Nerve (Paperback)

by Dick Francis (Author) "Art Mathews shot himself, loudly and messily, in the center of the parade ring at Dunstable races..." (more)
Key Phrases: six jerks, parade ring, weighing room, Lord Tirrold, Maurice Kemp-Lore, Peter Cloony (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From bestselling author Dick Francis, Nerve is the story of a struggling young jockey--a misfit in a family of accomplished musicians--who discovers that his troubling losing streak is caused not by a lack of skill or confidence, but by something far more sinister.

From the Inside Flap
Rob Finn was a bit of a misfit: a struggling young jockey in a family of accomplished musicians, a man in love with a beautiful woman who wouldn't have him -- he suddenly looked like a rider who had lost his nerve. Could it be, though, that the horses were unusually sluggish, and that there was something more sinister attempting to sabotage him...?
"The best thriller writer going."
ATLANTIC MONTHLY --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jove (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515123463
• ISBN-13: 978-0515123463
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #413,816 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #61 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( F ) > Francis, Dick

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rob Finn - one of my favorite Francis protagonists!, September 13, 2006

By	H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Dick Francis has written so many bestselling mysteries, it's mindboggling. He excels in crafting enormously engaging, civilized whodunits, which go down smooth as cognac. Mr. Francis has a habit of introducing elements from the racing world into his novels (for those not in the know, Francis used to be a jockey). Yes, it's true that his heroes all come from the same mold and the stories do contain certain formulaic elements, but I think Francis's magic lies in the humanity and empathic nature with which he cloaks his protagonists. His heroes are all too human, all too flawed, and uniformly unassuming and Britishly reserved. Yet, without exception, they all have unexpected pluck, hidden strength, and the inner fortitude to do the right thing. In four decades, Mr. Francis has written some of my favorite mysteries: Forfeit, Rat Race, Reflex, Hot Money, The Edge, The Danger, Decider, and To the Hilt. And then there's Nerve.

Nerve holds a special place in my heart. I first stumbled across Dick Francis's mystery books years ago when I was a kid thumbing thru a Reader's Digest book. That book contained a condensed version of Nerve, which I went thru in a flash. As soon as I could, I went to the public library and borrowed the full-length version and tore thru that one, too. Since then, I've read everything that Dick Francis has ever written and I've enjoyed every one tremendously (even his anthology Field of Thirteen), but, thru the years, I've come back again and again to Nerve and its charismatic hero Rob Finn. It's just such a darn good story.

Nerve, published in 1964, was only Francis's third novel at the time. Yet, even back then, he had what it took to tell a captivating, suspenseful story. The quick plot breakdown of Nerve: Rob Finn has started to make a name for himself as a jockey when he is kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. Torn up and bleeding, he manages to escape and get help. He then coldly plans his revenge on the bloke what did him wrong. Sounds like a simple plot, but Francis uses his narrative skills to lure the reader into following Rob Finn as he attempts to get back at his disturbed tormentor. It's gripping stuff. Francis's detailed breakdowns of Finn's pain-filled efforts to get back to racing form so soon after he was tortured will make you cringe, as you wholeheartedly pull for the fella. Our hero is very human, vulnerable, and very relatable. Yet, Francis is talented enough as a writer that, by the end of the book, you'll feel some sympathy towards the dastardly villain. And, as an added bonus, Francis throws in one of those unrequited love subplots, as Finn, who has been eternally in love with his beautiful, talented cousin, Joanna, bittersweetly continues to carry his torch. Joanna, alas, does not reciprocate.

I don't know how Dick Francis does it. I'm not into horses or horse racing. Yet, his books never get old for me, and the horse racing elements actually become interesting stuff. I really, really believe Dick Francis's gift, when it gets boiled to its essence, is how well he's able to make the reader relate to his lead character. Every one of 'em is immensely rootable. Before I read Nerve, I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi novels. Nerve introduced me to the world of mystery novels. So, for that reason and also because it's a crackling good tale, Nerve will always be one of my favorites.

Also, glad to hear that Dick Francis has a new book (Under Orders, starring Sid Halley) coming out in a few weeks. I cannot wait.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet again, another masterful book by Francis., September 13, 2006

By	C. Elgin "akitonmyers" (Palo Alto CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of Francis' very first books. Written in the early 1960's and set in England, 'Nerve' concerns the exploits of a young and aspiring top steeple-chase jockey. If you haven't read Francis before, you are in for a very nice and enjoyable low-key thriller. Its hard to point to another author and say that Dick Francis is like him or her, because his work is so unlike other writers. Every one of Francis' books has pretty much the same plot outline, but in a strange way, this is not at all bothersome. One reads a Francis book to enjoy the characters and the inordinant amount of plot laden tension that is somehow packed into such a mild mannered little book.

Every time I pick up one of Francis' books I think of the Jean Cocteau movie from the early 50's I think called Orphius. Its based on the old greek myth where some guy goes to hade's (the ancient greek underworld) to rescue his wife who was stolen from him by a god. He gains her freedom on the condition that he not look at her on the way back until they are out of Hade's. Only at the very last step, he does turn around and she is turned into a pillar of salt or something like that... Anyways, in Cocteaus version of the myth, he has the main characters cast as poets, and they drive around the French country side being flocked by admiring fans and lovely young women. The poets there are the rock stars of that fictional society. Well, Francis creates a world very similar to that with his horse racing books, where the entire country of England revolves around the going ons of different aspects of racing.

One interesting aspect of this book, discussed by other readers in this review forum, is that of the human condition known as 'Nerve.' Rob Finn is made to look as though he has lost it over the opening chapters of the book and the mystery revolves around why this was done and exactly who is behind it.

I would highly reccomend this story to anyone... Its a short novel that has with held the test of time though it is entering its fifth decade since publication. It's not the greatest mystery ever written if only because Francis never really took a risk as an author. But this is also one of Francis' very best efforts and will entertain you in a mild mannered way.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Man With Problems, April 9, 2002

By	Charles R. Slater (Mount Kisco, New York United States) - See all my reviews

At the start of "Nerve," one of Dick Francis' earliest and best books, the hero, Rob Finn, has a a couple of problems. A rising young jockey, he is something of a misfit in a family of talented musicians. And he's in love with his first cousin.
Soon there's another, more threatening problem. All of his horses turn into lethargic losers. The whisper at the track is he's lost his nerve.
To save his career, Rob Finn must tackle the mystery of the sluggish horse as if his life depended on it. And it does.
In all, a satisfying romp through the world or horses that Dick Francis has no peer in dramatizing.