The Danger

by Dick Francis

Kidnapping is Andrew Douglas's business: they take them, he finds them. But it isn't so simple when Alessia Cenci, golden-girl jockey, disappears, followed by the young child of a derby winner and the senior steward of the Jockey Club. From Italy to England to Washington, D.C., Andrew's caseload is suddenly, violently overflowing. And he must fight triply hard to keep his own name off the growing list of victims. . . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Dick Francis, CBE, FRSL (born Richard Stanley Francis) was a popular British horse racing crime writer and retired jockey.

Dick Francis worked on his books with his wife, Mary, before her death. Dick considered his wife to be his co-writer - as he is quoted in the book, "The Dick Francis Companion", released in 2003:
"Mary and I worked as a team. ... I have often said that I would have been happy to have both our names on the cover. Mary's family always called me Richard due to having another Dick in the family. I am Richard, Mary was Mary, and Dick Francis was the two of us together."

Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror '

Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph '

Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National.

On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott.

During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

Series:
* Sid Halley Mystery
* Kit Fielding Mystery

Reviews

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a top-notch thriller by Dick Francis.An antikidnapping expert deals with a determined criminal,who kidnaps three people,one after the other.

Francis looks at how the trauma of being kidnapped continues to impact the victims,even after they are freed.It's not something they can ever really shake off.

Then there is the financial cost involved in paying the ransom,which can cripple families and strain their future relations with the victim.

Francis writes about this subject with compassion and empathy.The action also moves along at a brisk pace.

Mostly set in Italy,it is one of his best books.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my mind, The Danger is among the best of the novels by Dick Francis. While most of the others are set firmly in the world of horseracing, this is one of his books where the world of horseracing is somewhat tangential to the rest of the book.

The protagonist is Andrew Douglas, a partner in a firm called Liberty Market, Ltd. The firm specializes in handling high-stakes kidnapping cases. They attempt to ensure that the kidnapped victim is safely recovered. With that accomplished, they also work to recover the ransom and see that the kidnappers are captured and punished. Andrew and the other partners in the firm prefer to keep a low profile and work behind the scenes in concert with the police and the victim's family, and often the kidnappers don't even realize that Liberty Market or a firm like it has been involved in the case.

When a hugely popular Italian jockey named Alessia Cenci is kidnapped, her family immediately calls upon Liberty Market, and Andrew races to Bologna to take charge of the situation on behalf of the family. It's a very delicate and demanding task. In a case like this, Andrew must keep the family focused on taking the proper steps to ensure the safe return of their loved one. Even more delicate is the relationship with the local police. Sometimes the police welcome the assistance of Liberty Market, but in other cases, they are driven by ego and view the Liberty Market representatives as interlopers and competitors. Naturally, this will always complicate the situation.

Watching Andre Douglas at work is fascinating, and the dance he conducts between the family, the kidnappers and the police is very entertaining. Apparently there really are firms like Liberty Market that specialize in this sort of thing, and reading the book, one learns a great deal about the subject of kidnapping and the responses the crime elicits.

As Andrew works the case, things become increasingly complicated, but it's hard to say much more about the book without giving too much away, and to my mind, the blurb on the cover gives away way too much. Suffice it to say that the villain in this book is also something of a departure of the usual stock villain that Francis almost always gives us. That too makes this book stand out above many of his others. All in all, a very fun read.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every form of crime generates an opposing force, and to fraud, drugs, and murder one could add the Kidnap Squad, except that the kidnap squad is unofficial and highly discreet ... and is often us.

Andrew Douglas is a young man with a secret kind of job. He is a partner in a private enterprise that advises companies and people on how to deal with kidnappings, how to prevent them or how to respond to them. The less anybody knows about him and about his job , the better he can help his clients and the police. Yet on his last job in Bologna, things go from bad to worse when a publicity seeking local officer barges in with guns drawn and sirens blazing on a very carefully arranged money drop. The life of a young woman who was snatched out of an open top sports car right in front of her mansion is most likely squandered. But Andrew, like most other lead characters in a Dick Francis thriller, is made of sterner stuff, and he doesn’t give up so easily. Methodically, calmly, he continues to pursue the release of the victim.

