Review: Blood Sport

Blood Sport by Dick Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one was a darker plot than a lot of Dick Francis's novels. It holds up very well for a book written in 1967. You could see it happening in today's world, with less smoking and better technology. This time, our everyman hero is Gene Hawkins, a "civil servant" with a very particular set of skills. He is very good at his job, but struggles with depression. To save him from himself, his boss dangles an irresistible case in front of him - three missing stud stallions have vanished without a trace over the past few years. Could they be related? And can they be found? Well, yes, friends, or we wouldn't have a mystery to solve.

Francis gives a pretty honest perspective of Gene's dark thoughts and how he grapples with life and what to do with the one he has. The supporting characters are well-developed, too. Especially Walt, the insurance investigator who joins Gene on his quest to solve the case and recover the funds to his company. This one takes us from England to all across America, and finally back home again. One of my favorites, and we didn't even really go racing. 4 stars.

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Review: Reflex

Reflex by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another winner by Dick Francis. This time Philip, our everyman hero, is an amateur jockey and amateur photographer. I'm giving the edge to his photography, because hey, you can't be a jockey forever. That job has a shelf life.

We've got revenge, blackmail, murder, romance, and horses, all things you expect from Francis. But he also wrote family complexities very well. This one has the added drama of a drug-addled mother who abandoned Philip and flitted from place to place. He's estranged from his grandmother and I found this side plot as interesting as the main one.

You can't go wrong with Dick Francis. 3 solid stars.

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Review: Hot Money

Hot Money by Dick Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fantastic everyman mystery by my boy Dick Francis. Man, I just loved him so much.

This one focuses of family, the heavy burden of being wealthy, and how your upbringing can mess you up, big time. Malcolm Pembroke collects wives and kids like he does money--that is to say he has a lot of all three. And they are dysfunctional, natch, like you would expect. Enter everyman good bloke and amateur jockey, Ian. Son number 3 (I think) out of nine. He's honest, and forthright, and saves the day like I expected him to, because that's what Francis wrote best.

This is a really good one for family dynamics, a twisted plot, and unexpected results. 4 stars and a thumbs up to old Dick.


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Review: In the Frame

In the Frame by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More everyman adventures, this time in Australia. We barely touch on horse racing for this one. As is typical with Francis, sometimes you get a little racing, and sometimes you get a lot. Always with the everyman hero and some very light romance.

Artist Charles Todd visits his cousin Donald, only to discover Donald's wife has been killed in a burglary. Driven to help his cousin and with no real help from the police, the clues lead him to Australia. Charles, with the help of his old college friend and his wife, are on the hunt. Danger abounds! And Charles cracks the case to the immense appreciation of the police on two continents. Hooray! Classic Francis. 3 1/2 stars.




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Review: Slay-Ride

Slay-Ride by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Classic Dick Francis. This time we travel to Norway. I'm cold just reading this book.

We get a great Francis "everyman" in David Cleveland. Jockey Club investigator and all-around smart, nice guy. He gets in danger (as you would expect), barely escapes with his life (naturally) and saves the day.

Plus, this book is as old as I am, and it is still a fun read. One of my favorite authors of all time.

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Review: The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées #1)

The Bride by Julie Garwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What can I say? I like my heroines smart and sassy and my men strong and bossy. I like fire in my relationships. Shut up.

I may have found another guilty pleasure book. This time, it's not pirates like you would expect, but a Highlander. Not an immortal one, but a Laird. A sexy, brooding Laird used to getting his own way from everyone. Enter the arranged marriage of a young English woman. She's spirited, doesn't take his rank seriously, and sparks ensure. Good stuff!

This book hit all of the right notes for me. Historical? Check. Overbearing, bossy man? Check. Smart, mostly fearless, independent woman? Check. Happily Ever After? Of course! I wouldn't read it otherwise. Can't wait to read book 2.



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Review: The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse That Inspired a Nation

The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse That Inspired A Nation by Elizabeth Letts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Be right back, I'm running off to buy me a horse! Loved reading about Snowman's rescue from the glue factory to national champion. Who doesn't love a rags to riches story, especially when it involves animals?

