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Hot Money
Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making enemies. Nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues suggest the killer comes from close to home - but after five marriages and nine children, that still leaves the field wide open. When he finds his own life in danger, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he's playing the international bloodstock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from avaricious relatives. Particularly when one of them got a bomb...
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
318 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read
About the author
Dick Francis
535 books1,249 followersDick 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
October 22, 2019
At one time or another, I've read all of the novels written by Dick Francis, and I'm now working my way through them again in order and reviewing them here. I'm sorry to say that Hot Money did not work for me at all.
A Dick Francis novel usually follows a fairly definite pattern: The protagonist is a single male, almost always associated in some way or other with the world of horse racing. He's almost always single, although there may be a woman working her way into his life. He's usually quiet, but tough, smart and very resourceful. People almost always underestimate him. In most cases he's up against a tough, ruthless, vicious villain who almost always remains in the background until the end of the book. Usually, the protagonist will have to be severely tested, often through a gruesome physical ordeal, before he triumphs over his adversary and order is restored.
In this case, though, Francis departs from the formula and, to my mind, both the story and the reader suffer as a result. The protagonist is Ian Pembroke, an amateur jockey who somewhat resembles the usual Francis hero. He's the son of a very wealthy metals investor named Malcolm Pembroke. The elder Pembroke has been married five times and has produced nine children. All of them, save for Ian, appear to be severely maladjusted, as are the people to whom they are married.
Ian is unmarried and has no woman in his life, save for a married woman with whom he has an occasional tryst. There may be psychological issues involved here, but then it would seem that everyone in this novel could benefit from a few hours spent on the couch of a capable analyst. Ian and his father haven't spoken in three years. Ian made a critical comment about his father's latest wife and Malcolm punched him, breaking his nose and severing the relationship.
Now, someone has murdered the wife and is attempting to kill Malcolm, so Malcolm turns to Ian for help. (Naturally, his father has now realized that Ian was correct in his assessment of the woman's character.) For whatever reason, Ian still loves his father and is the only one of his children who is not grasping after the old man's money. He will spend the rest of the novel moving Malcolm around, trying to keep him out of harm's way while he figures out who's attempting to kill him.
In this case though, it's no shadowy, malevolent figure. It seems clear from the beginning that the villain is someone in Malcolm's own family. Although he has settled trusts on all of his adult children, they are, for the most part, irresponsible, not very capable, greedy, grasping, ungrateful slobs, desperate for more money from their father. They all seem to hate Ian, believing for some inexplicable reason that he is their father's favorite and that he's attempting to cut them out of the will.
My problem with this book is that all of the characters seemed particularly unattractive and unappealing. Apart from Ian and Malcolm, I disliked all of them intensely and so really didn't care what happened to them. Ian was okay, but not nearly as appealing as most Francis protagonists. There was very little tension in the novel and very little suspense. Even though someone was apparently attempting to kill Malcolm and maybe even Ian, I was never really worried about them, and when the whole business was finally resolved I found the conclusion to be laughably absurd and unbelievable.
Anyone who writes as many books as Dick Francis did is bound to produce a clunker or two now and then and IMHO, that's the case here. That said, I realise that I am out of step with most of the other people who have reviewed this book here. I'm glad it worked for them, but a generous two and a half stars for me, rounded up, knowing that the next Dick Francis novel I read is bound to be better than this one.
A Dick Francis novel usually follows a fairly definite pattern: The protagonist is a single male, almost always associated in some way or other with the world of horse racing. He's almost always single, although there may be a woman working her way into his life. He's usually quiet, but tough, smart and very resourceful. People almost always underestimate him. In most cases he's up against a tough, ruthless, vicious villain who almost always remains in the background until the end of the book. Usually, the protagonist will have to be severely tested, often through a gruesome physical ordeal, before he triumphs over his adversary and order is restored.
In this case, though, Francis departs from the formula and, to my mind, both the story and the reader suffer as a result. The protagonist is Ian Pembroke, an amateur jockey who somewhat resembles the usual Francis hero. He's the son of a very wealthy metals investor named Malcolm Pembroke. The elder Pembroke has been married five times and has produced nine children. All of them, save for Ian, appear to be severely maladjusted, as are the people to whom they are married.
Ian is unmarried and has no woman in his life, save for a married woman with whom he has an occasional tryst. There may be psychological issues involved here, but then it would seem that everyone in this novel could benefit from a few hours spent on the couch of a capable analyst. Ian and his father haven't spoken in three years. Ian made a critical comment about his father's latest wife and Malcolm punched him, breaking his nose and severing the relationship.
Now, someone has murdered the wife and is attempting to kill Malcolm, so Malcolm turns to Ian for help. (Naturally, his father has now realized that Ian was correct in his assessment of the woman's character.) For whatever reason, Ian still loves his father and is the only one of his children who is not grasping after the old man's money. He will spend the rest of the novel moving Malcolm around, trying to keep him out of harm's way while he figures out who's attempting to kill him.