Also typical of the usual developments I have come to look forward in these sort of books, the girl is not only lovely to look at, but also resourceful and funny and smart. Alessia might suffer terribly from post traumatic stress after a weeks-long isolation, but she’s willing to fight back, and she makes quite an impression on the British stiff upper lip and unflappable seriousness of Andrew.

“Logic doesn’t stop you feeling. You can behave logically, and it can hurt like hell. Or it can comfort you. Or release you. Or all at the same time.”

I’ve always been charmed by the laid-back, yet professional heroes and their determined approach to problem solving in the Dick Francis novels, and am eager to come back to one of his stories. As it can be expected by now, after about 30 of them finished, there is also something about the author’s all consuming, enduring love for horses and the racetrack. Alessia is one of the few top jockeys on the international racing circuit, and as she moves back to England to see if she can get back in the saddle, both figuratively and literally, she uses the opportunity to show to Andrew the charm of a quiet cold morning on the downs, leading a pack of thoroughbreds to their paces.

Unfortunately, the kidnappers are not ready to take a vacation, and Andrew is called upon once more to help a family in distress, this time on the home soil. A young boy is daringly kidnapped at the beach, right under his mother’s eye. More disturbingly yet, the method and the following calls and notes point out that Andrew is dealing with the same man he thwarted in Italy. His path, Alessia’s and the kidnapper’s seem merged together and somehow linked to the world of horse-racing. A third case in Baltimore, when the older steward of the Jockey Club is himself kidnapped and held for ransom, is forcing Andrew to leave his game in the shadows and join in the danger directly, putting his own life on the line.

The Danger is for me one of the best novels in a long backlist that sometimes uses similar plot developments and typecast characters, but never gets boring or truly predictable. I find the branching out of the author beyond the racetrack and into different fields of activity (banking, insurance, air lifts, etc) has infused the novels with fresh plot ideas, with a globetrotting wider landscape and with well done background research while staying true to an inner code of right and wrong that guides the actions of his unprepossessing ordinary people that will rise to the occasion when danger knocks on the door.

We sometimes did, as a firm, work for no pay: it depended on circumstances. All the partners agreed that a family in need should get help regardless, and none of us begrudged it. We never charged enough anyway to make ourselves rich, being in existence on the whole to defeat extortion, not to practice it. A flat fee, plus expenses: no percentages.

This is just one example of that decency, that common sense that I’m talking about, sorely lacking in higher corporate boardrooms, like pharmaceuticals or high flying lawyer offices, where the main consideration is only how much the client or the market can be fleeced for.

Needless to say, I plan to continue reading (or-re-reading) these novels in publication order, even as I pace myself in order to avoid burn out.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A private company which aids families of kidnapping victims in securing the safe return of the victims vs. a criminal mastermind who specializes in kidnapping people associated with the horse racing world. Another well done novel by Dick Francis.

[Louis Shalako · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dick Francis: ‘The Danger’
A few years ago, my called and said she would be in town.
“Would you like me to drop off one or two old Dick Francis novels?” she asked.
My grandfather had recently passed on.
“No,” I told her. “Bring them all!”
She brought a plastic shopping bag with about twenty of them. I put them in chronological order and then read them.
In a Dick Francis novel you will find common themes, over and over again. These include confinement, abduction, isolation, and of course crime and horses. There is always a love interest in a Dick Francis book.
My grandfather loved horses, and he loved his Dick Francis. I don’t know if he ever gambled, but Dick Francis himself was a winning jockey for many years in Great Britain. Virtually every crime in a Dick Francis novel revolves around steeple-chasing and gambling. That's the central theme: horses, racing of one form or another, and crime/sin/greed/violence.
It was interesting to see the author’s development over a number of volumes and through a number of publishing houses. I am convinced that Dick Francis bought an old house, and rebuilt it virtually from the ground up, and that this project extended through at least a few of his books…I can practically see it in my mind’s eye.
Did anyone ever tell Dick not to put himself in his books?
And if so, what did he tell them?
Something unprintable, I hope.
‘The Danger’ is a story revolving around a kidnap expert and something to do with either a girl or a horse being kidnapped.
Don't worry, it's a good book.

