Knockdown Audiobook By Dick Francis cover art

Knockdown

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Knockdown

By: Dick Francis
Narrated by: Tony Britton
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Dick Francis, the bestselling master of mystery and suspense, takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing.

For a generous commission, ex-prizewinning jockey Jonah Dereham reluctantly agrees to bid on a young steeplechaser on behalf of a wealthy American woman. But his life is thrust into danger immediately following the auction, when he receives a blow to the head by two thugs demanding ownership of the horse.

Unfortunately that’s just the beginning. Now Jonah must figure out the high stakes game being played, before he becomes its next casualty.

©1974 Dick Francis (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd. Animal Sports Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Sports Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Thriller Mystery Exciting
Solid Story • Beautiful Prose • Good Narrator • Rich Details • Dramatic Ending • Classic Storytelling • Engaging Plot
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Dick Francis books are a familiar favorite for me. I consume them regularly. The themes are familiar and comforting yet also compelling. I continue to delight in the various perspectives on horse racing that he reflects in his novels.

Familiar Themes New Narrative

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Dick Francis novels all reflect his experience as a jockey, telling stories about the inside of the horse racing business in a way that only another insider can. Francis's horseracing world is often, and his protagonists are usually voices of honor in a wilderness of corruption. This book is typical in that regard.

The protagonist, Jonah Dereham, is a retired jockey, and like many retired jockeys, it was the rigors of the track that caused his retirement. He has become a bloodstock buyer, working on commission. He is honest and hardnosed enough not to yield to threats, which, since this is a suspense novel, are rather thick on the ground.

The protagonist and the supporting characters are drawn very believably, with quirks and flaws that give them life on the page. The villains have believable motives; they're not villains only because they are evil.

The plot moves quickly, and while I figured out the final villain before the end, I didn't think his identity obvious enough to be a problem for the story.

Francis's work seems to be criminally underrepresented in the conversations about suspense and crime writers. (Perhaps it's just that I move in the wrong circles.) This is a short book, and, like the other Francis books I've read, very much worth the time. Recommended.

Strong and atmospheric suspense

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I started reading Dick Francis in the 1970’s. Missed this one apparently. Now catching it as an audiobook. Moral but imperfect hero. Complex characters and personalities. And of course the mixed happy ending. A gem.

A Classic Dick Francis Story

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Basically it just ended. I thought I had caused it to skip ahead. But no. I mean there was a solution to the crime but no wrap-up at all. Strange

Awful Ending

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I always enjoy his books. Narration was a little disappointing but it was a good story.

Suspenseful to the end!

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A very solid story from one of my favorite authors…just not his best IMO.

Good but not my favorite

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I love Dick Francis’s books. This one used the horse racing setting with a new twist. Great characters. Story keeps the reader on edge, as we know there will be increasing risk as things progress.

Great read

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This was my first Dick Francis novel. I’ve been meaning to read him for quite some time, and this turned out to be a good place to start solid story, good first person narrator, some of the horse buying mechanics were beyond me, but it was still a very good story. The ending felt a bit uneven, but it worked.

A good introduction to Dick Francis

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An absolute classic with drama till the very end and Francis’ beautiful prose. The narrator is among the best that you will hear.

So entertaining

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With so many aspects to British horse racing, previous books on bloodstock and less than chivalrous activities, seem to be apparent. This is a well done volume with the side stories & rich details always present in Francis (family) novels. As a physician, I always appreciate the often meddling physical ailments/infirmaries found in his works. Jockeys & their orthopedic maladies!

The ghost of Dick Francis rides again.

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