Dick Francis's Gamble
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4.2 • 163 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Felix Francis continues his father's New York Times- bestselling legacy with another edge-of-your-seat read that's classic Francis.
Nicholas "Foxy" Foxton, a former jockey who suffered a career- ending injury, is out for a day at the Grand National races when his friend and coworker Herb Kovak is murdered, execution style, right in front of him-and 60,000 other potential witnesses. Foxton and Kovak were both independent financial advisers at Lyall & Black, a firm specializing in extreme-risk investments.
As he struggles to come to terms with Kovak's seemingly inexplicable death, Foxton begins to question everything, from how well he knew his friend to how much he understands about his employer. Was Kovak's murder a case of mistaken identity...or something more sinister?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Francis, having coauthored four horse-racing thrillers (Crossfire, etc.) with dad Dick Francis (1920 2010), proves himself more than capable of carrying on the family legacy alone. Shortly before the start of the Grand National, "one of the world's greatest sporting events," Nicholas Foxton, a financial adviser and former jockey, is standing next to Herb Kovak, who works for the same London financial services firm, when a gunman executes Kovak and escapes into the crowd of spectators. The police, who cancel the race, are irked that Foxton can't meaningfully describe the assassin. Later, Foxton finds a threatening note in the pocket of Kovak's coat that may provide a clue to the crime's motive. Foxton, who retired from the turf after breaking his neck in a race, can't resist playing detective, especially after he discovers that Kovak designated him as executor of his estate. While the ending will strike many readers as predictable, Francis shares his father's gift for brisk storytelling and for creating a sympathetic, wounded, but determined hero.
Customer Reviews
Is Felix as good as Dick?
I enjoyed this book. But before buying, you are probably wondering if Felix Francis is as good as Dick Francis. The answer is "almost."
There were a few places where the hero gave too much information to those around him. It is something that Dick's characters seldom did. Beyond that slight hiccup, I found the style and plot to be almost identical in the writings of father and son.
Not good
Too far from the old Francis, style is flat as are the characters, If it stays like this it is not worth the money
Gamble
Okay....Not great. Not a lot of depth.