Thursday, April 1, 2021

Crisis by Felix Francis – Book Review



Crisis by Felix Francis book cover

The title given to a book often reflects what the story is about. And sometimes the meaning of the title only becomes clear as you read further into the story.


In Crisis, a horse-racing thriller by Felix Francis, we learn in the opening paragraph that the main character, Harrison Foster (known as Harry), is a legal consultant and that his specialty is crisis management. 


And today's crisis involved a murder – not that anyone knew it at the time.


Synopsis


Harry is sent by his London firm to Newmarket, the well-known center of thoroughbred horse racing in England, to investigate a fire which destroyed a stable block in the Chadwick family's stables and killed seven very valuable horses. One of the horses – Prince of Troy – was the odds-on favorite for the Derby. Turns out that there is far more to the  'simple' fire than initially thought when human remains are found in the burned out shell of the stable.  Since all the stable staff are accounted for, who is the mystery victim?


Harry knows almost nothing about horses; indeed, he actively dislikes them. But since he represents Prince of Troy's Middle Eastern owner who wishes to learn the circumstances surrounding his prize horse's death, Harry is thrust unwillingly into the world of thoroughbred racing. 


Soon it is clear to Harry that the Chadwick family who own the stables where the horses died in the fire is a dysfunctional racing dynasty. There is deep resentment between the generations and sibling rivalry is rife beneath a thin crust of respectability. As Harry delves deeper into the unanswered questions surrounding the fire, and as he learns more about the secrets held by the Chadwick family, his life is put in danger. Can he solve the riddle before he is bumped off by the fallout?


Author Felix Francis


Author Felix Francis
Author Felix Francis
Felix Francis is a British author, son of the famed author Dick Francis (former steeplechase jockey for the Queen of England and fictional crime writer of numerous horse-racing mysteries). Felix co-authored with his famous father on the last four of his novels. Since Dick Francis' death in 2010, Felix has continued writing Dick Francis Novels in the same vein, with 9 current books to date.  Number 10 (Iced) will be published in 2021. 




Summary


Crisis book cover
Crisis is available in
several formats on Amazon


Crisis by Felix Francis is an edge-of-your-seat horse-racing thriller in the Dick Francis tradition.


Related Links:


A book review of Crisis by Felix Francis, written by (c) Wednesday Elf.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


16 comments:

  1. Wow, this sounds like a great mystery book! Stepping into an unknown area to investigate would pose an interesting plot too. It would be easy to miss something obvious to an equestrian. About the author, how cool is it that he started working with his dad and is now carrying on the series and legacy. That really is awesome for readers as well as the authors.

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    1. I am SO delighted that the 'Francis' series of books I have loved for so many years is continuing with the son. Felix helped his dad co-author his last few books before Dick Francis died at age 89. Then Felix continued writing in the same vein. I own ALL the Francis books and re-read them frequently because I love them so much. :)

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  2. Sounds like a mystery story I would really enjoy. While I'm not into horseracing per se, my granddaughters ride and I love stories about animals. My "to read" list is growing again. Thanks Elf!

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    1. Olivia, even though the Francis' authors (Dick & Felix) base their mysteries around horse-racing, you don't need to be a fan of the sport to enjoy the stories. They are extremely well crafted and the writing is superb. Thanks for your visit.

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  3. Oh this sounds really good. I will have to tell my husband about this mystery. He always loved Dick Francis books.

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    1. Mary Beth, my daughter and I are both HUGE fans of Dick Francis. His writing is among the best, in my opinion. Felix is quite good as well and I'm just delighted that these 'Francis' mysteries continue. I even have one book by Dick Francis signed by the author. He was speaking at a women's club in Ocala, Florida and my mother attended and got me the signed copy. I cherish it.

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  4. Although I have not read any of Dick Francis's work, I know his excellent reputation as an author of crime fiction. How wonderful that his son, Felix, has chosen to carry on his father's legacy!

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    1. I think it's wonderful too, Margaret. I was sad when Dick died (even though I knew he was 89 and couldn't be expected to go on forever - but that's what I would have wanted -- many more years of his writings. So I was so pleased when Felix decided to continue with his father's work.

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  5. Interesting about Dick Francis' son continuing writing novels in the same vein as his father. I have not read any of his or Felix's works. Thanks for the recommendation.

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    1. I know that mysteries are not generally your genre, Brenda, but I think you would enjoy these books.

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  6. Well here's another book idea I can get for mom. I know she'd enjoy this story. It sounds like a very good book. Thanks for the introduction to this one.

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    1. You are welcome, Barbara. Thanks for your visit.

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  7. I have never read anything from this author but this sounds like a great mystery to add to the summer reading list. Thanks Pat!

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    1. The Francis books (Father and son) are my favorites, Sam. Love the writing and the story lines.

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  8. This sounds like a great mystery! While I am not into horse racing, I do love and admire horses and used to ride and groom horses a lot. So I would appreciate the setting of this novel and I know Newmarket!It is so cool that the author is continuing his Dads legacy and series.

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    1. Jasmine, one of my dreams is to visit some of the famous racetracks mentioned in many of Dick Francis' books. I'm not particularly a horse racing fan, but would love to see in person some of the tracks and the surrounding areasFrancis wrote about -- Aintree, Cheltenham, Sandown Park, Newmarket, etc. :) I visited England in 1992, but was on a specific tour and race tracks were not part of it.

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