[Kwoomac · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/27/12 Maybe my favorite thing about Dick Francis' books is that he makes it seem that no situation is so horrible that the protagonist can't fix it. I just love his uber-competent heroes. His heroes aren't superheroes with special powers, just regular guys who happen to be smart, logical, and full of common sense. I also enjoy the fact that good strong tea is the go-to remedy for the shaken victim, except when it's whiskey or brandy.

Andrew Douglas is a young guy, I'm guessing 30ish, who works as a kidnapping specialist for an insurance company. He's low key, matter of fact, and brilliant at his job. The job entails negotiating with the kidnappers about the ransom and release of the victim. (This is a real job-I can't imagine doing that for a living) He works with local police forces, some of whom appreciate his expertise, others who are dismissive (not a good idea).

There are several kidnappings in the story and Andrew plays a key role in negotiating the safe release of them. Lots of suspense.

My only complaint is the romance component. Francis, in my opinion, is not very good at this piece and the less he tries the better.Don't go there, Dick.

Reread: 6/10/18

Andrew hasn’t seen the woman he’s interested in in 6 weeks. Their relationship to this point is platonic. He “looked into her brown eyes” and said, “Well...want a lover?” Ick factor of 10. He sounds more like a computer than a person, although he did “look into her brown eyes”. Fortunately, we don’t get more details. Zero stars for romance, 4 stars for everything else. Dick Francis is my go-to-guy when I can’t find anything I want to read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Francis novel. The plot revolves around kidnapping. Andrew Douglas works for a company that advises, prevents and negotiates for victims of kidnapping. The first part of the story is set around the kidnapping of an Italian female jockey who after being freed becomes the love interest.

The second part is set in England with another kidnapping. All with a common link with horse racing. The last is set in Washington, D.C where Andrew meets his nemesis. The escape scene with the tree was highly imaginative! Once again a simple plot with layer upon layer and very readable if somewhat unbelievable.

[Abhishek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is not much difference between a kidnapper and Mr. Andrew Douglas, they are almost synonymous except for the part that they are each others adversary. One does it and the other prevents it.
Most of us get hysterical by mere mentioned by the word kidnap forget about actually tackling it but you see, for Andrew it’s a piece of cake, it’s his bread and butter it’s what he does for a living . So if you deal with something on a daily basis then you become exceptionally good at it and so is Andrew, in dealing with kidnappings. So when this case in Italy pops up, it doesn’t get more than its share of attention. This case involved a female jockey named Alessia who also daughter of a millionaire being abducted. And then there were complexities , the ransom job was bungled by the Italian carabenerie.
But alas Alessia was rescued with the payment of the ransom money behind the police ‘s back. Victim rescued , kidnappers nabbed, therefore case closed.
But then there were two more kidnappings of similar types in London and Washington and both related to the racing world, this made Andrew sceptical about all these cases being related. Is it a job of single mastermind, then what about the kidnappers who were caught in Italy??? Were they a deceit to allow the original kidnapper to flee??? With all these questions Andrew embarks on the journey to unveil an intriguing tale of money, fame and deceit.
This is my chance encounter with Mr. Dick Francis, in the absence of my regular mystery writers I gave Mr Francis a chance. And to my surprise I was quite taken aback with his novelty and style.The story is terse yet elaborate,simple yet complex . The story is able to catch and hold your attention at the exact precise time as a suspense should do.
The only shortcoming which I felt was the story lack a central plot to stick to , like a liaison which can connect all the aspect of the story other than that I think Mr. Francis did just fine.

[Gary Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed reading Dick Francis books and I thought I'd read them all when I found this book in a second hand store. It did not disappoint, considering that it had been written over 30 years ago.

I'm not one to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of a book. I rate it based on a) if it held my interest and b) if I would recommend the book to others. Yes to both, and hence the 5 star rating.

[Debbie J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Danger oddly resembles a series of short stories connected by a few common characters and a kidnapping theme.

If nothing else, writer Dick Francis’ 1983 tale highlights certain difficulties coordinating domestic and international crime investigations before the advent of cell phones. Several key plot points have people unable to contact each other due to time zone differences and their dependence on office-based landlines.

