Felix Francis’ Front Runner

Having read about forty of his Dad, the late Dick Francis’ mysteries, I am gaining more and more respect for son, Felix Francis’ mystery romps. Front Runner has some different plot strings, and a unique story machination element, with romance, suspense, and aspects of horse-racing as always.

Front Runner follows Francis’ serial character, Jefferson “Jeff” Hinkley, a British Horse racing Authority (BHA) investigator as he currently investigates tax fraud and race fixing, and finds new love after being single and depressed for some time.

The story is set in both England and the Caribbean, and tells of Jeff’s married sister struggling with cancer; the focuses of his investigations: jockey’s possibly being blackmailed, and people wrangling with HM Revenue and Customs; and a lovely young heiress whom Jeff is falling for.

Without a particular spoiler-alert, I will say that Francis brings back a character from one of his Dad’s books in a cameo, and also makes reference to another, the latter being an artist. I know the latter was just a reference because while his craft and domicile are the same, his surname was distinctly different.

I hope you enjoy the Dick Francis/Felix Francis books. They maintain realism without being terribly dark, and are fun, suspenseful reads.

-FitzGerald Press

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