Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
15th out of 36 books
—
45 voters
Odds Against (Sid Halley Mystery #1)
by
Dick Francis
Former hotshot jockey Sid Halley landed a position with a detective agency, only to catch a bullet from some penny-ante thug. Now, he has to go up against a field of thoroughbred criminals--and the odds are against him that he'll even survive.
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
February 1st 2005
by Berkley
(first published 1965)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,830)
What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.
But more tha...more
But more tha...more
This was my first Dick Francis book. I have been avoiding them for a long time - even though my mother was a keen advocate. In browsing the shelves of Foul Play last winter, my favorite mystery bookshop in Columbus, Ohio, I found Odds Against. Since it is the first in the Sid Halley series, I decided to get my feet wet. I am glad I did.
My long avoidance of Dick Francis was my belief that the backdrop of horse racing would be a detractor for me, even though I was born in blue grass country. There...more
My long avoidance of Dick Francis was my belief that the backdrop of horse racing would be a detractor for me, even though I was born in blue grass country. There...more
May 31, 2011
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Mystery fans
Dick Francis is the featured author this month for the Cozy mysteries group here at Goodreads. You can see the discussion here. I haven't read too many of his stories before, so I thought I'd check out this book.
I like his writing and his characters are engaging. However, in every story I've read by him, I find the plot riddled with graphic violence and crime. I prefer my mysteries truly cozy, and I wouldn't really consider his books all that cozy. Still, I read this book quickly and I was trul...more
I like his writing and his characters are engaging. However, in every story I've read by him, I find the plot riddled with graphic violence and crime. I prefer my mysteries truly cozy, and I wouldn't really consider his books all that cozy. Still, I read this book quickly and I was trul...more
3* Proof
4* Bolt
3* Whip Hand
4* Dead Cert
3* Shattered
4* Blood Sport
3* Nerve
4* Decider
3* Straight
3* For Kicks
4* Bonecrack
3* Enquiry
3* Field of Thirteen
CR Odds Against
I have read Odds Against in the past (probably more than once), but when my husband found a first edition hard cover of this 1965 gem (not the paperback pictured here), I had to give it yet another read. Set against the entire Francis opus, this is clearly one of his better novels, and it is no wonder that the protagonist, Sid Halley, is Francis' only recurring character. The theme of making a comeback when you've been on the top of the world and then lost everything is one that should speak to...more
This book first introduces Sid Halley, one of Francis' two recurring heroes, the jockey-turned-detective with a damaged left hand. Halley has been drifting through life since his career-ending injury; a further injury (caused by a bullet) and the not so subtle intervention of his father-in-law bring a change to his attitude, a radically different outlook, and a desire to work effectively and properly at his new job. He is badly frightened, and physically damaged ~ two things Francis excells at w...more
I always enjoy reading a good Dick Francis novel. I really enjoy the Sid Halley series too. This is the first of them, and I really was glued to the book and didn't hardly move it was so good to me. They are pretty clean, the language isn't too bad, and not a lot of sex.... Sometimes I even reread the books, because it's like being with a friend you haven't seen in several years. I really enjoy the characters he uses, and also enjoy the series he writes about too. I'm not a gambler, but I really...more
Some books are timeless. And this is definitely one of them.
For something written in 1965, this one retains a fast paced, well crafted and, in essence simple, plot. The characters are well defined and all too human and the prose makes for a quick and riveting read. Dick Francis went on to practically invent a niche in race-horsing mysteries and you can see why - this is one of his early works and all the key points that made him such a compelling writer decades and 20 odd books down the line ar...more
For something written in 1965, this one retains a fast paced, well crafted and, in essence simple, plot. The characters are well defined and all too human and the prose makes for a quick and riveting read. Dick Francis went on to practically invent a niche in race-horsing mysteries and you can see why - this is one of his early works and all the key points that made him such a compelling writer decades and 20 odd books down the line ar...more
First of the Sid Halley books. I always enjoy Sid Halley, his books are especially violent and I love that he doesn't back down ever, even as he walks knowingly into danger.
This is probably my least favourite Sid Halley book, but I do enjoy it quite a bit nonetheless.
Possibly more than Sid, my favourite character in this book is Charles, Sid's ex-father in law.
I also quite like the evolution of his character from apathy, even about nearly being killed, to genuinely interested and invested in...more
This is probably my least favourite Sid Halley book, but I do enjoy it quite a bit nonetheless.
Possibly more than Sid, my favourite character in this book is Charles, Sid's ex-father in law.
I also quite like the evolution of his character from apathy, even about nearly being killed, to genuinely interested and invested in...more
3½ STARS. Some ten years ago someone mentioned I might enjoy Dick Francis’s work and dropped a stack of them on my desk. I read 9 or 10 over time, only a fraction of his output, but an obvious pattern soon emerged. Francis (and his wife and silent writing partner?) were extremely good at drumming up 1) intriguing stories involving horse racing (something most of the readers do not care about) and 2) creating instantly likeable protagonists, all-around good guys who found themselves in trouble, m...more
Apr 02, 2009
Lisa H.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dick-francis,
mystery
Odds Against is the first of Dick Francis' books featuring former champion steeplechase jockey Sid Halley. Although you'll sometimes see them referred to as the Sid Halley "series", the fact is that all four of them stand alone perfectly well. (One way or another, you'll want to read them all, so I guess it doesn't matter too much.)