The story fairly soon takes a romance novel turn that’s annoying--to this reader, anyway--as evidenced by these examples:

"The sight of her that morning came as almost a physical shock, an intoxicant racing in the bloodstream."

"Well . . .” I looked into her brown eyes. “Want a lover?"

I think my brown eyes are still rolling from such provocative prose. Unfortunately, the smoochy dialogue usually arrives like a non sequitur in the midst of mundane detective work. The detailed knowledge The Danger imparts about kidnapping did however impress me.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dick Francis enters the risky, dangerous world of kidnapping in this suspenseful novel, a departure from his usual racing mysteries.

The enterprising, fearless Andrew Douglas is the perfect hero/protagnist as he rescues those who have been snatched from their safe worlds. He is especially talented at languages and is able to blend into the background and take on various roles in pursuit of the enemy. But what will happen when the tide is turned and he finds himself in the same boat? Who is there to rescue Andrew Douglas?

Another fast-paced, intriguing mystery, I couldn't put this one down!

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Douglas is called upon to rescue a young woman who has been kidnapped. Thus begins a series of events that move swiftly, and keep on giving thrill after thrill.

THE DANGER is my first Dick Francis read, and I've been missing out all these years. I only wish Andrew Douglas was a character in more than this book. He is so likeable and interesting. Mr. Francis crafts words and sentences together so beautifully. I absolutely loved this book. I don't think there is anything quite like a Dick Francis read. Can't wait to read more of his books.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep going back to these old ones because Dick Francis can write gripping suspense with humanity. This one, in three parts, deals with a freelance kidnap negotiator who coordinates discreetly among kidnappers, police, and victim's family, first in Italy, then the UK, then the US. The characters are fleshed and human, the hero very self-contained but vulnerable underneath, thanks to first-person narration. Besides having a compelling plot, there are indeed horses--always a plus for me.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong suspense novel, much heavier on intrigue than action. A relatively straight ransom thriller, albeit with the typical Francis horse-racing focus. As usual, the characters are strong and well-defined, the humor dry, and the atmosphere tense. A damn good book, basically, and highly recommended.

[C.E. Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Dick Francis's best books. Extremely exciting. A protagonist actually involved in law enforcement instead of a hapless stumble-upon-crime guy. Super hardcore. Lots of fun.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like Dick Francis’s books. They are fast-paced and interesting. Andrew Douglas is a partner in an organization dedicated to recovering kidnapping victims. This novel has a racing connection in that all the victims are associated with horse-racing, but Andrew isn’t.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there to say about Dick Francis? As I think about all of his books (yes, this review covers all of his books, and yes I've read them all) I think about a moral ethical hero, steeped in intelligence and goodness embroiled in evil machinations within British horse racing society - either directly or indirectly. The heroes aren't always horse jockies, they can be film producers, or involve heroes engaged in peripheral professions that somehow always touch the horse racing world.

But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice.

Causing the reader to deeply care about the characters in a novel is a difficult thing to do. No such worries in a Francis novel. The point of view is first person, you are the main character as you read the story (usually the character of Mr. Douglas). The hero is personable, like able, non-violent but delivering swift justice with his mind rather than through physical means. This is not to say that violence is a stranger to our hero. Some of it staggering and often delivered by what we would think of normal persons living in British society.

You will come to love the world of Steeple Chase racing, you will grow a fondness for horses, stables, trainers and the people who live in that world. You will read the books, devouring one after the other and trust me Dick Francis has a lot of novels (over 40 by my last count).

There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series.

Assessment: Dick Francis is one of my favorite writers. I read his books with a fierce hunger that remains insatiable and I mourn his death.

[E.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Danger" was the first Dick Francis book I read, so it seems fitting to finish off this year's Goodreads reading challenge by reviewing it.

In "The Danger," Francis breaks his usual MO by making the jockey, not the hero, but the woman whom the hero has to save. The hero himself is a kidnap negotiations expert, brought in to help with the return of Alessia Cenci, Europe's hottest female flat jockey. This, through roundabout ways, plunges him into a horse-related kidnapping ring.