In this case though, it's no shadowy, malevolent figure. It seems clear from the beginning that the villain is someone in Malcolm's own family. Although he has settled trusts on all of his adult children, they are, for the most part, irresponsible, not very capable, greedy, grasping, ungrateful slobs, desperate for more money from their father. They all seem to hate Ian, believing for some inexplicable reason that he is their father's favorite and that he's attempting to cut them out of the will.
My problem with this book is that all of the characters seemed particularly unattractive and unappealing. Apart from Ian and Malcolm, I disliked all of them intensely and so really didn't care what happened to them. Ian was okay, but not nearly as appealing as most Francis protagonists. There was very little tension in the novel and very little suspense. Even though someone was apparently attempting to kill Malcolm and maybe even Ian, I was never really worried about them, and when the whole business was finally resolved I found the conclusion to be laughably absurd and unbelievable.
Anyone who writes as many books as Dick Francis did is bound to produce a clunker or two now and then and IMHO, that's the case here. That said, I realise that I am out of step with most of the other people who have reviewed this book here. I'm glad it worked for them, but a generous two and a half stars for me, rounded up, knowing that the next Dick Francis novel I read is bound to be better than this one.
November 30, 2020
This was more like an Agatha Christie whodunit than a Dick Francis racing thriller.
It is the story of a filthy rich man,his five wives and nine offspring.
His latest young wife gets murdered and
somebody wants him dead.Attempts are being made on his life.
There are multiple suspects in the family,all with the same motive,the desire to get their hands on his money.
The identity of the culprit keeps the reader guessing till the very end.Horse racing, this time takes a back seat.Refreshingly different from his other books.
It is the story of a filthy rich man,his five wives and nine offspring.
His latest young wife gets murdered and
somebody wants him dead.Attempts are being made on his life.
There are multiple suspects in the family,all with the same motive,the desire to get their hands on his money.
The identity of the culprit keeps the reader guessing till the very end.Horse racing, this time takes a back seat.Refreshingly different from his other books.
June 10, 2016
Smooth as a good malt whisky.
October 23, 2022
Great story. Greed, jealousy and a dysfunctional family. Malcolm a great character larger than life and Ian the level headed son. What a family. Five wives, kids with problems. So many suspects. Who did it? One of the wives or witches, Gervaise, Ferdinand, Thomas,Lucy, Serena or one of the partners. Great story with the solution in the story.
December 16, 2024
[9/10]
‘What’s hot money?’ Malcolm demanded.
‘The bets made by people in the know. People with inside information.’
My money is on Dick Francis for the win with this thriller that mixes the horse-racing world that was so familiar to the author with a more unusual plot that tries to emulate an Agatha Christie murder mystery.
For several years now, I’ve been turning December into a comfort reads month, the one where I present myself with gifts of my favourite, feel-good authors. Dick Francis certainly qualifies here, alongside P G Wodehouse, Connie Willis, Sir Terry Pratchett and others.
After reading through most of his catalogue, I cannot deny that he is rather predictable, but also consistent in delivering the goods we fans expect from his stories: engaging characters, fluid prose and a good pacing.
Hot Money is one of his best runs. I always prefer the stories where the main character/amateur detective is a steeple-chase jockey. His name here is Ian Pembroke, one of the usual suspects for Dick Francis: a quiet, laid-back, ordinary man with a passion for horses and a steel core to his character. Although he is in his thirties, Ian lives alone after a falling-out with his rich father, working as a stable boy so he can afford to race in amateur steeplechase events. His well-organized and pleasing life is about to be ruined by family events: first, his father’s latest wife Moira is killed in the family mansion by unknown assailants, then his father contacts Ian with an urgent plea for help.
‘Assassins aren’t so frightfully easy to find, not for ordinary people. How would you set about it, for instance, if you wanted someone killed? Put an ad in The Times ?’
Malcolm Pembroke suspects somebody is trying to kill him and he wants Ian to stay by his side, to protect him and to find out what is going on. After witnessing a second attempt on his father’s life, Ian decides this is a family matter, which doesn’t much simplify the proceedings. After Malcolm’s five marriages, nine children, several in-laws and nieces and nephews, Ian has his work as an amateur detective cut out to pinpoint the guilty party.
Time I understood the whole lot of them, because perhaps in that way we might come to know who could and who couldn’t murder.
To search through character and history, not through alibis. To listen to what they said and didn’t say, to learn what they could control, and what they couldn’t.
The classical method of interviews, alibis and motive doesn’t work in this case. Malcolm amassed not only wives and children, but also a considerable wealth from speculations on the gold market. After Moira’s death, he started to reconsider his priorities, which now include spending considerable amounts of money on charities and on his new passion: horses.
His presumed heirs are incensed and suspect Ian of sabotaging them in the eyes of their father. They want their inheritance, and they want it now. Things are about to turn even uglier.
Bombs were for wars, for wicked schemes in aeroplanes, for bus stations in far places, for cold-hearted terrorists ... for other people. Bombs weren’t for a family house outside a Berkshire village, a house surrounded by quiet green fields, lived in by an ordinary family.
Except we weren’t an ordinary family.
