For Kicks [Paperback]

Dick Francis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2004

Australian horse breeder Daniel Roke had resisted the exorbitant sum of money offered by a suave Englishman to investigate a scandal involving drugged racehorses. But after another investigator dies mysteriously, Roke agrees to fill his shoes--and learns that men who would give drugs to horses are capable of doing much worse to human beings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Nobody sets up a mystery better than Dick Francis. (San Francisco Chronicle)

From the Inside Flap

"The best thriller writer going."
Atlantic Monthly
Daniel Roke didn't want to leave his Australian stud farm to help look into an English horse-doping scandal. But there he was in England, taking over invetsigative duties vacated by a racing journalist who had died in a suspicious auto accident. And soon enough, Daniel learned that men who would give drugs to horses would do much worse to human beings.... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; First Edition edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425194981
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194980
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( F ) > Francis, Dick

More About the Author

Dick Francis was the author of more than forty acclaimed books. Among his numerous awards were three Edgar Awards, the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. He died in February 2010.

Felix Francis has assisted with the research of many of the Dick Francis novels and is the coauthor of Dead Heat, Silks, and Even Money. He lives in England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my two or three favorite Dick Francis' novels, September 12, 2006

By 

clifford "akitonmyers" (Portland, OR, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: For Kicks (Paperback)

You have to have read a couple of Dick Francis' novels before you understand the author. In a way he stands alone, for as far as I can tell he has not overtly used other writers styles and no contemporary writer has used Francis as a primary influence. All of Francis' books follow a similar arc, from one to the next, you know exactly what you will get. But in a strange way, this is not bothersome, instead it is like revisiting an old familiar and comfortable place.

Francis' books are not in a series format. He only uses the same character for a second time once. In his first ten or so books, he uses a particular jockey to set his story around. And later he finds people of different professions that have racing interests to center stories around. This book, "For Kicks" is from the transitional phase, the late 60's, early 70's. It tells the story of Daniel Roke, a trainer from Australia who is hired to uncover a doping ring that is not being detected through traditional meathods. Its a pretty simple story, and like all of Francis' work it is refreshingly understated. With James Patterson and Patricia Cornwells mamoth body counts and terrorising serial killers, or end of the world scenarios ala Tom Clancy and too many others influencing todays reading lists, its amazing to see how much quiet tension builds up in Francis' stories.

I would highly recommend Francis to anyone. Its a fun world to live in for a while, where all of England revolves around the racing world... every other profesion comes second. I remember how much I loathed the idea of Francis before I first read him and I laugh now at my perception of what his books would be about. I mean, how can one author base a huge series of mysteries on racing horses? Dick Francis does so quite well.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth rereading, May 15, 2007

By 

Book lover -Philadelphia - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Kicks (Paperback)

I agree completely with the other reviewers. This is a terrific suspense novel that happens to give insight into British racing, the class system and each and every character. While I have read all the Dick Francis books, this is the one that I go back to and reread every year or so. Its quiet, understated tone still builds up to suspense and excitement.

His earlier books (like this one) are the best, as far as I am concerned, and the most recent one or two are not worth reading.

p.s. On a visit to England, I took great joy in going to Newmarket and watching the horses out for practice early in the morning. It felt as if I was in the middle of a Dick Francis book. My husband and daughter, also fans, felt the same.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still great entertainment, February 25, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Chamberlin "Betsy Reader" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: For Kicks (Paperback)

Intellectuals may scorn him, moderns may call him dated, but they don't know what they're missing. You can always depend on Dick Francis for engrossing adventure with just the right amount of philosophical underpinnings. Enjoy!