Dick Francis Thriller Collection – 10 Books Set (Bolt, Reflex, Risk, Whip Hand, and More)

Nerve
Rob Finn's winning streak made him one of the most sought-after steeplechase jockeys. So his subsequent collapse in form surprised no one more than himself.

As word spreads that Finn has lost his nerve, he discovers a well-managed campaign to discredit certain jockeys; in his own case, a plan assisted by horse doping.

To find the culprits behind it, Finn will have to put everything on the line . . .

Bonecrack
At midnight, Neil Griffon's home is broken into and he is abducted by masked men.

When he wakes up, hours later, Neil discovers that unless he cooperates, his kidnappers will destroy his father's racing stable, his precious horses and even Neil himself.

Returning to the stables, Neil can tell no one about his ordeal, or his kidnappers' threats of violence if he does not comply with their demands.

Trapped, Neil refuses to surrender - and devises an ingenious scheme to beat his kidnappers at their own game . . .

Knock Down
Jonah Dereham is a bloodstock agent who buys and sells horses for his clients. As an ex-jockey, it's the ideal quiet life - until Jonah is attacked by thugs out to sabotage his business.

Unfortunately for them, Jonah's a man with a steely resolve. He's determined to find out who is trying to ruin him, and why.

But staying honest is more dangerous than Jonah could have imagined.

And with his horses, his business and his own life on the line, Jonah must hit back - before he's taken down for good . . .

Come To Grief
Sid Halley, ex-champion jockey turned investigator, is facing his toughest test.

A number of horses have been brutally mutilated, horrifying their owners and the general public. Even Sid's friend, broadcaster Ellis Quint, has been moved to make a shocking programme about it.

But when Sid is asked to look into the case, the evidence he uncovers points in a startling direction and he finds that his head must overrule his heart. As friends and associates are angered by his discoveries, Sid is drawn into a terrible web of conspiracy and intrigue.

Escape will require all his legendary wits and cunning . . .

Whip Hand
Ex-jockey Sid Halley works as a private detective, using his racing knowledge to solve crimes that baffle the police.

He's asked to investigate the possible doping of the horses of George Casper - a thoroughbred trainer whose once-successful mounts have been failing spectacularly on the racetrack.

At the same time, he learns that a conman has left his ex-wife Jenny facing a jail sentence over a fake charity, while the Jockey Club want him to investigate certain powerful syndicates who may be acting in a ruthless and illegal manner.

Quickly, Sid discovers that each of his investigations is entirely unwelcome. But he isn't put off easily - not even when a threat is made that could change his life.

Three dangerous cases, three ways to die - Sid is back on home turf . . .

Smokescreen
Edward Lincoln has scaled the Himalayas, survived deadly car chases, and defeated scores of assassins. As a movie action man he's even suffered stoically at the hands of sadistic directors.

After finishing his latest film, he's asked to visit South Africa to discover why a dying friend's horses are suddenly failing on the racetrack. Unfortunately, Lincoln's attempt to help a friend soon puts him in harm's way.

From a nearly fatal interview to a dangerous accident in a gold mine, it seems only luck is keeping him alive.

And in life, unlike the big screen, there's no coming back from dead . . .

Risk
As an amateur jockey, Roland Britten was lucky, and as an accountant he was rigorous. He knew he was on the hate list of several fraudsters, but never thought pen-pushers got kidnapped.

And not from a racecourse right after beating the odds to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Held prisoner, Britten has no idea who his kidnappers are nor why they have abducted him. Only when resourceful school headmistress Hilary Pinlock gives him the opportunity to escape is he able to seriously think about what has happened and turn his logical mind to track down his abductors.

But his kidnappers haven't finished with him yet - and they'll risk anything to get hold of him once again . . .

Bolt
Jockey Kit Fielding's patron, Princess Casilia, is in trouble. Her husband is being threatened by a ruthless business partner who wants to use the firm to manufacture arms.

At the same time, some of the Princess's best horses are being killed - shot by a bolt. The only person the Princess can turn to is Kit - but he has problems of his own. His fiancé Danielle has taken a shine to another man. And his old feud with Maynard Allardeck, racing steward and hereditary enemy of the Fieldings, might lose him his license to race.

Between riding winners and trying to save his impending marriage, Kit has somehow to find out and stop who is slaughtering the horses.

But, as he's about to discover, the killer has more than horses in his sights . . .

10-Lb Penalty
Seventeen-year-old Benedict Juliard's ambitions of becoming a steeplechase jockey are dashed when he's falsely accused of taking drugs.

For his estranged father, however, this is an opportunity. A wealthy businessman running for a parliamentary by-election in Dorset, Juliard Senior needs all the help he can get - especially when the campaign moves from mudslinging to something more deadly.

Now young Benedict has to grow up fast - not only to find out who is trying to harm his father's chances of election, but also to keep him alive long enough to stay in the race . . .

Reflex
Jockey and amateur photographer Philip Nore knows all too well how it feels to take a tumble from a horse. He also knows what it's like to feel the wrath of furious owners and trainers. You can't always be a winner.

George Millace hated winners. As a photographer he specialized in taking pictures that exposed the failings of riders. But now he's dead - and no one seems very sorry.

But when Millace's home is broken into during his funeral and Nore finds himself helping clear up, he finds something unexpected. Millace had other pictures - ones people will go to desperate lengths to possess.

Now he must find out who wants them - and fast.

Because if George Millace's death was no accident, then his killers are getting closer . . .