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Dick Francis

 
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Dick Francis
Francis, Dick (Richard Stanley Francis), 1920-, English novelist. He was formerly a professional champion steeplechase jockey (1946-57) and a racing writer for a London newspaper (1957-73). Francis parlayed his knowledge of horse racing into many successful mystery novels that share racetrack settings or elements. They include Dead Cert (1962), his first mystery; Twice Shy (1982); Break In (1986); 10 Lb. Penalty (1997); and Field of Thirteen (1998). Francis also wrote an autobiography, The Sport of Queens (1957; repr. 1986), which chronicles his life through his years as a jockey.
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For the science fiction illustrator, see Dick Francis.
Dick Francis
Born 31 October 1920 (1920-10-31) (age 89)
Lawrenny, south Wales
Occupation Novelist, retired jockey
Nationality
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
British
Writing period 1957-present
Genres Crime fiction
Dick Francis.com Official website

Dick Francis CBE (born Richard Stanley Francis on 31 October 1920) is a British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.

Contents

Personal life

Francis was born in Lawrenny, south Wales, in October 1920, the son of a jockey and stable manager.[1] He left school at 15 without any qualifications,[2] with the intention of becoming a jockey and became a trainer in 1938.[3] During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, including the Spitfire and Hurricane.[2] In 1945, he met his future wife, Mary Margaret Brenchley, whom he married in 1947; they had two sons.[2] Francis' wife died on 30 September 2000.[2]

Horse racing career

After leaving the RAF in 1946 he became a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing.[1] He won over 350 races, becoming champion jockey in the 1953-54 season.[1]

From 1953 to 1957 he was jockey to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In 1957 he was forced to retire from racing as the result of a serious fall. His most famous moment as a jockey came while riding the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch, in the 1956 Grand National when the horse inexplicably fell when close to winning the race.[4]

Writing career

Dick Francis has written more than 40 international bestsellers and is widely acclaimed as one of the world's best thriller writers. His first book was his autobiography The Sport of Queens (1957) which led to him becoming the racing correspondent for the London Sunday Express, a position he held for 16 years. In 1962 he published his first thriller Dead Cert set in the world of racing. Subsequently he regularly produced a novel a year for the next 38 years, missing only 1998 (during which he published a short-story collection). Although all his books were set against a background of horse racing, his heroes held a variety of jobs from artist ( In the Frame and To the Hilt) to private investigator (Odds Against).

Francis is the only three time recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Novel, winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand in 1981, and Come To Grief] in 1996. Britain's Crime Writers Association awarded him its Gold Dagger Award for fiction in 1979 and the Cartier Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award in 1989. In 1996 he was given the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award, the highest honour bestowed by the MWA. He was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000. In 2003 he was honoured by being awarded the Gumshoe Awards' Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award.

Graham Lord's 1999 unauthorized biography Dick Francis: A Racing Life suggested his books had in fact been written by Francis' wife Mary. By all accounts Mary did much of the research and editing of Francis' later novels and stories and often worked collaboratively with her husband on each book's actual composition. After Mary's death in the year 2000 Francis wrote no new works until Under Orders (a racing term for when the horses are at the start and subject to the starter's orders) released on 26 September 2006. His next two books - Dead Heat in 2007 and Silks in 2008 - were co-written by his son Felix.

Dick Francis' manager (and co-author on recent books) is his son Felix Francis who left his post as teacher of A-Level Physics at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire in order to work for his father and who was the inspiration behind a leading character in the novel Twice Shy. His other son Merrick, formerly a racehorse trainer, later ran his own horse transport business, thus inspiring the novel Driving Force.

While not universally true, a typical Francis novel follows the basic premise:

  • Stories are told through the eyes of one character in the first person.
  • The narrators generally have professional involvement in the racing world - jockey, trainer, or owner and are always still connected in some obscure way eg. a friend or family member that was a jockey, or being a Jockey Club official.
  • The location is often one of the centres of British racing, either Newmarket or Lambourn.
  • The narrators goes about their business and then strange deaths or strange scams start to occur which they investigate. Along the way the narrators find themselves a murder target themselves.
  • If not already involved they meet a love interest.
  • The villains are brought to justice.

