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Under orders
514 pages
A crisp, stoic mystery that pulls you into the gritty, high-stakes underbelly of the English racing world.
What it feels like
This classic mystery delivers a deeply satisfying, briskly paced experience anchored by a stoic, highly competent protagonist. The mood is distinctly English and atmospheric, blending the polished glamour of the racetrack with a gritty, dangerous underbelly. Readers are treated to lean, unadorned prose that moves with the steady, rhythmic clip of a thoroughbred, offering sharp observations without unnecessary sentimentality. The emotional journey shifts from weary professional curiosity to intense, high-stakes jeopardy, exploring themes of integrity, corruption, and the physical toll of a dangerous life. It is a perfect fit for fans of old-school, hardboiled detective fiction who appreciate a pragmatic hero, insider industry details, and a tightly wound plot that resolves with hard-won justice.
- Mood
- gritty
- atmospheric
- tense
- Tone
- wry
- pragmatic
- understated
- stoic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- professional integrity · corruption in high places · overcoming limits · the dark side of glamour
- The writing
- Lean, unadorned, and highly readable, characterized by sharp observations and a matter-of-fact delivery.
- The arc
- From weary professional curiosity to intense, high-stakes personal jeopardy and hard-won resolution.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate classic, competent-man mysteries with a strong sense of insider knowledge and stoic protagonists.
Content notes
- murder
- gun violence
- physical assault
- gambling addiction
About the book
'Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than an eyebrow.'It's the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. Former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all too well – but in his day, jockeys didn't usually reach the finishing line with three.38 rounds in the chest. But this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker – who, only a few hours earlier, had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle.Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been called upon by Lord Enstone to make discrete enquiries into why his horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. Are races being fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and jockeys playing a dangerous game with stakes far higher than they realise?Halley's quest for answers draws him ever deeper into the darker side of the race game, in a life-or-death power play that will push him to his very limits – both professionally and personally.In his first new novel for six years, Dick Francis returns to prove once again that he is the Grand Master of thriller writing.
Description from Open Library.
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