>>><<<>>><<<
With a much larger cast of characters that the usual Dick Francis thriller, the Pembroke family tree at the start of the book is a lifesaver. My own journey was also helped along by the chapters that refer directly to Ian Pembroke passion for horses, with gripping descriptions of several races, interesting trivia about buying a thoroughbred and some globe-trotting adventures in Paris, Australia, Kentucky and California for the most prestigious events on the calendar. Malcolm Pembroke has surely found a most thrilling way to spend his fortune and to get to know his estranged son Ian.
‘What are you smiling at?’ Lucy demanded. ‘You can’t say you’ve made much of a success of your life so far, can you? If Malcolm leaves us all nothing, you’ll end up carrying horse-muck until you drop from senility.’
‘There are worse jobs,’ I said mildly.
The orderly bustle of stable life, the smells, the swear words, the earthy humour, the pride, the affection, the jealousies, the injustice, the dead disappointments, all the same the world over.
For all the fancy stories about the jet set and the horses, the meat of the story remains the gradual reveal of the skeletons hidden in the cupboards of the Pembroke scions. All of them expect their father to pay for their lives of luxury and to finance their pet projects. One of them is prepared to kill before the fortune is squandered away by Malcolm, no matter how many times their father told them he will be fair to all his children.
‘Entrenched belief is never altered by the facts.’
This is something we have all found out to our own pain in this year 2024, subject to propaganda and conspiracy theories from all sides.
Ian meets a real police investigator who is similarly baffled by the abundance of suspects in the case: ‘The pool of common knowledge in your family is infuriating.’ when the inquest points out to the childhood years at the Pembroke mansion. It appears the past holds the key not only to the question of how one of the family members knew how to make a bomb they all witnessed the gardener blowing up stumps with dynamite sticks , but also to deeply entrenched resentments and envy, mostly coming from the ex-wives of Malcolm who indoctrinated their children against him.
And I’ve seen, you know, how the present has grown out of that past.
>>><<<>>><<<
I’ve said earlier that Francis is predictable. I can usually spot the main villain a mile away, because he is always the one who thinks he deserves the best of life and is prepared to do anything to get his own.
... the insignia of a natural bully: mean tightening of the mouth, jabbing forefinger, cold patronising stare down the nose, visible enjoyment of others’ discomfiture.
There is always a bully or two in a Dick Francis thriller, and he usually tries to torture the main character at the denouement of the investigation. The author has used this device so many times that even I was surprised that he can come up with something different from time to time. With so many Pembroke suspects to choose from, Francis has a field day of red herrings and demonstrates he can keep an ace up his sleeve when needed... while also going back to his tried and tested writer hooks:
Would a classic trap invitation work after so long an interval? Only one thing to do: try it and see.
‘What’s hot money?’ Malcolm demanded.
‘The bets made by people in the know. People with inside information.’
My money is on Dick Francis for the win with this thriller that mixes the horse-racing world that was so familiar to the author with a more unusual plot that tries to emulate an Agatha Christie murder mystery.
For several years now, I’ve been turning December into a comfort reads month, the one where I present myself with gifts of my favourite, feel-good authors. Dick Francis certainly qualifies here, alongside P G Wodehouse, Connie Willis, Sir Terry Pratchett and others.
After reading through most of his catalogue, I cannot deny that he is rather predictable, but also consistent in delivering the goods we fans expect from his stories: engaging characters, fluid prose and a good pacing.
Hot Money is one of his best runs. I always prefer the stories where the main character/amateur detective is a steeple-chase jockey. His name here is Ian Pembroke, one of the usual suspects for Dick Francis: a quiet, laid-back, ordinary man with a passion for horses and a steel core to his character. Although he is in his thirties, Ian lives alone after a falling-out with his rich father, working as a stable boy so he can afford to race in amateur steeplechase events. His well-organized and pleasing life is about to be ruined by family events: first, his father’s latest wife Moira is killed in the family mansion by unknown assailants, then his father contacts Ian with an urgent plea for help.
‘Assassins aren’t so frightfully easy to find, not for ordinary people. How would you set about it, for instance, if you wanted someone killed? Put an ad in The Times ?’
Malcolm Pembroke suspects somebody is trying to kill him and he wants Ian to stay by his side, to protect him and to find out what is going on. After witnessing a second attempt on his father’s life, Ian decides this is a family matter, which doesn’t much simplify the proceedings. After Malcolm’s five marriages, nine children, several in-laws and nieces and nephews, Ian has his work as an amateur detective cut out to pinpoint the guilty party.
Time I understood the whole lot of them, because perhaps in that way we might come to know who could and who couldn’t murder.
To search through character and history, not through alibis. To listen to what they said and didn’t say, to learn what they could control, and what they couldn’t.
The classical method of interviews, alibis and motive doesn’t work in this case. Malcolm amassed not only wives and children, but also a considerable wealth from speculations on the gold market. After Moira’s death, he started to reconsider his priorities, which now include spending considerable amounts of money on charities and on his new passion: horses.
