Hands Down

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I have no intention in spending anymore time in writing a review for a book I won’t be continuing- just wasn’t for me. There are all too many naive and clueless gents (they *are* all guys) in both groups who either are in financial straits or have been indecorous with questionable female acquaintances. Felix does a good job in these last two Sid novels, and they make for lots of deductive meanderings, nerve-wracking thrills and fishing for clues while steering clear of the red herrings—but I do miss his Dad. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written.

Felix Francis studied Physics and Electronics at London University and then spent seventeen years teaching Advanced-Level Physics. Jockey-turned-private eye Sid Halley was last seen in Refusal after losing his left hand in a nasty fight with even nastier opponents; for his troubles, he ended up with a prosthetic hand and a wife who who insisted that he quit his detecting work. Instead he landed in the private investigation business, in hot pursuit of the miscreants of the British horse racing world that he can’t stop being a part of.However, the very next morning, the friend’s stable yard is torched, horses killed, and then the friend is found dead. Overall this is a highly engaging and enjoyable read, that features many a twist, It keeps you gripped and enthralled in suspense. Here is what I think--the son is getting better, and maybe his handicap is more that what is acceptable in 2020 is really different from what worked in 1970.

And he's married to his beloved Marina and has a nine-year-old daughter named Saskia who is the center of his existence. Sid Halley, a private investigator, has a new left hand, having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal.

It was good to revisit Sid Halley again, and I enjoyed the story, and the good memories of many books over more than 25 years. With enough backstory to fill in the blanks and enough twists and turns to keep you saying "just one more chapter", I was in Sid Halley's world and enjoying every page. I was at a bit of a loss, after a long walk to check out the sights, went to the lounge room which had a bookcase and looked for something to read. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader. The writing is smoother, but there is a lot that is a bit off putting, which adds up to "I might take it off the shelf at the library if it were right in front of me, but I might not" and I certainly am not seeking them out.

I did feel this entry in the series was maybe a trifle more scattered and difficult to follow than most of the others.His marriage, on the other hand (pun intended), isn't working quite so well; in fact, his wife Marina has taken their nine-year-old daughter, Saskia, with her to stay with her elderly parents - in part because her father is dying and in part because she needs to get away for a while. There are only a handful of series, however well written, which keep me coming back for more year after year. He managed to get one name but it was someone he hadn’t heard of, anyone who was involved was reluctant to talk through fear of what would happen.