Status
Available
Genres
Description
As one of the youngest-ever winners of the Grand National, Nick "Foxy" Foxton was enjoying his career as a world-class jockey. It was on perfect track-until a near-fatal accident cut his dream brutally sort. When he returns to Aintree as a spectator years later, nothing can prepare him for what unfolds.--From book jacket.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kmartin802
The Francis formula lives on! A bright and competent man falls into a situation that is dangerous and unfamiliar to him and triumphs. Nicholas Foxton was standing next to a work colleague at the races when the colleague is murdered by an unknown assailant. Both men are Independent Financial
But he is soon proved very wrong as he delves into his colleague's life and also into the affairs of his company. Foxton soon becomes the target of the same unknown killers who killed his friend. He has to struggle to find out what he knows that is so dangerous. His colleague was also the front man for an online gambling scheme and Nicholas has to straighten that out too. He was named Kovak's executer and is in charge of settling his estate. At first he thinks the murder attempts might be related to that scheme but it is just a "red herring."
Nicholas also has to deal with personal issues in the story. His live-in girlfriend Claudia has become distant and isn't picking up phone calls. Nicholas has to wonder if she is seeing someone else and if their relationship is breaking up. He is torn because he doesn't want the relationship to end. When he finds out that she has ovarian cancer, he isn't relieved but at least he and Claudia are together. He is trying to protect her from the danger she faces because of the murder attempts and support her in her illness.
What I like about Francis books is that the characters are always interesting and honorable. Nicholas Foxton is in over his head but he doesn't stop fighting for what is right until he triumphs (or, at least, survives.) The mystery was well-done. I didn't correctly identify the villain until Nicholas did. I couldn't put the book down. I was frantically turning pages until the wee hours because I couldn't rest until I knew how things were going to work out for Nicholas.
Mystery lovers won't be disappointed in this suspenseful story.
Show More
Advisors for the same firm - Lyall and Black. Nicholas was a former race jockey who had to find a new career after he broke his neck in a riding accident and lost his jockey license at age 21. He still very much misses the excitement and thrills of his old career and believes that his new one is boring.But he is soon proved very wrong as he delves into his colleague's life and also into the affairs of his company. Foxton soon becomes the target of the same unknown killers who killed his friend. He has to struggle to find out what he knows that is so dangerous. His colleague was also the front man for an online gambling scheme and Nicholas has to straighten that out too. He was named Kovak's executer and is in charge of settling his estate. At first he thinks the murder attempts might be related to that scheme but it is just a "red herring."
Nicholas also has to deal with personal issues in the story. His live-in girlfriend Claudia has become distant and isn't picking up phone calls. Nicholas has to wonder if she is seeing someone else and if their relationship is breaking up. He is torn because he doesn't want the relationship to end. When he finds out that she has ovarian cancer, he isn't relieved but at least he and Claudia are together. He is trying to protect her from the danger she faces because of the murder attempts and support her in her illness.
What I like about Francis books is that the characters are always interesting and honorable. Nicholas Foxton is in over his head but he doesn't stop fighting for what is right until he triumphs (or, at least, survives.) The mystery was well-done. I didn't correctly identify the villain until Nicholas did. I couldn't put the book down. I was frantically turning pages until the wee hours because I couldn't rest until I knew how things were going to work out for Nicholas.
Mystery lovers won't be disappointed in this suspenseful story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ellenr
Fast read. Typical likable character in difficult situation amid racing venue with sub-frame of financial world.
LibraryThing member 4fish
Nicholas "Foxy" Foxton, an ex-jockey and current independent financial adviser, is shocked when his colleague is gunned down beside him at the races. He gets another shock when he discovers that Herb has made him executor and chief beneficiary of his estate. Then he discovers that Herb has a whole
Following the best-selling formula created by his father Dick, Felix Francis creates a believable if not very original mystery set in the British horse-racing world. Like all Francis heroes, Nicholas has one foot in the horse-racing world and the other in another world, in this case personal finance. Nick likes his job and is always surprised when others find it boring, but in the book he spends more time investigating or getting chased than following the markets.
