Crossfire Book

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

Captain Thomas Forsyth's tour of Afghanistan is cut brutally short when he is badly wounded by a roadside bomb. Returning home to his mother - a racehorse trainer and the 'First Lady' of racing - Tom discovers the training business is on the edge and facing a threat far more dangerous than a run of bad form. Tom finds himself on a very different but just as deadly battlefield where his military skills are tested ...kill or be killed?

Dick Francis, Felix Francis