Authors and Creators
Dick Francis
(1920 --)

Although only two of his heroes appear in more than one book, and only a handful of them are professional investigators or security consultants, former Queen's jockey Dick Francis has, in fact, been responsible for a long line of what might be considered non-PI PI novels. A former Welsh steeplechase jockey, Francis has become one of the most respected and popular mystery writers in the world, and in 1996, was voted a Mystery Grand Master by the CWA. His heroes are invariably cool, aloof loners, calmly professional, at loose ends with their lives, and often scarred, either physically or emotionally, and often both. They may not all be "official" eyes, but they certainly end up doing the job, even if the job description doesn't mention it. and, of course, each novel touches somehow on racing and horses.

To overlook Francis' work, or dismiss it as merely horsey versions of Agatha Christie, is just wrong. Dame Christie would never people her quaint little villages with such an assortment of villainous psychopaths and sociopaths, or put her heroes through such physical and mental torture. People get hurt in these books, and their pain isn't easily walked off. The bad guys are nasty, and brutal, and the books are often hardboiled almost to the point of noir. Fans of the PI genre could do a lot worse than to check out his work.

Particularly recommended are the Sid Halley books, where Francis actually does write about a private eye, for once. Coincidentally, I think they represent some of his best work. They might also look at a few of his actual professionals, David Cleveland (another investigator), Andrew Douglas (kidnapping/security consultant) and Tor Kelsey (train security expert).

Francis learned to ride when he was five, on a donkey of all things. The story goes that his older brother bet him sixpence that little dick couldn't jump a fence while sitting backwards on the donkey. It took a few tries, but eventually did it, collecting the wager and earning, as he put it, his "first riding fee."

Francis became an amateur steeplechase rider when he was 26, and two years later began riding as a professional steeplechase jockey, eventually winning more than 350 races. At 36, he retired as a jockey, and became covered racing for the Sunday Express. He published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, in 1957, and his first mystery novel, Dead Cert in 1962. Since then he has written close to forty mysteries, averaging one a year, until the death of his wife and partner Mary Margaret Brenchley, in 2000. The 1999 unauthorised biography, Dick Francis: A Racing Life, had suggested that Francis' books had in fact been written by Mary herself, although Francis never confirmed the rumours. Certainly, though, Mary did do much of the research and editing of Francis' novels and stories, particularly the latter efforts. Afterher death, it was widely believed that Come to Grief (1995) would be Francis' final novel, but in September 2006 readers were treated to the unexpected appearances of a fourth Halley novel. Under Orders found Francis' series character Halley back on his feet (after the events of 1995's Come to Grief) and, if anything, more determined than ever.

Much like Francis himself, evidently.

2007 saw the publication of Dead Heat, a new (non-Halley) novel, co-written by Francis and his son Felix.

UNDER OATH

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Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.

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