Crossfire

From Publishers Weekly In the enjoyable fourth and final collaboration between Francis (19202010) and son Felix (after Even Money), the army career of Capt. Thomas Forsyth abruptly ends when an IED in Afghanistan blows off one of his feet, leaving him with a prosthetic replacement (like another Francis lead, Sid Halley). Upon discharge from National Health Service care, Forsyth makes his way home to Lambourn, where he gets a less-than-warm welcome from his mother, Josephine Kauri, a horse trainer. After learning that her stable has had a series of mishaps, Forsyth discovers that Kauri has been sabotaging her own animals in response to a blackmailer's threats to reveal her tax evasion to the authorities. With nothing else to occupy him, he turns detective to identify the extortionist. Though the plot details won't linger as long as those in Dick Francis's best work, like Whip Hand, this is still a suspenseful read. Francis aficionados will hope that Felix chooses to carry on the family tradition on his own. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Good authors never die; they leave behind at least one book. Francis, who died this year after writing a string of more than 40 racing mysteries, the last 3 in collaboration with his son, Felix, left at least this one book behind. For all lovers of old-fashioned, character-driven, plot-perfect suspense, this is like getting a windfall from a distant, deceased relative. The hero will remind longtime Francis fans of Sid Halley, the driving force of arguably Francis finest mysteries. Both have had their careers cut short by a devastating injury (steeplechase jockey Halley lost his hand in a racing accident; new hero, British soldier Captain Tom Forsyth, had his foot blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan). Both have to find their way out of pain and grief to construct a new life. Forsyth, temporarily cut loose from his regiment, returns to the home he fled at age 17, the cold and hostile environment of his mother, one of Britains top racehorse trainers. While there, he stumbles into a blackmail plot involving his mother, one that puts her horses at high risk. The Francis team uses both Forsyths dilemma, which is how to find targets and objectives in a blown-apart life, and his military skills to enable him to get to the bottom of a rotten mess. The plot reads like classic Francis; the research parts presumably come from Felix, and they add a lot of weight to the saddle. The publisher hints that Felix may be carrying on his fathers legacy, but its doubtful anyone can. Enjoy this bequest. --Connie Fletcher Crossfire Is The New Thriller From Father Son Team Dick Francis And Felix Francis. 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? From Felix Francis And Dick Francis, The Bestselling Co-authors Of Dead Heat And Even Money Comes Crossfire, The Latest Dick Francis Novel. Packed With All The Hair-raising Suspense And Excitement Readers Know And Love From Dick Francis, Crossfire Is The Most Dazzling Yet. Praise For The Dick Francis Novels: 'the Francis Flair Is Clear For All To See' Daily Mail 'spare, Efficient And Unflashy . . . Inexorably Draws You In' Daily Telegraph 'the Master Of Suspense And Intrigue' Country Life 'still The Master' Racing Post Dick Francis Was One Of The Most Successful Post-war National Hunt Jockeys. On His Retirement From The Saddle, He Published His Autobiography, The Sport Of Queens, Before Going On To Write Forty-three Bestselling Novels, A Volume Of Short Stories And The Biography Of Lester Piggott. Dick Francis Died In February, 2010, At The Age Of 89, But He Remains One Of The Greatest Thriller Writers Of All Time. Felix Francis Is The Younger Of Dick's Two Sons. Since 2006, Felix Has Taken A More Significant Role In The Writing, First With Dead Heat And Then Increasingly With The Bestsellers, Silks And Even Money. Crossfire Is The Fourth Novel Of This Father-and-son Collaboration. Discover the classic mystery from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time 'Another excellent book from the Francis stable' 5***** Reader Review 'An excellent gripping story in true Francis fashion' 5***** Reader Review 'Usual Dick Francis excellence. Gripping from beginning to end' 5***** Reader Review ______ 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. Soon he finds himself on a very different, but just as deadly, battlefield where his military skills are put to the ultimate test . . . kill or be killed? Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Crossfire is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis. Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror 'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman 'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph 'A regular winner . . . as smooth, swift and lean as ever' Sunday Express 'The master of suspense and intrigue' Country Life 'Francis writing at his best' Evening Standard 'Still the master' Racing Post Captain Thomas Forsyth's tour of Afghanistan is cut brutally short when he's badly wounded by an IED - Improvised Explosive Device, a roadside bomb. Tom's world is torn apart by the injury - the Army is his life. Six months of recuperation leave is a daunting prospect - but not as bleak as the probability of never rejoining his regiment. Tom Forsyth returns to his childhood home after being badly wounded in Afghanistan. Never having seen eye to eye with his racehorse trainer mother, Tom doesn't expect a hero's welcome, but even he's not prepared for the reception that awaits him.