His presumed heirs are incensed and suspect Ian of sabotaging them in the eyes of their father. They want their inheritance, and they want it now. Things are about to turn even uglier.
Bombs were for wars, for wicked schemes in aeroplanes, for bus stations in far places, for cold-hearted terrorists ... for other people. Bombs weren’t for a family house outside a Berkshire village, a house surrounded by quiet green fields, lived in by an ordinary family.
Except we weren’t an ordinary family.
>>><<<>>><<<
With a much larger cast of characters that the usual Dick Francis thriller, the Pembroke family tree at the start of the book is a lifesaver. My own journey was also helped along by the chapters that refer directly to Ian Pembroke passion for horses, with gripping descriptions of several races, interesting trivia about buying a thoroughbred and some globe-trotting adventures in Paris, Australia, Kentucky and California for the most prestigious events on the calendar. Malcolm Pembroke has surely found a most thrilling way to spend his fortune and to get to know his estranged son Ian.
‘What are you smiling at?’ Lucy demanded. ‘You can’t say you’ve made much of a success of your life so far, can you? If Malcolm leaves us all nothing, you’ll end up carrying horse-muck until you drop from senility.’
‘There are worse jobs,’ I said mildly.
The orderly bustle of stable life, the smells, the swear words, the earthy humour, the pride, the affection, the jealousies, the injustice, the dead disappointments, all the same the world over.
For all the fancy stories about the jet set and the horses, the meat of the story remains the gradual reveal of the skeletons hidden in the cupboards of the Pembroke scions. All of them expect their father to pay for their lives of luxury and to finance their pet projects. One of them is prepared to kill before the fortune is squandered away by Malcolm, no matter how many times their father told them he will be fair to all his children.
‘Entrenched belief is never altered by the facts.’
This is something we have all found out to our own pain in this year 2024, subject to propaganda and conspiracy theories from all sides.
Ian meets a real police investigator who is similarly baffled by the abundance of suspects in the case: ‘The pool of common knowledge in your family is infuriating.’ when the inquest points out to the childhood years at the Pembroke mansion. It appears the past holds the key not only to the question of how one of the family members knew how to make a bomb they all witnessed the gardener blowing up stumps with dynamite sticks , but also to deeply entrenched resentments and envy, mostly coming from the ex-wives of Malcolm who indoctrinated their children against him.
And I’ve seen, you know, how the present has grown out of that past.
>>><<<>>><<<
I’ve said earlier that Francis is predictable. I can usually spot the main villain a mile away, because he is always the one who thinks he deserves the best of life and is prepared to do anything to get his own.
... the insignia of a natural bully: mean tightening of the mouth, jabbing forefinger, cold patronising stare down the nose, visible enjoyment of others’ discomfiture.
There is always a bully or two in a Dick Francis thriller, and he usually tries to torture the main character at the denouement of the investigation. The author has used this device so many times that even I was surprised that he can come up with something different from time to time. With so many Pembroke suspects to choose from, Francis has a field day of red herrings and demonstrates he can keep an ace up his sleeve when needed... while also going back to his tried and tested writer hooks:
Would a classic trap invitation work after so long an interval? Only one thing to do: try it and see.
June 25, 2014
"I intensely disliked my father's fifth wife, but not to the point of murder." I read those fourteen words, and I was hooked! That is the compelling first sentence in this standalone novel by the master storyteller, Dick Francis. This book has convinced me that I want read all of his work, which is a massive collection of horsey based writing! Francis uses a brilliant concept for the structure or plot, if you want to call it that, of this mystery. Narrated by Ian Pembroke, an amateur jockey, Francis weaves a complicated story about Ian's father Malcolm, an incredibly rich gentleman who makes his money by buying and selling gold. Before Ian will help his father, they must try to mend a three year-long rift in their relationship, tied to Malcolm's decision to marry wife number five, despite Ian's pleas to drop her. Someone has tried to kill Malcolm, shortly after his fifth wife, Moira, has been found murdered at their large country home. Who suspects him of this crime, you say? The police, and most of his family, numbering in the twenties, if you count stepchildren, daughters/sons-in-law, and ex-wives. There are so many members of this family that Francis kindly provides a list of them, at the front of the book! To cope with the threat to his freedom and his life, Malcolm, as he is called by all of his children rather than Dad or Father, decides to spend huge chunks of money on a variety of causes and items. This flagrant spending causes the family members to come running to Malcolm, suggesting that he has gone mad after murdering Moira, and he intends to throw away their inheritance on anything or anyone but them! In desperation, Malcolm turns to his son Ian, afraid for his life and needing help to get out from under his family's verbal and physical attacks. Who among this large group is capable of murdering Moira, and/or Malcolm? Francis masterfully creates detailed personalities for all of the twenty plus members of Malcolm's extended family. The interaction between the ex-wives and their children, step-children and each other, bring to mind a very large knot found within a ball of wool when I am knitting. Unravelling this ball takes patience as I well know, and Francis leads us through this unravelling with elegant detail, vivid characterizations, and considerable suspense. All is revealed, and by book' s end, he leaves you marvelling at his plotting and characterization. A gem of a book! I count myself officially a member of the Dick Francis fan club.
