Dead Weight

Dead Weight examines the exotic world of horse racing from two basic perspectives, those of the rider and the fan. The rider is Phil Nicholas, returning to racing mere months after a fall almost ended his career. To the casual observer, Phil exudes confidence. Despite his brave façade, however, Phil can't get the accident out of his head. Although few can sense the doubts inhibiting his performance, Phil realizes that he must purge himself of fear to continue racing. The fan is Keith Jeffries. Abused as a child, Keith has grown into a dangerous young man who struggles with his darker side. Unfortunately for all concerned, that dark side, which Keith calls, "The Beast", has now emerged, intent on wreaking havoc to those in the racing world it perceives as having done him wrong. As his anger increases, so does the intensity of his attacks. The buildup to a fateful meeting between the two forms the backbone of this fine book, as Francome provides his audience with telling insights into both his characters and the life of the stables and the track. Assembling a wide and varied cast from the world of horse racing, Francome provides telling glimpses into their personalities and pysches; readers will enjoy watching the cast being pushed to the limits of their mental and physical endurance as they struggle to cope with a world suddenly thrown out of kilter. Expertly paced to squeeze every drop of tension from its plot, Dead Weight's action and pathos make it a clear favorite.

Steeplechase jockey Phil Nicholas is making a whale of a comeback after a fall that nearly killed him. He's married to a beautiful woman and he's riding a winner in Snowflake, a thirty-three to one long shot. One would think his comeback is complete when he passes January King to get to the winner's circle once again, but then there is Keith Jefferies, a nuttier that a fruitcake man sitting alone in front of his television who had bet the bank on January King, what he saw as a sure thing. Now Phil and Snowflake have snatched his money away. This is a well plotted story that he me biting my nails as I read through it. There is plenty of steeplechase racing detail to satisfy the racing buff, there is a psycho killer to supply lots of chills, there is Julia, the beautiful wife who's a little loony (she talks to horses) and there is jump jockey Phil who is just a great protagonist. This is a suspense thriller that you won't be able to put down. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Three years ago, the brother of champion steeplechase jockey Phil Nicholas died in a show-jumping accident. That shook Phil, but he continued to perform as a top competitor until a few months ago when his steed May Queen leaped early; the horse walked way, but Phil suffered severe injuries to nerves in his back and three fractures on his left arm. Worse he still relives the nightmarish spill and as he is about to ride May Queen again now that he is physically healed, he wonders if he lost his nerve as mentally he still hurts. His fear costs him the victory as he hesitates just enough and worries if he does not find his courage will he lose his beloved wife Julie who treasures the sport as much as he once did. Phil begins seeing a psychiatrist who "Jules" thinks is his lover until he explains his post traumatic stress syndrome problem. Suddenly Phil's racing troubles seem shallow when someone terrorizes the participants claiming wide spread cheating by jockeys and trainers. This villain starts off with assaulting people, but soon turns to kidnapping and murder. When Julia becomes a victim, a frightened outraged Phil knows he must find his courage to save the woman he loves. Phil and his Jules make the tale as he struggles with his seemingly lost courage by seeing a psychiatrist while on the other hand the culprit comes out of the villain handbook as a stereotyped psycho. Still the steeplechase descriptions are clears wins that Dick Francis would appreciate and Phil's efforts to save Jules is fun to follow as John Francome provides anther INSIDE TRACK thriller. Harriet Klausner