Crossfire

I've read every single Dick or Dick & Felix Francis book -- many of them more than once -- and Crossfire does not disappoint. The young, courageous, but vulnerable main character faces challenges beyond the ordinary and yet prevails over evil and the dangers of the world to emerge stronger for it, but still someone with whom us regular people can identify.One of the characteristics I appreciate the most about a Francis protagonist is that his battle with evil is won, not by super-hero traits or super-weapon technology, but simply by putting one foot in front of the other, step by step, doing the right thing, not the easy thing. In this novel, the last by father and son writing team Dick and Felix Francis, putting one foot in front of the other is particularly difficult as the main character, Tom Forsyth, has lost a foot from an encounter with an IED in Afghanistan. As Tom is released for six months of recuperation before the British Army decides if it can use him anymore, he finds himself adrift without purpose or assignment. The Army has been his life, his wife, his joy, his identity. If the Army doesn't take him back, who will he be? The following story follows his trail of self-discovery as he attempts to help his narcissistic mother and ineffectual step-father extricate themselves and their otherwise successful jump race horse stable from deadly blackmail. That the plot is thwarted is a given -- neither Francis author is known for writing nihilistic stories of despair. But what truly engaged me was the inner transformation and growth of Tom Forsyth.I often re-read a Francis book, depending on my need. Wrestling over whether to betray a friendship when the friend has turned despicable? Come to Grief will help sort it out. Arguing about how free will and sovereignty can co-exist in human choices? Decider lays out the paradox persuasively. Need to help a friend recover from the death of a loved one? Proof rings with the authenticity of someone who has endured grief and yet come through it a better person. Struggling with depression & thoughts of suicide? No better companion to lead you from the darkness than Gene Hawkins in Blood Sport. And the theme of this new Francis story provides a similar down to earth perspective regarding how to stay true to yourself when everything that has defined you before has been irrevocably ripped away.I hope Felix Francis continues his late father's long legacy of life affirming stories. I was not disappointed in the quality of this novel despite the death of Dick in the midst of the writing. I won't say this is my favorite or among the best of the Francis back list. But it is among those stories that can please the reader more than once.

CROSSFIRE is classic Dick Francis. Captain Tom Forsyth encountered and IED in Afghanistan and lost his right foot. He has just gotten out of the hospital and is beginning a six-month leave. He wasn't a good patient being both bitter and impatient. Because the army has been his life since he was seventeen, Tom is at something of a loss about what to do. He decides to go to his mother's home in Lambourn where she is a famous race horse trainer despite the fact that they really don't get along.When he arrives, he finds that his mother is under more than the usual stress and that she is being blackmailed. It doesn't take long for Tom to get deeply involved in trying to find out who is blackmailing her and solving the problem that led to the blackmail in the first place.This one delves into hedge funds, murder, and modern vices and has Tom using the lessons he has learned as a warrior and the guidance of Sun Tzu's The Art of War as he solves the puzzle.This was a mystery with a hero who is competent in his own field and who brings that competency to his investigation. Tom is smart and honorable. He is dealing with and adjusting to the probable loss of the career he loved. His mother's problems give him a new focus. While this one is wordier than early Dick Francis books it is still a fast-paced story filled with tension and danger. I really liked it and recommend it to mystery fans.

Felix Francis does it again. Is great story telling genetic? Or did he learn the craft reading his father’s books. Best holiday reading of the year.

Good, well-written and plotted, interesting storyline, but doesn't have his father's touch in making his protagonist likeable.

I have been ordering large print books for my sister-in-law Mary to give, after I finish them, to her disabled and vision impaired friend in a nursing home. I find I enjoy the larger print because I don't need reading glasses with them.I had high hopes for this title. My husband and I were both fans of the earlier Dick Francis mystery novels (written, I believe with some assistance from his wife). I knew that after his wife's death, his son began to assist him. There has been a lapse of years since I last read a Dick Francis horse racing mystery so I was looking forward to this book after ordering it.It's an ok (fair) book but lacks the characterization pizzazz of the earlier Francis novels. The mystery plot is fine but the main character, the protagonist, is hard to warn up to. The character is a man who has been in the military since leaving home at 17. He is now home, permanently because he has been disabled by losing a lower leg to an IED.My biggest problem with the character is the repeated quotes from military strategy books and the character's instructors at Sandhurst. It seems forced. I found the plotting to be more than fair but this forced characterization of the central character in the book is its weakest aspect.Still, I am going to try some of the other Felix Francis books to see if he improves over time.Recommended for die hard Dick Francis fans only. Readable however not re-readable. Once is enough.

Not too bad Felix Francis. Father and son are still headlined for this horse racing thriller and even though I had been suspicious at first whether the book holds up to the Francis classics, it was a satisfying read. Crossfire has all the recipe ingredients of Francis: horse racing as background, a sympatic hero with a fault (here: war hero sans leg) and a McGuffin with a solid real life foundation (here: investment fraud). Five stars deserved. Hope the next books by Felix Francis will continue in this quality.

Unsuprisingly, Crossfire is a really good book. It is a cracking story and like his others has a background of racing. But it could equally be set in another scenario. There are just the right number of characters involved so you know who they all are, can keep track of them and decide if they are likely suspects. This is a multi faceted story. Not so complex that you lose track of events but certainly not plain and predictable. All the usual mystery ingredients are present: murder, blackmail, fisticuffs, kidnapping, sex, alcohol, cars, guns, knives plus a broad spread of suspects. If you enjoy a fast paced thriller set in Home Counties England featuring the usual suspects, you will fully enjoy this novel. Although the capabilities of the hero of the story are not always entirely convincing, they are just about feasible. I recommend this book with no reservations.

This book has been the best read i have had in a while. Loved the storyline, good for a change.

Ms. Francis' mysteries are good to read.

Not much money, but upsetting