Customer Reviews

Straight

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4 star:		(1)
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What I especially loved about this book was the portrayal of Derek's discovery of all that he lost once he found out what type of man his brother was. It was a more reflective book, more emotional than many of the other "stiff upper lip" books by Francis. As a psychologist, I was drawn to this aspect Straight. My favorite Dick Francis book yet.

Straight builds on a very neat piece of psychology. Derek Franklin, injured steeplechase jockey, unexpectedly has to carry on for his much older brother (18 years to be exact) after the brother dies from an accident. I am sure we all have wondered what it would be like to be one of our siblings. The experience for Derek is very literal.

Derek's brother is in the diamond trade, and a fortune in diamonds are missing. That sounds like the source of the mystery, but that is actually launched by getting mugged in the parking lot after leaving his brother's bed in the hospital as the beginning of a nonstop tale of intrigue. In the course of unraveling the mystery and fighting for his life, Derek also learns a lot about his brother . . . and himself. This is a great novel for anyone who likes to think about "what if?".

The only quibble some will have is that this book has relatively little about horse raising in it, compared to the other Dick Francis novels. Be open minded though, for the change is good for you, the reader.

Get Straight to it!

This is my favorite Dick Francis novel, given to me by a good friend who also loves Francis. It is a book that sticks with me always. Wonderful story, action when you need it (which is a hallmark of Franics novels) but not overshadowing the relationships in this story. The hero is put in a situation where he has to feel his way along and learn his brother's business and life while simultaneously dealing with the loss of his brother and an emptiness in his life. I found it very moving. It is one of the few books that I have read where I have wondered what happens to the characters afterwords--as if they are real people. (Actually, Dick Francis is one of the few authors who has that effect on me. I also have that reaction to the three novels about Sid Halley.)

I strongly recommend this book, even to those who are not primarily mystery readers.

It is almost impossible to stop reading this book once you start. The characters come to life in the movie-screen of the mind and, like a movie, keeps you enthralled. As Derek comes to grips with his brothers' death and tries to keep the gem business that he just inherited afloat, he has to deal with many unfamiliar situations. Like trying to find out where the missing diamonds are located, why is someone out to get him and what really happened to his brother.
This is one of my favorite Dick Francis novels and one I would highly recommend to any mystery reader, or for that matter, someone that just wants to read an excellent book.

A reader knows what they are getting with a Dick Francis book. The mystery will be well plotted, the hero (usually a jockey or former jockey) will bravely face whatever trials that face him overcoming his troubled past and/or secret sorrow and the action will center around the some part of the racing world. Every once in awhile though a surprise pops up, this time the jockey is thrust into the totally alien world of gems.

Jockey Derek Franklin has been sidelined by a broken ankle, shortly after his brother Grenville is murdered. As Derek tries to settle the estate he finds himself drawn more and more into his brother's world of finance, gems and quirky little gadgets. Gradually he begins to sort out the mysteries surrounding Grenville's life and death but soon discovers that there are others who are determined to keep him from the answers. In the end, of course all is revealed.

This is a well plotted and clever mystery. The clues are all there for the reader to follow. The characters are well written, and draw the reader into the story.

This has to be one of my all time favorite Dick Francis novels. It has everything a mystery should have in it - murder, missing jewels, mayhem... In my opinion, it's going to be difficult for Francis to top this one, but I can't wait while he keeps trying!

Straight takes the reader behind the scenes of the jewel trade and it's not an industry that's always on the up and up. Derek Franklin has been on a roller coaster ride of late as his steeplechase jockey career is nearing the end with him sustaining yet another injury. During his forced leave to heal, Derek finds out that his older brother, Greville, has been attacked and is on his deathbed. After his brother succumbs to his injuries, Derek is told that he has inherited his brother's business. Too late to protect himself, Derek realizes that his brother was a target and Derek suspects it has something to do with a fortune in missing diamonds.

This isn't a direct "who dun it" but also has a few subplots that are enjoyable in their own right. When Derek is summoned to his dying brother's hospital bed, the interaction (or lack there of) made me very thankful for the close relationship I have with my brothers and sisters. This thankfulness was reinforced throughout the story, as Derek learns more about his older brother and begins to understand him.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Derek is sure that a clue is hidden in his brother's computer, but he is unable to access the correct password. Greville's secretary comes to the rescue. After hearing the clues left by Greville, followed by a brief mind struggle, she comes up with the correct code word and up pops a message on the computer screen congratulating her and promising her a raise. Now that's the kind of boss I want - he sounds fun!

The only negative some may have with this book is that it is a detour for Dick Francis. As most of his books revolve around horseracing, his devoted fans have come to expect that background. In Straight the only reference to horseracing is the fact that Derek is an injured jockey.