This book is as much about Harry de Leyer as it is about Snowman. It's about a friendship and love between man and beast, and I'm not going to lie, I teared up at the end.

I listened to it on audio, and the narration was well done, but I'm sure it's just as good in book form. 3 stars.



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The Danger

The Danger by Dick Francis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dick Francis stays true to form in The Danger.

Andrew Douglas is a kidnap and ransom expert. He's called to Italy to assist with a missing young jockey and quickly finds himself embroiled in a web of interconnected cases which take him back to the UK and ending in the US.

This one is what you expect from a Francis novel: crime, romance, and horse racing. A solid read.



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Mathematics Week

Mathematics

This week we each read a mathematics book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Math - fiction or non-fiction book involving mathematics or numbers, or a math teacher or mathematician as a main character
Probability and Statistics - fiction or non-fiction book about odds, gambling, or a gambler. May also include books about chess or a chess player
Computers and Cryptography - fiction or non-fiction book about computers, computer science, or cryptography
Finance - fiction or non-fiction book about money, the stock market, or a book where the main character is a millionaire or on a quest for riches

Books Selected:

Zach (Probability and Statistics - Gambling)

Banker by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Banker starts off with a bang.  Tim's boss has a meltdown and soaks himself in the fountain outside of work.  While he is recovering, Tim takes over his duties at the merchant banking house and uncovers a horse racing mystery that nearly costs him his life.

I was surprised at how much I liked this book.  I thought it would be boring, but it kept my interest.


Michelle (Finance - Money)

 Banker by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dick Francis was the master of writing the everyman hero: ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. It's part of the appeal for me. He always found a way to combine an interesting topic with characters you could root for, and worked them seamlessly into the world of horse racing. This time, we step into the world of finance with merchant banker Tim Ekaterin. As Tim takes on more responsibility at his family's banking house to cover for a sick colleague, he takes a chance on financing a prize-winning race horse. What follows takes on twists and turns, with some surprising revelations.

The good: I liked Tim. Like most Francis protagonists, he was a good guy, and you want everything to work out for him. The mystery kept me guessing. Just when I thought, "Oh, I totally know what's going on," another piece of the puzzle dropped and made me rethink my suppositions. The unique topic was banking, and it was an interesting look into the world of finance and how some of the decisions are made. And the racing! I love horse racing, and his books make me wish I was an English trainer, or jockey, or horse owner.

The bad-ish: The ending was abrupt, and I felt like this book was begging for an epilogue. Minor nitpick, but still a bit disappointing. Subtracting a half-star for that.  Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read for me, as always.



Maddie (Probability and Statistics - Chess)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first book in the epic series, we join Harry as he begins his life as a young wizard.

Banker

Banker by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dick Francis was the master of writing the everyman hero: ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. It's part of the appeal for me. He always found a way to combine an interesting topic with characters you could root for, and worked them seamlessly into the world of horse racing. This time, we step into the world of finance with merchant banker Tim Ekaterin. As Tim takes on more responsibility at his family's banking house to cover for a sick colleague, he takes a chance on financing a prize-winning race horse. What follows takes on twists and turns, with some surprising revelations.

The good: I liked Tim. Like most Francis protagonists, he was a good guy, and you want everything to work out for him. The mystery kept me guessing. Just when I thought, "Oh, I totally know what's going on," another piece of the puzzle dropped and made me rethink my suppositions. The unique topic was banking, and it was an interesting look into the world of finance and how some of the decisions are made. And the racing! I love horse racing, and his books make me wish I was an English trainer, or jockey, or horse owner.

The bad: The ending was abrupt, and I felt like this book was begging for an epilogue. Minor nitpick, but still a bit disappointing. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read for me, as always.

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The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a lovely book! The writing was lyrical, with gorgeous descriptions of the fictional island of Thisby, its people, and the capaill uisce. Part horse race, part awkward love story, part coming-of-age novel, you have to allow this book to draw you into the beautiful prose and just experience the story. I hesitate to share more because this book was a bit like unwrapping a present and I want you to read it for yourself.

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