2 of 5 copies available
Sid Halley, a private investigator, has a new left hand, having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal. After receiving death threats, an ex-jockey trainer friend calls Sid to ask for his help, but Sid has his own problems to deal with, like recovering from surgery and saving his crumbling marriage.
When his friend's stable yard is torched and horses killed and the friend is found dead, Sid can only blame himself for not helping sooner. The police think it's suicide, but Sid is not convinced after his friend's terrified phone calls. Heavy with a guilty heart, Sid starts to investigate and soon finds himself embroiled in a
conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of the integrity of British horse racing.
Can Sid figure out what happened to his friend, or will he be the next one that the killer targets?
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
November 8, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781705071168
- File size: 313284 KB
- Duration: 10:52:40
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from September 5, 2022
Francis’s excellent 12th horse-racing crime novel (after 2021’s Iced) is a perfect homage to his father Dick’s major continuing character, champion jockey-turned-PI Sid Halley. Sid’s life is upended when his wife abruptly announces she’s leaving him and taking their nine-year-old daughter with her. As Sid wonders whether their relationship is salvageable, Gary Bremner, a former competitor, contacts him. Bremner, who’s now a trainer, claims his horses have been threatened, a fear vindicated when a fire at his stables kills several of the animals and apparently Bremner himself. Sid learns that an unknown agent has been imposing an additional fee for their services, making trainers’ access to jockeys to ride in races contingent on the payment, and even directing some jockeys to deliberately lose, undermining the integrity of the turf. Despite having taken a step back from investigating, Sid plunges into the case, risking his life to save the sport he loves from a devastating scandal. Francis nicely balances his lead’s personal challenges with his sleuthing. Fans of the original will hope for more of Felix Francis’s Sid Halley. Agent: Ed Wilson, Johnson & Alcock (U.K.). -
Golden Voice narrator Martin Jarvis performs this mystery with gusto. Private investigator Sid Halley sets out to uncover the truth behind the death of his friend and finds himself drawn into a conspiracy that could bring down the world of horse racing. Jarvis, who has narrated other Francis audiobooks, brings the characters alive through his obvious familiarity with the characters. His understanding of their personalities and his successful use of accents, ranging from British Received speech to Cockney, helps listeners keep track of the wide cast. Jarvis's spot-on pacing keeps the plot moving forward through the various twists and turns. The result is a fast-moving and thoroughly enjoyable listen. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
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