After the spare, slender books of the 1970s, Francis began putting out meatier volumes in the 1980s, and "The Danger" is one of his solidest and meatiest, with the action moving over several months from Italy to England to Washington, DC, as Andrew (the hero) works on a series of cases, before finally becoming the victim himself. Like many of the books from that period, the plot moves at an almost leisurely pace, before suddenly bursting into action sequences that in "The Danger" are more about the tension of possibilities that aggressive hand-to-hand fighting; Andrew is one of Francis's more cerebral heroes, and he solves his problems mainly with his mind and his mouth rather than his fists. This does not prevent the ending from being, as the front blurb of my copy says, a "pure thriller!" The thrill, though, is as much in the interpersonal relations that are a highlight of this book as it is in the action. In "The Danger," as in several of the other family dramas from this periods such as "Hot Money," Francis shows himself to be no mean psychologist as well as a keen observer of both physical and mental realities. If you're already a Francis fan you're pretty much guaranteed to enjoy "The Danger"; if you are not yet a Francis fan, this book is an excellent place to start.

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alessia Cenci worked as a jockey and rode in races throughout Europe. A group of seven shadowy men kidnapped her and held her for ransom. Andrew Douglas is the kind of guy you don’t want if you’re a kidnapper. He has a significant success rate in getting back kidnap victims alive. And he’s good at finding the guys who perpetrated the crime. He’s on the case when Alessia goes missing, and despite the consummate failures of the Italian police, Douglas manages to rescue her. Now he’s on the track to recover the ransom money. Alessia depends on him to help her deal with the psychological damage inflicted by her abductors. She makes slow but steady progress at the home of a trainer friend in England, and then the master kidnapper with new help since all the men involved in Alessia’s kidnapping are behind bars strikes again; this time, it’s a three-year-old child on a beach. Douglas is reluctant to take Alessia along, but he ultimately agrees, thinking she can help the distraught mother.

The kidnapper, known to his associates as Joseppi, demands five million pounds. The only asset the outraged father has is a Derby-winning horse. He’s prepared to sell it, but he’s less eager to use the money to pay the kid’s ransom. He insists he needs it to pay personal debts. It’s up to Douglas to find a way to reunite the child with his mother.

Before this book ends someone kidnaps Andrew Douglas, and the suspense will tie you in knots as you move toward a magnificent end.

This is classic Dick Francis at his thoughtful suspenseful best. You’d have to be dead inside to start this and decide you didn’t like it. I can’t even comprehend what that would be like. I feel certain if you start it, you’ll finish it and look back with fondness on the time you spent with it.

[Usfromdk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He sighed. ‘I can’t bear to sell the house on Mikonos. My wife loved it.’
‘She loved Alessia too. She’d think it a fair swap.’
He looked at me for a while. ‘You’re a strange young man,’ he said. ‘You make things so clear.’ He paused. ‘Don’t you ever get muddled by emotion?’
‘Yes, sometimes,’ I said. ‘But when it happens … I try to sort myself out. To see some logic.’
‘And once you see some logic, you act on it?’
‘Try to.’ I paused. ‘Yes.’
‘It sounds … cold.’
I shook my head. ‘Logic doesn’t stop you feeling. You can behave logically, and it can hurt like hell. Or it can comfort you. Or release you. Or all at the same time.’ [...] to be logical you have to dig up and face your own hidden motives and emotions, and of course they’re hidden principally because you don’t want to face them. So … um … it’s easier to let your basement feelings run the upper storeys, so to speak, and the result is rage, quarrels, love, jobs, opinions, anorexia, philanthropy … almost anything you can think of. I just like to know what’s going on down there, to pick out why I truly want to do things, that’s all. Then I can do them or not. Whichever.’"

...

I really liked the main character (Andrew Douglas) in this one. He's the sort of person I would in many respects like to be, but never will be. The interactions between him and the kidnap victim Alessia is in my opinion a big part of what separates this book from most other books by Francis. The 'mystery part' is not that special/intriguing, but some of the social interactions and verbal exchanges in the book are great, and this book is one of the best novels by Francis I've read. I was closer to five stars than three.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fear. It is real. Kidnapped. Stripped naked. Dependent for food, drink, toilet. Desperate. Like waking in hospital ICU helpless, tremors, unable to move, in tubes, remembering nothing.

