Whip Hand
by Dick Francis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dick FrancisEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-06-07
ISBN: 0425203549
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Berkley
Book Reviews of Whip Hand
Book Review: Starts slowly, but finishes well
Summary: 3 Stars
Sid Halley was a top jockey until his hand was damaged beyond repair. When the story begins, he is working as a private investigator specializing in cases related to racing. He receives an unpleasant surprise when his ex father-in-law asks for help tracking down a con man who victimized Sid's ex-wife, Jenny. Jenny hates Sid and is about as rude as she can possibly be even when he's trying to help her. Sid also is asked to look into some suspicious racing syndicates and a trainer's wife asks him to protect a horse she fears is in danger. With the help of his friend Chico, he tries to dig into all of these matters with varying results. Unfortunately, some of the cases turn downright nasty as thugs start looking to dish out beatings and worse as he digs up things better left untouched.
Perhaps because Sid pursues several cases, Whip Hand starts off pretty fragmented and also seems a bit dry. The pace picks up and the story begins to come together in the second half and gets especially tense leading up to the climax. Sid is a sympathetic protagonist as he is tough on the outside but fairly insecure about having a prosthetic hand and some of the threats he receives scare him quite badly. His attempts to deal with that fear are a big part of what make the later stages of the book so compelling.
This was my third Dick Francis book and I must admit that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other two. The first third was especially disappointing, but it definitely picked up from there. It's not a bad novel for Dick Francis fans, but I probably would not recommend it to a first time reader. A better choice might be Enquiry which is strong from start to finish.
Summary of Whip Hand
Sid Halley's glory days as a jockey are over, but he still finds a certain satisfaction in successfully solving a case. His latest one, though, could prove to be his undoing.General Books
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