August 4, 2012
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.
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.
May 1, 2020
I read this back when it first came out, but all I remembered was whodunit and bits of the end. Once again Francis plays out his daddy issues: Our Hero's father is a much married, adultered, and divorced millionaire who has spent his life dealing in gold and spreading his jeans to spread his genes far and wide, whether married to the baby momma or not. Daddy is sitting on quite a heap of cash and securities, but "doesn't believe" in helping his many children economically, not even to help them get started in business. He got his, surely they can get theirs? Such, however, is the force of Our Hero's character that when someone kills wife number--six, was it? Five?--and then tries to kill Big Daddy (not once, but twice!) Daddy immediately buries a three-year old hatchet and asks Sonny Boy to come and act as body guard. And that's just in the first few pages!
Our Hero is an aspiring trainer and amateur jockey (of course), but he has no problem ditching whip and helmet for a deerstalker and a psychoanalyst's chair. The killer must be one of the family, so in between bouts of staying at the Ritz and consuming champagne and paté de foie gras (the jockey's slimming diet of choice?) he does the rounds of the many exes and steps, and figures them all out at a glance or two just by remembering what they were like as children. Ho-hum. This book is full of bathtub psychology of that sort (like bathtub gin, it is home made and of dubious quality). All of the women in this book are depicted as horrible and grasping, while Big Daddy's philandering is apparently acceptable because he's loaded. Our Hero doesn't seem to recognise that he himself is following in Daddy's footsteps in an adulterous no-strings-attached relationship of his own. But of course that's different! We are even treated to the tired old movie trope of a sudden moment of revelation caused by a brain-damaged child seeing a certain object.
The writing itself was good, but I did get tired of Our Hero being quite so bloody perfect this time round, and of the underlying message: true to the 1980s ethos, money cures all of the family's problems once they manage to pry Daddy's pockets open.
Our Hero is an aspiring trainer and amateur jockey (of course), but he has no problem ditching whip and helmet for a deerstalker and a psychoanalyst's chair. The killer must be one of the family, so in between bouts of staying at the Ritz and consuming champagne and paté de foie gras (the jockey's slimming diet of choice?) he does the rounds of the many exes and steps, and figures them all out at a glance or two just by remembering what they were like as children. Ho-hum. This book is full of bathtub psychology of that sort (like bathtub gin, it is home made and of dubious quality). All of the women in this book are depicted as horrible and grasping, while Big Daddy's philandering is apparently acceptable because he's loaded. Our Hero doesn't seem to recognise that he himself is following in Daddy's footsteps in an adulterous no-strings-attached relationship of his own. But of course that's different! We are even treated to the tired old movie trope of a sudden moment of revelation caused by a brain-damaged child seeing a certain object.
The writing itself was good, but I did get tired of Our Hero being quite so bloody perfect this time round, and of the underlying message: true to the 1980s ethos, money cures all of the family's problems once they manage to pry Daddy's pockets open.
July 18, 2019
I've read this (and most of the other Francis books) about a bazillion times now. They are great comfort reading. It's been long enough since I read this one that I didn't remember whodunnit, though I did remember many of the major plot points.
I very much enjoy this sort of tight, economical, understated British writing, especially when read by outstanding narrators like Tony Britton. I just can't get enough of this style. I recently read Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, and that gives a similar effect -- I must read more of her books. :-)
I very much enjoy this sort of tight, economical, understated British writing, especially when read by outstanding narrators like Tony Britton. I just can't get enough of this style. I recently read Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, and that gives a similar effect -- I must read more of her books. :-)
February 3, 2016
A clever enough plot that entwines itself around a highly disfunctional and greedy family, all of which are blindly intent on maximising their inheritance. At 432 pages, the story was padded in parts, and maybe the editor's red ink could have deleted a couple of the race meetings (even a trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup), that I felt were superfluous in the grand scheme of things.
4 stars ****
4 stars ****
June 1, 2025
This was the first Dick Francis novel I ever read and luckily for me it is one of his best. It's the sort of book you will come back to many times over the years and it inspired me to go out and read just about every other novel he's written. (I haven't gotten to his non-fiction yet, but I will.)
This novel is enjoyable on multiple levels. There is a great mystery here. Malcolm Pembroke is the mega wealthy patriarch of a disfunctional family that includes the children from five marriages, three ex-wives and a bunch of grandchildren. Wife number five was murdered in the middle of divorce proceedings. The police suspect Malcolm, but now that someone is trying to kill him, they will have to reconsider.
The hero of the story is Malcolm's son, Ian, an amateur jockey and the product of his second marriage. Ian is about the only family member not-obsessed with getting his hands on his father's fortune. At the start of the story he is estranged from his father because of his opposition to Malcolm's fifth marriage. Strangely enough, Ian's willingness to stay away and "risk" his inheritance makes him the only person Malcolm feels he can trust when it appears someone is trying to send him to an early grave.