Favorite author Francis has knack of readable thrills. Narrator Andrew's job is to rescue international victims of kidnap. In danger himself, he is supported by forthright ex-SAS Tony in the shadows and origami-folding Gerry in the aptly-named "Liberty Market" office, come to life. We feel like we are there.

Victims are connected to racing, the mastermind young, secret. Hint of possible warmth, love, comfort from invigorated former victim Alessia for the strong, sympathetic, "steel" core man who holds together, lifts, and restores others. In a quiet lull, suddenly Kapow.

P.S. What means "the old ridiculous joke of 'Where do the police live? In Letsby Avenue' " p 145 ?

Quotes:

" 'I hope you know what you're doing, laddie.'
'Mm,' I said." p 176.
But he always does. Even when captured himself, the former Lloyd's insurance underling is a hero.

"Never think the enemy have ceased hostilities, even though they've effing surrendered. Vigilance is the best defence against attack' " p 185.

We " 'don't know where an enemy may strike, or in what way, and we find ourselves wishing for defences we never envisaged.'
'Mm,' I said, 'Life's like that.' " p 209.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read very few Dick Francis books as I have little interest in horse racing. So when I saw that this particular novel was only tangentially about the horse racing world and largely about the business of recovering kidnap victims, I was intrigued.

And much of the story is just that— an intriguing exploration of how professionals go about aiding law enforcement in retrieving both the kidnapped victims and the ransom money.

The plot is a good one and the story develops at a good pace. However, things seem to bog down about two thirds into the story and for me, at least, the story seemed to lose tension. Francis recovers some of that as we near the end, but by then I’d become a bit impatient or distracted. So, a rounded down three stars for this still enjoyable novel.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Danger was definitely my favourite Dick Francis novel so far. I liked that the protagonist was not tied to the racing industry. Instead, Andrew Douglas was a partner in a firm called Liberty Market which specialised in kidnappings - how to prevent them and how to respond when they do, and their main goal was to return victims back to their families.

As usual, the hero was calm, capable and intelligent, and I really liked Andrew and the other characters he interacted with to find the kidnapper.

I also liked that the action moved from Italy, England and then America. The novel started well and the tension continued to the end. Overall, The Danger was a terrific page-turner which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Douglas' job is countering kidnappers to secure the release of the victims. First incident is in Italy when a female jockey is taken. Second is in England where the young son of a Derby winner is taken. The third is in Washington DC where the senior steward of the Jockey Club is taken. It seems there are similarities and the work of one mastermind but can Andrew stay ahead of them and secure everyone's release?
It's been a long time since I've read a Francis mystery. I didn't know when I started if it was to be three cases (three countries) or somehow one. Full of typical Dick Francis action, this was enjoyable.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DANGER - VG+
Francis, Dick - 22nd book

Andrew Douglas works for a company specializing in returning kidnap victims to their families. Italy's foremost woman jockey is kidnapped, then a racehorse owner's son and finally the Senior Steward of the Jockey Club. Douglas is brought in to deal with these cases.

Very well done. International settings, interesting information about rescuing kidnap victims.

[Cathy Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old one I’ve read before but good to see that it’s aged well! An Italian kidnapper targets the horse racing community, as a UK firm with particular skills work with local police to get the various hostages out.

The plot races along (see what I did there 😂), strong characters and it just reminded me why I used to love his books, in spite of not being at all interested in horses.

Going to try a few more Dick Francis rereads I think.

[Gannonwb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book which shows intimate knowledge of kidnappings. Having worked a few kidnappings, I found it to be spot on. It's also intersting in that it profiles the beginning of what I think was the real-life security consulting company called Control-Risk. With any Dick Francis book you also get some horse stuff, I find peeking into that world intersting.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have copies of all Dick Francis books on my shelf, so I decided to read some of them again. I have no recollection of this book, although it was over 30 years ago that I read it. It was typical Dick Francis: intriguing, fast-paced plot with horse racing theme and introduction to interesting new characters.

[Just · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. I enjoyed every minute of it right to the end.

[Buddy Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Francis novels. I’m easily drawn in by his writing.