In Odds Against, Sid has already suffered his career-ending injury: a passing horse wearing a worn-down racing shoe stepped on his arm after he had fallen during a ra...more
In Odds Against, Sid has already suffered his career-ending injury: a passing horse wearing a worn-down racing shoe stepped on his arm after he had fallen during a ra...more
I'm so glad I saw the movie of this book first. It was part of a four-episode series on British television called The Racing Game. The first episode was an adaptation of this book; the remainder were based on the characters and written by screenwriters in consultation with Mr. Francis. I enjoyed them, especially the first, and liked the casting, so I felt I'd like to read the book to see how it differed (having already read the second in the series, Edgar-winner Whip Hand.
Had I read the book fir...more
Had I read the book fir...more
Jan 17, 2012
Natalien
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Natalien by:
Daen
Wow, didn't expected so much entertainment from this little piece! I don't care much for the horse racing, the crowds I've seen at York: all fancy dress up, rich people with funny hats, going to see poor horses run - I mean, sad really. This book opened my mind to horse racing from a different point of view. Awesome detective work. I love the main character, his personality is so cool. The fast-paced action scenes and the chase are amazing! The language is slightly archaic (e.g. the use of word...more
This book is well narrated by Tony Britton. I'm disappointed, though, that Britton doesn't do a lower-class accent for Sid. Britton proved that he could carry an Australian accent throughout an entire book in For Kicks, and Sid is a character from the lower classes, so it would be nice to have that accent here. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the lovely Welsh accent of the actor who played Sid in the mini-series based on this character (Mike Gwilym).
I like this author a lot, but this book was disappointing. This is one of the author’s earliest books. The first half of the book was quite boring, unlike his later works which grab one’s interest from the very beginning. The mysteries and challenges encountered in the second half were true to what one expects from Francis.
One of the best Dick Francis novels. We learn how Sid Halley lost his left arm in this book. The theme of having to live with only one arm and his inability to ride as a jockey because of it is a recurring theme in the other 5 books about Sid Halley, private investigator.
probably the best known thriller by Dick Francis, the introduction of Sid Halley - steeplechase jockey turned private investigator. It contains all the trademark aspects of mr. Francis heroes and plot development, still fresh close to the start of his writing career
This was a really good read! I enjoyed the horse and racing aspect and found the story to be riviting. The
author added some twists and turns that were unexpected and kept my interest until the end. I am anxious
to read some of Dick Francis books.
author added some twists and turns that were unexpected and kept my interest until the end. I am anxious
to read some of Dick Francis books.
There are only 2 recurring characters in the Francis cannon. Sid Haley appears 4 times. (Kit Fielding makes 2 appearances.) This is Haley's first book. Although this is not my favorite, I like the character and the way he faces things.
Another one Dick Francis’ masterpieces. It is the first of four books written about the main character of the book Sid Halley. The others are: Whip Hand, Come to Grief and Under Orders. They should be read in order.
Sid Halley was one of the best steeplechase jockeys in Great Britain. However, a fall from a horse changed his life forever; his left hand was stepped on by a horse, has extensive nerve and tendon damage, and cannot be surgically repaired.
However, Sid receives a second chance at lif...more
Sid Halley was one of the best steeplechase jockeys in Great Britain. However, a fall from a horse changed his life forever; his left hand was stepped on by a horse, has extensive nerve and tendon damage, and cannot be surgically repaired.
However, Sid receives a second chance at lif...more
I knew that Mr Francis was a world champion jockey before turning his talents to the pen. But I did not realise that he had ridden for the Queen. Nor did I know until just recently (courtesy of a book that I won) that he was the star of a very odd occurence during the 1956 Grand National. He was riding Devon Loch and was well ahead of the rest of the pack, with no jump in sight when suddenly the horse seemed to jump a ghost hedge and ended up collapsing on its stomach within sight of the winning...more
On my pre-holiday trip to the library I couldn't resist a Dick Francis book - a guaranteed well-written exciting book. Not too graphic but the threat is real and the characters are likeable.
The first of the Sid Halley novels, it was strange reading this after reading the later ones. It's got that patina of age that comes with older contemporary novels, but it's still a good page-turner.
This is one great novel. Good characters that are satisfying to read about. A suspense that keeps you captured and want to read more about jockeys and the race scene.
Sid Halley is one of the few characters that Dick Francis repeated in his books, and I enjoyed every minute of this story of his attempt to rebuild his life.
The first Sid Halley novel. A good yarn, as Sid struggles with his useless hand, his job, and the bad guy's scheme to make millions in housing developments.
Had a tough time getting through this book, Not my normal mode. It was hard to follow in places and I lost track of some of the main characters.
The first Sid Halley book, one of my favorite by Dick Francis (and given that I have read everything he's written, that is saying something).
This was the second book I ever read of Dick Francis, even though it was the fist book of a series. -- It was great. Made me want to read more!!
I liked it, but it broke from the normal francis template. Sid doesn't get the girl, Zanna. Maybe that is in the next book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dick Francis CBE (born Richard Stanley Francis) was a popular British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
More about Dick Francis...
Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
Dec 24, 2012 05:22am