Date first published	15/09/2022
ISBN Number	978 14711 9665 2
Page Count	406 h/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

An old friend in need, a dangerous conspiracy - a new case for Sid Halley... Sid Halley, former British jump racing champion and private detective, is not having a good time. His wife Marina has decided she needs some time out of their marriage to think about the future and Sid is devastated. But then Gary Bremner, an ex-jockey trainer, calls him to ask for his help - he is being threatened by someone in the racing world and he needs a friend he can trust. However, the very next morning, Gary's stable is torched, horses killed, and Gary has disappeared.

Determined to uncover the truth and to help his friend, Sid starts to investigate. He soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of British horse racing, and then danger comes closer to home than ever.

Can Sid get to the bottom of what's going on before he to becomes a victim, while, at the same time, saving his marriage?

Review

I read to the end of this story with some relief. Felix has got his mojo back after the last story which I truely did not enjoy.

There is, of course a danger in resurrecting characters from previous stories, especially one created by his father. However I think this is Sids third outing since the death of Dick Francis in 2010, and I'm quite relieved that the story does not mar this great character.

Sid is living a respectable life, dealing in stocks and shares to make a living, detecting has been put to bed, as he now has a wife, daughter and dog. This is probably not the Sid Halley of old, however he is knocking on - his late fifties at least.

The appearance of Gary Bremner, is not in the least bit welcome, but events take such a devastating turn that the Sid of old returns from his retirement. The Chase is on (to quote a British Tv series). Sid has been out of the game for such a long time that his reputation for not taking a beating and carrying on has been forgotten, and so the men behind the problem send a couple of heavies round to quieten Sid down. Luck saves him on this occasion in the form of a group of squaddies, who are up for a scrap.

What struck me in this story is how much racing has changed. Read any of the Francis novels where racing is at the forefront of the story, and in the past, it would be trainers ringing round the jockeys for rides, or vice versa. Now it appears the jockeys all have agents acting on their behalf seeking the rides. The jockey club seems to also have changed, and is no longer the collection of old duffers doing their best. Whether this is an improvement I'm not sure.

One of the biggest flaws in the last novel was that it fizzled out, there was no proper satisfying ending with the baddy facing a proper come -uppance. In this story not only does one of the men behind the scam get his head bashed in, but both men are arrested to face trial at some date.

The story has a nice mixture of pace mainly a lot of plodding around, sticking his nose in, prying information out of reluctant witnesses, interspersed with some violent action, and dire threats.

The only weakness in my view was the marriage situation with Marina, which didn't do much for the story, his wife could have simply disappeared to see her dying father.

Overall a decent story with one of the great Francis characters back at the coal face. Will Sid head back into the detecting world - we shall have to see 10/1 on that he will surface again!

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