Josephine Briggs's Reviews > Dick Francis's Gamble

This is the first book I have read by Felix Francis, who gave up teaching to work with his father. I will not tell too much of the story. It is a murder mystery and I don't want to give up too much of what's going on. Of course, there is much about horses and horse racing in this book.

Nicholas Foxton, at one time, Foxy Foxton, when he was a jockey at eighteen. Due to an accident when he was twenty-one and thrown from a horse, landing on his head, he spent some time in the hospital. He was told never to race again. It could be fatal. So Nicholas went to University, got a degree in government and economics. He became a financial planner, working for a firm, Lyall and Black. He worked for the company's clients, plus had some clients of his own.

The book begins when he was standing next to Herb Kovak, one of his coworkers. Why was this man shot? An accident or a deliberate killing. The park was crowded, many people, much noise. Everybody liked Herb, an American, living in England. Why did he move to England? Who knows. Herb seems to be upright and honest.

When Nick, he tells his story, has to quit racing, buys a house, meets a girlfriend, Claudia, an artist. They have together six years, but not much commitment. Nick's mother, he is an only child, worries about her son not getting enough to eat, and badly wants to become a grandmother. The office receptionist, Mrs McDowd, is a gossip, knows all, tells all.

Also a bunch of baddies who seem to want to kill Nick. This book contains some laughs, some fun. Good escapist lit.

I will give this book to my husband to read, he loves murder mysteries.