Books

title year ISBN of first edition main character notes
The Sport of Queens 1957 autobiography
Dead Cert 1962 ISBN 0-330-24621-6 Alan York, amateur jockey
Nerve 1964 Rob Finn, jockey
For Kicks 1965 Daniel Roke, trainer
Odds Against 1965 ISBN 0-330-10597-3 Sid Halley, investigator Edgar Award nominee
Flying Finish 1966 Henry Grey, groom/heir to earldom Edgar Award nominee
Blood Sport 1967 Gene Hawkins, security agent Edgar Award nominee
Forfeit 1968 ISBN 0-425-20191-0 James Tyrone, reporter Edgar Award winner
Enquiry 1969 Kelly Hughes, jockey
Rat Race 1970 Matt Shore, pilot
Bonecrack 1971 Neil Griffon, formerly antique dealer,then business consultant, acting as temporary trainer whilst his father is hospitalised
Smokescreen 1972 Edward Lincoln, movie actor who does his own stunts
Slayride 1973 ISBN 0-671-83271-9 David Cleveland, investigator
Knockdown 1974 Jonah Dereham, bloodstock agent
High Stakes 1975 Steven Scott, toy inventor
In the Frame 1976 Charles Todd, painter
Risk 1977 Roland Britten, accountant
Trial Run 1978 Randall Drew, jockey
Whip Hand 1979 ISBN 0-449-21274-2 Sid Halley, investigator Edgar Award winner, Gold Dagger winner
Reflex 1980 Philip Nore, jockey
Twice Shy 1981 Jonathan Derry, teacher, second part narrated by younger brother William Derry, jockey & later racing manager
Banker 1982 Tim Ekaterin, banker
The Danger 1983 Andrew Douglas, security consultant
Proof 1984 Tony Beach, wine merchant
Break In 1985 Kit Fielding, jockey
Bolt 1986 Kit Fielding, jockey
Hot Money 1987 Ian Pembroke, former asst trainer, amateur jockey
The Edge 1988 Tor Kelsey, investigator
Straight 1989 Derek Franklin, jockey
Longshot 1990 John Kendall, writer
Comeback 1991 Peter Darwin, diplomat
Driving Force 1992 Freddie Croft, trucking company owner
Decider 1993 Lee Morris, architect
Wild Horses 1994 Thomas Lyon, movie director
Come to Grief 1995 ISBN 0-330-34777-2 Sid Halley, investigator Edgar Award winner
To the Hilt 1996 Alexander Kinloch, painter
10 LB. Penalty 1997 Ben Juliard, jockey/politician's son
Field of Thirteen 1998 ISBN 0-515-12609-8 short stories:
  • 1. "Raid at Kingdom Hill" (first appeared in The Times of London, 1975)
  • 2. "Dead on Red"
  • 3. "Song for Mona"
  • 4. "Bright White Star" (first appeared in Cheshire Life, Christmas 1979)
  • 5. "Collision Course"
  • 6. "Nightmare" (first appeared in The Times of London, 13 April 1974)
  • 7. "Carrot for a Chestnut" (first appeared in Sports Illustrated, 1970)
  • 8. "The Gift" (first appeared as "A Day of Wine and Roses" in Sports Illustrated, 1973)
  • 9. "Spring Fever" (first appeared in Women's Own magazine, 1980)
  • 10. "Blind Chance" (first appeared as "Twenty-one Good Men and True" in Verdict of Thirteen: A Detection Club Anthology, 1979)
  • 11. "Corkscrew"
  • 12. "The Day of the Losers" (first appeared in Horse and Hound, February 1977)
  • 13. "Haig's Death"
Second Wind 1999 Perry Stuart, meteorologist
Shattered 2000 ISBN 0-399-14660-1 Gerard Logan, glass blower
Under Orders 2006 ISBN 978-0-330-44833-8 Sid Halley, investigator
Dead Heat 2007 ISBN 978-0-399-15476-8 Max Moreton, chef with Felix Francis
Silks 2008 ISBN 978-0-718-15457-8 Geoffrey Mason, barrister with Felix Francis
Even Money 2009 ISBN 978-0-399-15591-8 Ned Talbot, bookmaker with Felix Francis

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c The Sport of Queens
  2. ^ a b c d "Obituary: Mary Francis". The Times. October 6, 2000. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article986938.ece. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 
  3. ^ Cook, Bruce (March 21, 1989). "Novelist Dick Francis Still Rides The Wave Of Success In The Edge'". The Spokesman-Review (Spokane Chronicle). http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pyUSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1e8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6991,3915766&dq=dick+francis&hl=en. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 
  4. ^ Philip, Robert (5 April 2002). "Grand National: Devon Loch's place in history". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/3025365/Grand-National-Devon-Lochs-place-in-history.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 

External links


 
 
Learn More
In the Frame (1989 Mystery Film)
Twice Shy (1989 Mystery Film)
Blood Sport (1989 Mystery Film)

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