Crossfire - Hardcover

Francis, Dick; Francis, Felix

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 039915681X ISBN 13: 9780399156816

Publisher: Putnam Pub Group, 2010

Synopsis

An exhilarating new novel from the New York Times-bestselling authors.

Shell-shocked and missing a foot-lost to an IED during his tour of duty in Afghanistan-Captain Tom Forsyth has been sent "home" by the army and, at loose ends, returns to his estranged mother's house for the first time since he joined up at seventeen. But Josephine Kauri, the "first lady of British racing," has always put the horses she trains first and her family last. Tom soon finds himself strained to the breaking point with his mother and stepfather.

But there's another reason for the stifling tension at Kauri House Stables: Josephine is being blackmailed for a hefty sum every week-and forced to make her horses lose. Retirement is not an option, as she has been warned that it will result in the thing she most fears: exposure and ridicule . . . and prison, when the government finds out what she's been hiding.

Tom sets out to discover and defeat this hidden enemy using his finely honed military skills. But can he save his mother's reputation and career, or will he find himself caught in the cross fire?

About this title

Review:

Who – in the last decade or so -- wrote the novels of Dick Francis? For quite some time there was a question regarding the work of the late thriller master. His sharp and involving novels, strongly evocative of the racing milieus within which their tales of corruption and murder were set, have long been highly thought of, and much read – but who was their real author? Rumours were rife – mainly that their nominal author was less involved in them of late than the moniker on the jacket indicated. But now we know: for some time, the Dick Francis thrillers had been the product of joint authorship. Francis's wife – and, latterly, his son Felix -- had notable involvement in the books. And just before Dick’s death, the two men made no secret of the joint authorship; now we have the final book to bear that portmanteau credit, Crossfire -- but is it a suitably entertaining signing-off?

Captain Thomas Forsyth finds himself invalided out of Afghanistan with a serious injury, the result of a roadside bomb. He is having difficulty in adjusting to life without the prospect of rejoining his regiment. Home in Lambourn (where his mother, an important trainer, is a mover and shaker in the world of racing),Tom discovers that the world of horse training can have its own considerable risks – and he’s soon being testing by the rigours of a new battlefield.

So -- the sixty-four thousand dollar question -- is Crossfire a suitable farewell effort for Francis père et fils? Its predecessor, Silks, was received with mixed opinions, but (largely speaking), Francis aficionados will feel they’ve got their money’s worth here with some solid storytelling, even if reading the final novel bearing the name Dick Francis (albeit with his son’s assistance) will be a bittersweet experience. But the family name (and the Francis franchise) will, no doubt, live on... --Barry Forshaw

Review:

'The Francis flair is clear for all to see.' (The Daily Mail)

'The master of suspense and intrigue.' (Praise for the author) (Country Life)

About this edition

• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 039915681X
• ISBN 13: 9780399156816
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336