This brings us to the second thoroughly enjoyable aspect of the story--Malcolm's children are all a bit crazy and it is tremendous fun, and ultimately quite heart warming, to follow Ian as he attempts to get to know them well enough to figure out who is trying to murder Malcolm. He gets to know their troubles and their strengths and makes it possible for the reader to really value them.
Finally, it wouldn't be a Dick Francis novel if we didn't learn more about the world of racing. I find this utterly fascinating. If you stick with Francis through his other novels, you will find yourself with a fairly complete grasp of the racing scene picked up painlessly by exploring his mysteries.
If you haven't tried Dick Francis before, Hot Money is the book to start with. If you've read the author and are wondering which book to read next, this one is it. And if you read it years ago, isn't it time you picked up and enjoyed it again? Five Stars only because they won't let me give it more.
This novel is enjoyable on multiple levels. There is a great mystery here. Malcolm Pembroke is the mega wealthy patriarch of a disfunctional family that includes the children from five marriages, three ex-wives and a bunch of grandchildren. Wife number five was murdered in the middle of divorce proceedings. The police suspect Malcolm, but now that someone is trying to kill him, they will have to reconsider.
The hero of the story is Malcolm's son, Ian, an amateur jockey and the product of his second marriage. Ian is about the only family member not-obsessed with getting his hands on his father's fortune. At the start of the story he is estranged from his father because of his opposition to Malcolm's fifth marriage. Strangely enough, Ian's willingness to stay away and "risk" his inheritance makes him the only person Malcolm feels he can trust when it appears someone is trying to send him to an early grave.
This brings us to the second thoroughly enjoyable aspect of the story--Malcolm's children are all a bit crazy and it is tremendous fun, and ultimately quite heart warming, to follow Ian as he attempts to get to know them well enough to figure out who is trying to murder Malcolm. He gets to know their troubles and their strengths and makes it possible for the reader to really value them.
Finally, it wouldn't be a Dick Francis novel if we didn't learn more about the world of racing. I find this utterly fascinating. If you stick with Francis through his other novels, you will find yourself with a fairly complete grasp of the racing scene picked up painlessly by exploring his mysteries.
If you haven't tried Dick Francis before, Hot Money is the book to start with. If you've read the author and are wondering which book to read next, this one is it. And if you read it years ago, isn't it time you picked up and enjoyed it again? Five Stars only because they won't let me give it more.
April 8, 2014
I thought I had read all the Dick Francis books. I'm so glad I was wrong. Lately, as I reread them, I naturally find them less than original, less fun to read. It's so nice to find one I didn't know existed and recapture that fun and esteem that comes from reading a book like Hot Money.
It's a typical Dick Francis novel. A mild-mannered protagonist who is forced into helping someone out of a jam inspired by a murder, usually involving a strange or estranged family and always involving horse racing. Nothing new to see here, except I really liked it. I guess the newness came from finding it in the first place.
The last lines are also typical, the main character has gone through an adventure and grown, usually spiritually and closer to a loved one, but ultimately he is the same person who started the novel.
“Did you notice I’d taken the golden dolphin and the amethyst tree and so on out of the wall and put them in the sitting room?” he asked casually.
“Yes, I did.”
“I sold the gold too.”
I glanced at him. He looked quizzically back.
“The price rose sharply this year, as I thought it would. I took the profit. There’s nothing in the wall now except spiders and dust.”
“Never mind.”
“I’m leaving the clause in the will, though.”
The family had been curious about his leaving me the piece of wire, and he’d refused to explain.
“I’ll buy more gold, and sell it. Buy and sell. Forward and backward. One of these days”— his blue eyes gleamed—“ you may win on the nod.”
Francis, Dick - Hot Money
It's a typical Dick Francis novel. A mild-mannered protagonist who is forced into helping someone out of a jam inspired by a murder, usually involving a strange or estranged family and always involving horse racing. Nothing new to see here, except I really liked it. I guess the newness came from finding it in the first place.
The last lines are also typical, the main character has gone through an adventure and grown, usually spiritually and closer to a loved one, but ultimately he is the same person who started the novel.
“Did you notice I’d taken the golden dolphin and the amethyst tree and so on out of the wall and put them in the sitting room?” he asked casually.
“Yes, I did.”
“I sold the gold too.”
I glanced at him. He looked quizzically back.
“The price rose sharply this year, as I thought it would. I took the profit. There’s nothing in the wall now except spiders and dust.”
“Never mind.”
“I’m leaving the clause in the will, though.”
The family had been curious about his leaving me the piece of wire, and he’d refused to explain.
“I’ll buy more gold, and sell it. Buy and sell. Forward and backward. One of these days”— his blue eyes gleamed—“ you may win on the nod.”
Francis, Dick - Hot Money
December 20, 2017
"I intensely disliked my father's fifth wife, but not to the point of murder."
So begins "Hot Money," Francis's 1987 masterpiece of homicidal family drama. Malcolm Pembroke is a filthy-rich gold broker and serial husband with a string of wives and children surrounding him. When someone murders his latest wife by suffocating her in her own potting soil, he turns to his estranged son Ian for protection and help.