Want to read a mystery that will have you guessing until the end? If so, then this is the book for you to read next! It's very enjoyable and will have you wondering until the very end.

Dick Francis's Straight is a great read. The mystery in this book is very gripping. The characters are realistic. Derek the jockey was the hero. He suffered several physical and mental setbacks. But in the end he saved himself and his brother's gem trading business. Even though Francis's heroes are always in one way or another noble, the villains are not always as real as the heroes. In Straight, the cocaine drug dealer was almost a stereotypically bad guy. He wasn't therefore very real.

Dick Francis did an excellent job of research for this book. The details of the gem trade are astonishingly believable. In fact, I learned many interesting tidbits, for example, cubic zirconium is 1.7 times the weight of diamond. It's a really good book. I recommend it to readers who like mysteries or detective stories.

My favorite of all Mr. Francis' books, and I have read them all several times at least. 'Straight' and a couple of the other books, like 'Longshot' and 'The Edge' - at least for me - are a cut above Francis' always good, always well written thrillers. I think that is because the characters in those books have some extra dimension, a touch more humanity perhaps, or something extra that makes the reader care about what happens to them, even to wanting to know how their lives will continue after the story ends. We have invested in them, and "characters " have become real people. I think that is what makes these books resonate for me. I hope you find your favorites, but I can at least assure you that you'll never be disappointed in a Dick Francis read.!

Greville and Clarissa had concealed their love affair for three years.

Greville was a middleman, who had traveled the world to search out reliable sources of semiprecious gemstones. The successful London company he founded would have the stones cut in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, or elsewhere, then distribute the gems in quantity to creative designers and producers of fashionable jewelry. Greville also owned racehorses, starting when someone had given him one in settlement of a debt.

Clarissa was the attractive wife of an older British lord, who had pursued her. Greville became Clarissa's first love, as she became his. When he was not on a trip, and she could come to London, they would meet. When apart, which was most days, they had agreed to pause at a set time of day to think of each other, knowing that each was doing the same.

A sudden accident ended all this. Greville had been walking down the High Street next to a construction site, when collapsing scaffolding from high up, struck him, sending him to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and soon died.

Here are Dick Francis's very first words of the story: "I inherited my brother's life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it nearly killed me."

The speaker is Greville's brother Derek, younger by nineteen years. Too tall for flat racing, Derek is a steeplechase jockey, which is especially dangerous because of the jumping. In the story he is, in fact, on crutches recovering from a broken left ankle injured in a race.

Derek's racing world and Greville's business world collide throughout the book. Derek must pick up the complex gemstone business traces, while undergoing continuing pressure from racing owners and trainers to hurry up and heal.

The company employees tell Derek that Greville did not deal in diamonds. In going to the bank, Derek discovers otherwise. The manager tells him that three months earlier the bank had loaned Greville a million and a half U.S. dollars, specifically to expand into diamonds, and would soon be looking to Derek to start repayment.

Where are the diamonds? Stolen? Who are the customers who wanted them? Greville's company business and his house are broken into. Derek is assaulted and shot at. The action is nonstop. The book is a fascinating, literate page-turner.

Note: Probably all of us readers like to notice where a book's title appears in the text, and to see the meaning in context. I frankly lost count after more than a dozen instances, many of them different -- from Intensive Care Unit monitor lines going flat, to straight thinking versus labyrinthine, to honest test reporting versus shadiness, just to name a few. And a big one near the end of the book, which I wouldn't want to reveal here. Your reading will have to decide which of the many applies most strongly. Or perhaps they all do?

The first paragraph of this book tells us straight what's to come: "I inherited my brother's life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it nearly killed me."

Steeplechase jockey Derek Franklin is an admirable guy, a straight shooter who wins a lot of races. We meet him on crutches with a shattered ankle. He's broken a lot of bones in his career, as jockeys do. He'll mend, but not before he gets hurt a lot worse.

When his brother Greville is killed in a freak accident, Derek has to look into his business (importing semi-precious gems) and figure out what to do about it. What he finds is a very successful company with a mysterious loan of 1.5 million U.S. dollars procured for buying diamonds. But everyone at the office assures him that his brother never dealt in diamonds, only gemstones. And there are no diamonds to be found anywhere.

Part of Greville's legacy is an amazing collection of electronic gadgets, some in plain sight, others hidden in secret places. Obsessed with security and fond of puzzles, Greville hasn't made it easy for Derek to find the missing diamonds.

The reader can look forward to plenty of action in this book: break-ins, shootings and a romantic encounter with a potentially lethal woman. At the same time, the book is a touching story of the relationship between two brothers.