Show More
lot of credit cards and has apparently been gambling online, losing millions of pounds. When Nicholas starts asking questions, he suddenly becomes the target of the same assassin who shot Herb. Following the best-selling formula created by his father Dick, Felix Francis creates a believable if not very original mystery set in the British horse-racing world. Like all Francis heroes, Nicholas has one foot in the horse-racing world and the other in another world, in this case personal finance. Nick likes his job and is always surprised when others find it boring, but in the book he spends more time investigating or getting chased than following the markets.
Show Less
LibraryThing member koalamom
Felix Francis has shown himself to be a fine successor to his father's series of books on horse racing and intrigue.
Nick Foxston seems to have a knack of being involved in someone's demise or near demise, including his own. The only question is why are these people being hurt. The more he searches
Nick Foxston seems to have a knack of being involved in someone's demise or near demise, including his own. The only question is why are these people being hurt. The more he searches
Show More
the deeper his troubles get. Will he find out the truth in time? Show Less
LibraryThing member Mooose
If LibraryThing had a zero rating that's what this book would receive. Sorry Felix, you can't string words together the way your father did.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Another enjoyable read in the style of Dick Francis. There's a massive clue about 3/4s of the way in as to the criminal so I find Nick's walking into their arms rather unbelievable. But it was still very readable.
LibraryThing member hailelib
Although Dick Francis' name appears on the cover Gamble is apparently almost all the work of Felix. It is a fairly interesting book about Nick Foxton, an ex-jockey who is now a financial advisor in the London firm of Lyall and Black. A colleague, also with Lyall and Black, is murdered while the two
Show More
of them are attending a race meeting at Aintree, thus plunging Nick into danger as he tries to find out why anyone would target Herb Kovak. Using vintage Francis-style storytelling, Felix turns out a reasonable mystery. For rereading, however, I would turn to some of the earlier Dick Francis tomes. Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
Ho hum. Dick Francis + Awkward Writing Style = Felix Francis.
It was just too labored. The obvious got stated a lot. The pontification was rampant. The subtle clues whacked you upside the head like a brick. The dialog sounded stilted. I never warmed to the character the way I did to the likes of Sid
I also have to say that I react somewhat poorly to books whose cover is of the format:
Famous Author's Name's Book Title by Not So Famous Author's Name.
I understand that Mr. Francis, Sr. (allegedly) helps with these books. However, it just smacks too much of trying to cash in on an asset whose time has passed. It might as well say, "Cheap Knockoff."
It was just too labored. The obvious got stated a lot. The pontification was rampant. The subtle clues whacked you upside the head like a brick. The dialog sounded stilted. I never warmed to the character the way I did to the likes of Sid
Show More
Halley or Kit Fielding.I also have to say that I react somewhat poorly to books whose cover is of the format:
Famous Author's Name's Book Title by Not So Famous Author's Name.
I understand that Mr. Francis, Sr. (allegedly) helps with these books. However, it just smacks too much of trying to cash in on an asset whose time has passed. It might as well say, "Cheap Knockoff."
Show Less
LibraryThing member JeffreyMarks
Way too predictable and an expository romp through the trivia.
LibraryThing member skraft001
Really enjoyed it. Had the aspects of trying to unravel the aspects of someone who had died and the financial fraud thread as well.
LibraryThing member themulhern
As with many recent books, the milieu is interesting, but the plot is awful.
LibraryThing member stephanie_M
Another very good novel by Dick Francis' son, Felix. The characters were very likable, and I enjoyed the different plot very much. Learning about being an Investment adviser in England was also very cool. I hope he writes more along this vein. He may not be his father, but he is a very good author,
Show More
and a damn fine story-teller to boot. I was captivated from the first chapter. Show Less