The Danger

Andrew Douglas recovers kidnapped victims and desperately tries to educate his clients as to how they can protect themselves. His list jams up as Alessia Cenci, a wealthy jockey, the child of a Derby winning jockey and one of the top bass of the jockey club disappear near the same time. Are these related events or do they connect in a sinister pattern. The character of Alessia reminds me of Patty Herst and the front page news for months until she was returned. A good swift suspense mystery, which highlights a little known occupation and it dangers both to the victims and the operator. Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

This highly enjoyable mystery is unusual in many ways, from the main character who is NOT a detective or police officer to the villains (kidnappers), plus the clever way Dick Francis worked the milieu he knows best (horses and horse racing) into each of the three kidnappings. The main character, Andrew Douglas, is a partner in a firm which negotiates for the release of kidnap victims/hostages by working as an "advisor" to police, governments, and occasionally taking things into his own hands (unofficially) as demonstrated in the second kipnapping in the story. Andrew shares many traits with other Dick Francis heroes--he is honest, likeable, an all-around good guy who trumps the criminals and gets the girl in the end. In this novel, Andrew himself is not connected with horses or horse racing, but rather the connection comes from the fact that all of the kidnapping victims share a connection to the horse racing world, be it as a female jockey, a part-owner of a promising race horse, the owner of a race track, and the head of the Jockey Club. From these tenuous links, Andrew and his partners realize that the perpetrator is probably known to the horse racing world, and begin to try to trap him, but not before one more kidnapping takes place! Like his other novels, this one too is a very easy, fast read, and takes readers from Italy to England to America before winding up most satisfactorily. I also liked the other characters in the novel, particularly some of Andrew's partners (described and fleshed out thoughtfully and with humor) and his love-interest. Readers will also learn something about horse racing, this time mostly from the perspective of a trainer and a jockey, as well as come away from the novel with a good sense of what it is like to go to the races, even if they have never attended. If you have never read anything by Dick Francis, this novel is an excellent place to begin.

One of the things I like about Dick Francis is that even though his stories involve horses and race courses, etc., you don't have to know anything about horses to understand and enjoy his books. I believe 'The Danger' is one of his best. It's amazing how this man capures so well the emotions of all the characters in this book: the kidnapped girl jockey, her grieving father, the insensitive father of the kidnapped child, and the mother who was made to feel guilty, even the sinister and very dangerous kidnapper. Everyone! I was on the edge of my seat the whole book. I tell you Dick Francis is superb.

I feel The Danger is perhaps Dick Francis' best book. I have read it at least three times and finally purchased it on unabridged tape so I can listen to it on trips. Buy it!

Dick Francis' knows the horse racing industry well. Anyone who's read his mysteries knows that horses and money mean trouble and great stories. But for my money, Francis' true talent lies in seamlessly melding unusual mystery elements around horses. Such is the case with "The Danger", a taut, sobering but enthralling look at the risk of being rich and associated with horse racing. The hero works as a "consultant" to families and employers of kidnap victims. And just how kipnapping and horse racing are related exhibits Dick Francis' genius at research. The hero weaves slowly through the chase - advising families on how to get their loved ones back unharmed, tightrope-walking between overly-aggressive police and exceptionally nervous kidnappers and counseling the victims as they adjust to the real world again. When the pieces finally fall together for our hero and the firm he represents, Francis' opens the starting gate and rushes the reader page after page through a frightening resolution - and a totally unexpected one. I've read a number of Dick Francis' mysteries. Sid Halley stories held the top place on my Dick Francis list - until I read "The Danger". Be sure to read it when you have lots of time - put it down and you might get the creeps until you finish it and the villain(s) (I won't say how many) is/are caught.