Best Selling Books by Dick Francis

Fabulously wealthy gold-trader Malcolm Pembroke has in his possession something the whole world wants--and anyone could kill for. In fact, even Malcolm''s closest kin are moving in a little too close for comfort. Reissue.

When Mark Shillingford calls a race in which his twin sister, Clare, an accomplished and successful jockey, placed when she could have won, he believes the worst: that she lost on purpose, and the race was fixed. That night, Mark confronts Clare with his suspicions and she storms off. Hours later, Clare jumps to her death from the balcony of a London hotel ... or so it seems. Devastated and guilty, Mark goes in search of answers.

A classic mystery from Dick Francis, the champion of English storytellers. Wine merchant Tony Beach will do anything for a quiet life. But when a party to celebrate the end of the racing season ends in eight violent deaths, he is drawn reluctantly into the subsequent investigation. Meanwhile, the police, having evidence of the sale of illicit alcohol at a local club, ask for Tony''s help in closing it down. Thanks to his intervention, Tony comes to the attention of the criminal underworld. And that''s when he reluctantly realizes that the deaths and the illicit alcohol are connected. Tony doesn''t want to be a hero. But if the choice is that or dying... Praise for Dick Francis: ''As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing'' Daily Mirror ''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 ''The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish'' Scotsman ''Francis writing at his best'' Evening Standard ''A regular winner . . . as smooth, swift and lean as ever'' Sunday Express ''A super chiller and killer'' New York Times Book Review Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National. On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott. During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers'' Association''s Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three ''best novel'' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime''s achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen''s Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

Jonah Dereham, English jockey turned horse-buyer, buys a steeplechaser at Ascot Sales for Mrs. Kerry Sanders, minked and diamonded American sophisticate, and a tie-in with a horse-trading racket and murder for himself.

For a generous commission, ex-prize-winning jockey Jonah Dereham agrees to bid on a special horse for a wealth American lady. Unfortunately, for him, the crunch on his skull after the auction is not the last. There''s more in store, until he manages to figure out the real high-stakes game being played....

Explore the bizarre and hilarious possibilities of intergalactic relations in Robert Sheckley''s "Meeting of the Minds," a collection of science fiction short stories that brilliantly blends humor with thought-provoking encounters. A master of satirical science fiction, Sheckley uses the theme of human-alien interaction to explore the absurdities of communication and the challenges of understanding across vastly different cultures. This collection, focused on the subject of human-alien encounters, offers a series of witty and inventive scenarios involving space travel and the often-comical consequences of first contact. Experience Sheckley''s signature blend of science fiction and humor, where alien contact is less about epic battles and more about the everyday struggles of bridging the gap between species. Perfect for readers seeking a dose of levity alongside their science fiction, this meticulously prepared edition brings Sheckley''s unique vision to a new audience, showcasing the timeless appeal of his stories. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The New York Times bestseller. Transporting racehorses is big business for ex-jockey Freddie Croft. But when one of his drivers breaks a cardinal rule--never pick up a hitchhiker--the results are fatal. Now strange nighttime stalkers and unseen conspirators are weaving a web of deceit and danger that Freddie might never escape. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

James Tyrone, a racing reporter for a London scandal sheet, investigates the death of a fellow reporter.

A thriller about jumping horses and how they are transported from one place to another around the world.

Ex-champion steeplechase jockey Sid Haley is now a sleuth. As the story opens he has just been shot in the stomach during the course of his duties as a private investigator, working - or rather, idling - in a firm which keeps him employed, thanks tothe old boy network. Convalescing with indecent and painful haste, Sid finds the pace growing steadily hotter as he investigates the cunningly contrived decline of a racecourse, and comes to close and spine-chilling grips with the crooks responsible.

Matt Shore is a substitute pilot assigned to fly four racing buffs to the track. They''re nervous, but Matt''s not. That is, until he manages an emergency landing minutes before the plane explodes. Matt doesn''t think anything else can possibly go wrong. Then he finds himself caught up in a rat race of danger that puts him on the wrong side of the odds....

"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

Dick Francis takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing with this gripping tale about the illusion of film and the reality of murder. Champion jockey Robert Sherman has disappeared right before his wife was about to give birth. And right before he was sure to win the National. A coincidence? British investigator David Cleveland doesn’t think so. He’s convinced someone made Sherman disappear, but with every answer David gets, the body count rises. And if he isn’t careful, the next body might just be his own... Praise for Dick Francis ‘Dick Francis is a wonder’ Cleveland Plain Dealer ‘Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at a full gallop’ Chicago Tribune ‘Francis captures our attention and holds us spellbound... all the breathless pace we have come to expect of this superb writer.’ NYT Book Review ‘Few match Francis for dangerous flights of fancy and pure inventive menace’ Boston Herald ‘[The] master of crime fiction and equine thrills’ Newsday ‘Each Francis novel seems to be his best.’ Sunday Oklahoman ‘Few writers have maintained such a high standard of excellence for as long as Dick Francis’ San Diego Union-Tribune ‘[Francis] has the uncanny ability to turn out simply plotted yet charmingly addictive mysteries’ Wall Street Journal ‘Francis is a genius’ Los Angeles Times ‘For more than thirty years, Dick Francis has been mystery’s Gibraltar, a sturdy rock in stormy straits. Nobody executes the whodunit formula better’ Chicago Sun-Times ‘A rare and magical talent... who never writes the same story twice’ San Diego Union-Tribune

An accident cuts short the career of one of the youngest-ever winners of the Grand National, who is unprepared for what happens when he returns to Aintree as a spectator years later.

Todd, painter of English horses, and his Australian friend are involved in a conspiracy of racing, wine, women and murder.