Dick Francis’s Gamble by Felix
Francis
Nick Foxton is a financial advisor
for a firm specializing in high risk, high return ventures like East End plays
and startup companies. That’s all the
risk he can really have in his life after breaking his neck (really, he broke
it) in a horrible fall during his past life as a jockey. Many of his clients are former competitors so
he’s still around the horse racing world quite often. The book begins with Nick and a co-worker,
Herb Kovak, attending Grand National. Before
the race begins a man steps from the crowd, draws a gun and shoots Herb in the
head. Who would want Herb dead? Was his personal or work life the motivation?
Nick starts poking around in Herb’s
affairs, being executor of his estate (a shock to Nick since the race was their
first social event together). Nick discovers
interesting things about Herb’s personal and work lives and something he’s
uncovered is prompting the gunman to now come after Nick.
I really thought I was reading a
Dick Francis novel. His son has taken up
the reigns and run with them quite winningly.
The fast paced plot, first person narration and horse racing being tied
into, but not the entirety of the plot, are all hallmarks of “classic Francis,”
a term that will now apply aptly to both father and son.
