When former jockey Dick Francis turned to writing, his novels were a success right out of the gate. Now readers can learn more about his suspenseful stories and the fascinating worlds in which they take place-not only horse racing, but many others, from flying to filmmaking, from gemstones to glassblowing. Meet the man who has won three Edgar Allen Poe Awards, the title of Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master, fellowship in the Royal Society of Literature, and Malice Domestic's Lifetime Achievement Award-and add to your reading pleasure with: € Book-by-book synopses, little-known facts, and quotes € Francis's stable of memorable characters-from Sid Halley to Mr. Kitchens to Professor Guggenheim € The "beautiful, marvelous creatures" who run through his novels-from Admiral in Dead Cert to Zingaloo in Whip Hand € Websites on horseracing, the many novels, and the author himself

From a New York Times–bestselling “master of crime fiction and equine thrills,” an aristocratic amateur jockey gets involved in a criminal investigation (Newsday). Dick Francis, Edgar Award–winning master of mystery and suspense, takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing. The youngest child of rich, neglectful parents, Henry Grey was occasionally accused of being an overgrown brat. But all Henry wanted was a career that would bring him some genuine fulfilment, a little adventure, and a chance to prove his true character. So he decided to take a dirty demanding job transporting racehorses by air, much to his snobbish family’s horror. And when he discovered that he was actually transporting something altogether different, he had to call upon every ounce of resourcefulness he had to land with his life intact . . . Praise for the writing of Dick Francis: “Dick Francis is a wonder.” —The Plain Dealer “Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at a full gallop.” —Chicago Tribune “Few match Francis for dangerous flights of fancy and pure inventive menace.” —Boston Herald “[Francis] has the uncanny ability to turn out simply plotted yet charmingly addictive mysteries.” —The Wall Street Journal “Francis is a genius.” —Los Angeles Times “Nobody executes the whodunit formula better.” —Chicago Sun-Times

"Fast-paced, meticulously plotted...Nobody sets up a mystery better than Dick Francis." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Travel writer John Kendall didn't think he was doing anything too out of the ordinary when he tramped off to rural England for an interview with a successful race horse trainer. Soon enough, however, Kendall realizes that completing the book will be tricky at best. In fact, the perils described in his survival manuals pale next to the dangers in rural England.... Selected by the Literary Guild, the Mystery Guild, and Doubleday Book Club

Architect Lee Morris has plans to restore Stratton Park racecourse to its former grandeur. But the combative Stratton heirs have violent plans of their own.

From the acclaimed master of mystery and suspense comes the story of a self-imposed outcast who must refresh his detection skills in order to save himself and his family.

Discover the classic mystery from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time 'Keeps you enthralled all the way through' 5***** Reader Review 'Full of intrigue from start to finish. Another Dick Francis success' 5***** Reader Review 'Edge-of-your-seat reading' 5***** Reader Review ______ Ex-steeplechaser Randall Drew is reluctantly off to pre-Olympic games Moscow, as a favour to royalty. One of the blue bloods is destined to compete in the games and there are concerns - both of safety and of scandal - that only Drew, with his racing connections, can clear up. On arriving - speaking no Russian and wishing he were back home - Drew is supposed to identify and contact one Alyosha to clear up the scandal. Instead, he finds himself tailed by the KGB and embroiled in foiling a terrorist plot - or die trying. Home seems an awful long way away - and if he's not careful, he'll be going back in a box . . . Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Trial Run is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis. Praise for Dick Francis: 'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman 'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph 'Still the master' Racing Post 'The master of suspense and intrigue' Country Life

First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.