Ian, while interesting enough, is a fairly innocuous hero; the true focus of the novel are the poisonous relationships radiating out from Malcolm, who can't seem to stop stirring up drama between those closest to him. In order to solve the mystery, Ian has to go back to the resentments of childhood and study the psychologies of all his half-siblings, which is where a large part of the charm of the book comes in. In "Hot Money," Francis creates not so much a charismatic hero as a charismatic family, one you want to keep finding out more about--and one with a terrible secret to hide.
"Hot Money" was written right as Francis was entering into the height of his powers, and is superbly paced and plotted. There's nothing earth-shaking about it, exactly, but it holds up well to repeated reading, and is guaranteed to provide plenty of pleasure to Francis fans or anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
So begins "Hot Money," Francis's 1987 masterpiece of homicidal family drama. Malcolm Pembroke is a filthy-rich gold broker and serial husband with a string of wives and children surrounding him. When someone murders his latest wife by suffocating her in her own potting soil, he turns to his estranged son Ian for protection and help.
Ian, while interesting enough, is a fairly innocuous hero; the true focus of the novel are the poisonous relationships radiating out from Malcolm, who can't seem to stop stirring up drama between those closest to him. In order to solve the mystery, Ian has to go back to the resentments of childhood and study the psychologies of all his half-siblings, which is where a large part of the charm of the book comes in. In "Hot Money," Francis creates not so much a charismatic hero as a charismatic family, one you want to keep finding out more about--and one with a terrible secret to hide.
"Hot Money" was written right as Francis was entering into the height of his powers, and is superbly paced and plotted. There's nothing earth-shaking about it, exactly, but it holds up well to repeated reading, and is guaranteed to provide plenty of pleasure to Francis fans or anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
March 23, 2012
This is one of my favorite Francis books.
Malcom has 5 ex wives and 9 children, all but one of whom want his money, attention, and affection. Only one son is estranged, and that is the son he turns to when he's bashed on the head and his soon-to-be-next-ex is murdered.
The ex wives are hysterically funny, and you'd think Francis would come off as misogynistic when you read about how horrible they are, but he gives each one a backstory so they're also a little pitiful, and more understandable.
The children are every parent's nightmare. Malcom's, too. He is bewildered that his harshness about their financial situations has made his relationships with them worse.
As always, the hero is calm, thoughtful, and would run from a fight if not backed into a corner. The unwilling gentleman hero! My favorite!
Malcom has 5 ex wives and 9 children, all but one of whom want his money, attention, and affection. Only one son is estranged, and that is the son he turns to when he's bashed on the head and his soon-to-be-next-ex is murdered.
The ex wives are hysterically funny, and you'd think Francis would come off as misogynistic when you read about how horrible they are, but he gives each one a backstory so they're also a little pitiful, and more understandable.
The children are every parent's nightmare. Malcom's, too. He is bewildered that his harshness about their financial situations has made his relationships with them worse.
As always, the hero is calm, thoughtful, and would run from a fight if not backed into a corner. The unwilling gentleman hero! My favorite!
April 4, 2018
Great read!! Getting to know the family can be deadly !!
June 19, 2018
The more there is to grab, the greediest the people. That quote summarises the story of this book. Malcom Pembroke is a multi billionaire. He was a shrewd businessman who traded in Gold. Buying low and always selling high. He was very wealthy. But with this much fortune, came great corruption. Greed, jealousy, and strife were some of the demons lurking in this family.
Moira, Malcoms 5th wife was dead. Murdered by an unknown assailant. Now, Malcoms life was hanging on the balance. Attempts had already been made on his life. He believed that his likely heirs were responsible. The motive: The family wanted him to stop squandering what they thought to be their inheritance. That is the the plot of this novel which I thought was very absorbing and interesting.
Moira, Malcoms 5th wife was dead. Murdered by an unknown assailant. Now, Malcoms life was hanging on the balance. Attempts had already been made on his life. He believed that his likely heirs were responsible. The motive: The family wanted him to stop squandering what they thought to be their inheritance. That is the the plot of this novel which I thought was very absorbing and interesting.
August 25, 2024
Classic whodunnit. A bit heavy on the family tree descriptions.
April 23, 2011
I loved this book! I've enjoyed all of Dick Francis' mysteries that I've read so far, and this is my favorite of them. As always, there's a likable protagonist, and I also liked his lively multimillionaire father, who, apparently endangered by someone in his large extended family, calls upon his most trusted son, an amateur jockey, to protect him. Perfect pacing, shocking twists, good writing, quite a few comical scenes, and detailed portrayals of the various greedy, spiteful, squabbling family members make for a spellbinding tale. There are still a lot of Francis' mysteries I haven't read yet, and I'm eagerly looking forward to them.
March 29, 2019
I always feel slightly embarrassed to say Dick Francis is my favourite author. Escapist rubbish, I'm sure some people will say. But that's to seriously underrate his work.
He (or was it his wife Mary???) was a real craftsman: a genius at describing characters (even minor ones) in two or three telling sentences. His plots are always logical and believable. I know I will always fall in love with the ethical and intelligent hero. It's been a while since I read any of his novels and based on this one, I think it's time I read them again (Dick Francis is one of the very few authors whose books I can read more than once).
