Dick Francis has written 41 mysteries and I have read and loved every single one! My favorite this week is Wild Horses, a story of a film director making a movie loosely based on an unsolved murder that happened twenty-four years ago. Apparently not all the people involved want that murder to be made into a film. Thomas Lyon has assured everyone that he is making fiction and the names, motives, and even what really happened has been changed. That doesn't reassure someone--threats appear and an attempted murder and then, well you are just going to have to read Wild Horses.
There are several things that make Dick Francis a must read for me. His heroes are good decent men who worry that they are doing the right thing, when they pursue a problem. They fear that the answers might be worse than the unanswered questions. Thomas wonders about uncovering the murderer and disrupting all the lives that have already been affected by it.
Although I went through a"horsey phase" as a young girl I am not horse crazy now, but I do enjoy reading about them. Dick Francis, since he was a jockey, has horses in every book. In Wild Horses, the murder happened in a racing stable, and of course, Thomas's movie is being filmed at a stable and at the races. However even people who are not fond of horses can enjoy Francis's books; any "horse talk" is easily explained as the story gallops along. But his books aren't just about horses. Wild Horses is about movie-making and uncovering secrets.
Overall Dick Francis writes a good story. You care about the hero and his friends and family and there is always a rousing horse race to cheer. So find one of his books, start with Wild Horses, and on your mark. Ready. Set. Read!
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