years after Francis's first novel), is typical, presenting a morally ordered universe in which malefactors get their due, albeit commonly through indirect means. Here, a jockey who bends a race by feeding a horse a drugged carrot receives his comeuppance by losing his concentration as a result of his crime and getting involved in a nasty accident; as in most of the stories, there's a light twist to the ending. Horse racing figures in every entry, of course. Sometimes it's the focus of a crime--as in "Blind Chance," in which a blind boy picks up on how bettors are getting inside info on races with photo finishes. Sometimes, it's only background, as in "Collision Course," about how a fired newspaper editor hoists poetic justice upon a horrid restaurateur/horse trainer. Most of the stories are superficially clever, but below the quick plotting there's emotional depth; in "Spring Fever," for instance, Francis plumbs the innocent desperation of unrequited December-May love. And throughout there is Francis's voice, strong, smart, ironic, developed even at the beginning but maturing in timbre as he hones his skill. Even more than the horse racing, this voice is the tie that binds these 13 tales into a charmed entertainment.
