Product Description

This "convincing and memorable"mystery is "among Dick Francis's best," says the Cincinnati Post. And we're sure readers will agree.

Ex-jockey and private investigator Sid Halley is approached by the wife of an elite racehorse trainer, begging his help in figuring out why her husband's most promising horses have been performing so poorly. At first Halley thinks she's overreacting and the losing streak is just dumb luck. But now he's beginning to think it's something far more dangerous...

* A New York Times bestselling author whose reputation is virtually unmatched among modern mystery writers

Another "first class"* thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Field Of Thirteen.--Baltimore Sun

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1366988 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From the Inside Flap
"Challenging....First class."
THE BALTIMORE SUN
Sid Halley, once a jockey, was now a private invesigator with only one good hand left after a horse fell on the other. His new life, though, could never erase the haunting memories of his past glories. But it was only when the wife of one of England's top trainers came to beg his help in preventing foul play at the race track that Sid Halley began to know what being haunted really was....

Customer Reviews

Another great by Francis!
In "Whip Hand" Francis returns with a character first introduced in "Odds Against" Sid Halley. Sid and his partner Chico are on yet again more page turning adventures. When a wife of a prominent trainer shows up(at Sid's door) wanting to know why her husbands "cream of the crop" horse's destined to win the races end up coming in last, and then later end up dieing. Also Sid's ex-wife enters the picture which makes for some great tension. A great read from beginning to end. Dick Francis again does what he does best,that is he writes great page turning mysteries. Happy Reading!

The second Sid Halley novel
This is the sequel to "Odds Against," and is the second novel about ex-jockey turned PI Sid Halley. It takes you into the world of racetracks, syndicates owning horses, trainers, and bookmakers. Sid becomes involved in two separate cases of people trying to fix the outcome of races, and corruption involving bookmakers, trainers, jockeys, etc. The racing world wants things handled internally (no police) because of the potential scandal. Not everyone gets officially punished, but Sid can give back as good as he gets, especially when he has a heavy artificial arm to use as a club.

The author is very knowledgable about the subject, and you get a good picture of English racing (flat and steeplechase), horse training, and breeding. It is a very big business.

Sid and his employee Chico do get banged about a bit. People are trying to encourage them to go into another line of work. That can be difficult to do with Sid, who has a reputation for being hard and out to win. He got used to bumps, bruises, and broken bones when he was riding.

There are some additional encounters with his ex-wife, and a side case to help her out of some difficulties. Sid still does care about her.

The first three books in the Sid Halley series, "Odds Against," "Whip Hand," and "Come to Grief," are also available in a combined omnibus edition, "Win, Place, or Show."

Last and Dead
WHIP HAND features a second mystery using the ex-steeplechase jokey turned detective, Sid Haley
Read a Dick Francis is like going to an exciting movie which has you on the edge of your seat. The wife of a trainer comes to Sid with a problem, the winners her husband trained are coming in last and then dying. She suspects fixing on the turf and begs Sid's help in discovering the culprit. The racing authorities prefer to settle their own problems.
Sid's ex-wife returns for an engagement, she learns that winning is Sid's main goal and she cannot place in the show. Sid and his partner Chico face heavy inducement to retire from the field, but the story sets the pace until the final lap.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.