So delicious, I almost scoffed the lot in one sitting.
He (or was it his wife Mary???) was a real craftsman: a genius at describing characters (even minor ones) in two or three telling sentences. His plots are always logical and believable. I know I will always fall in love with the ethical and intelligent hero. It's been a while since I read any of his novels and based on this one, I think it's time I read them again (Dick Francis is one of the very few authors whose books I can read more than once).
So delicious, I almost scoffed the lot in one sitting.
March 19, 2010
This is one of the best Dick Francis books that I've read. I liked the suspense (as usual) but also the psychological look into a wealthy and largely dysfunctional family like the Pembrokes.
November 14, 2010
I never read murder mysteries. I think this was my first one. I had to read it because it was about 9 kids who all wanted their inheritance now. Which one of his kids was trying to kill him?
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April 28, 2020Once again, I turned to an old friend. A comfort in crazy times.
September 13, 2016
1 Jan 1989
28 Jun 1990
1 Jan 1998
21 Jul 1998
28 Jun 1990
1 Jan 1998
21 Jul 1998
May 20, 2017
The novels by Dick Francis are always fun to read, easily mixing English horse racing culture with mystery and murder. They are light entertainment for a relaxing summer day. Written by an experienced professional jockey, the novels carry the excitement of the English racing community and love of horses. In the novel Hot Money an amateur jockey, Ian Pembroke, is forced into investigating the murder of his father's fifth wife. Ian's dad is filthy rich and is responsible for a fair amount of pain and suffering in his dysfunctional family. The murder investigation leads, of course, to race tracks and jockeys, to purebred horses and their wealthy owners. It leads to future attacks on the Pembroke family.
I enjoyed the mystery and the interesting dysfunctional individuals involved, all (sadly) believable.
I was introduced to Dick Francis by a good friend who owns every one of Francis's books. Thanks, Jim!
I enjoyed the mystery and the interesting dysfunctional individuals involved, all (sadly) believable.
I was introduced to Dick Francis by a good friend who owns every one of Francis's books. Thanks, Jim!
September 23, 2017
It's a while since I read a book by Dick Francis and based on the evidence of this story it is my loss. A good plot about a family, on the surface at least, driven by greed that is well written and a compelling read.
The family dynamics are well observed and in the confines of the story very believable. It occasionally felt a bit padded out, and I wasn't totally convinced with the reasoning which identified the murderer, but perhaps I missed something.
However, in short this was a good reintroduction into the works of Dick Francis. I won't leave it so long before I read another of his books.
The family dynamics are well observed and in the confines of the story very believable. It occasionally felt a bit padded out, and I wasn't totally convinced with the reasoning which identified the murderer, but perhaps I missed something.
However, in short this was a good reintroduction into the works of Dick Francis. I won't leave it so long before I read another of his books.
March 3, 2024
I have read a number of Dick Francis books and this is different given the horse racing is secondary to the general story. That said, I enjoyed the book. One of the main characters, Malcolm, is the patriarch of the family. Although he is an imperfect person, you grow attached to him as the story evolves. This is true for his son Ian as well. Their escapades are fun to ride along with as you read. The rest of the story including characters from his multiple marriages is filled with family dysfunction, malice and greed. It moves at a good pace with the unexpected twists and turns. An entertaining read.
July 11, 2022
I remember enjoying it, but not much more
March 30, 2023
I listened to the audio book and it was so well done! This is an investigation into murder attempts in a rich family. As always, you have horses and racetracks.
June 29, 2023
This is at least my fourth reading of this peak-Dick-Francis suspense tale.
The Pembroke family revolves around its patriarch Malcolm, whose gift for making money has earned him the "Midas" nickname. Malcolm's big personality also encompasses big appetites; the man has five ex-wives and a large complement of children. Well, he had five. One died in a car crash with one of her children, following which Malcolm embraced a new lady, Moira, over whose arrival his adult son Ian had a falling out with his father.
Estranged for three years from Malcolm, Ian is surprised to get a call from him. His wife Moira was recently murdered; police aren't entirely convinced Malcolm was not responsible, although they allow that Ian, busy at his job as an assistant trainer for a racing stable, had a solid alibi. But now Malcolm thinks someone is trying to murder him.
The family--three ex-wives and multiple children--are anxious that Malcolm is giving away his fortune; i.e., their inheritances; although all the children were given generous trust funds in the past, several are now in financial straits. Their bitter mothers are pushing the narrative that Ian will cut them all out of their inheritances, even as they appeal to him to influence Malcolm. Malcolm is stubbornly refusing to hand over more money on a matter of principle. But a second attempt on Malcolm's life, barely averted by Ian, prompts Ian to recommend evasive action until they can figure out who is behind the attacks.
The sudden intimacy of father and son hiding out enables them to reconnect as adults. Soon, Ian uses his insider family knowledge to reconnect with his many siblings. Sadly, it becomes apparent that one of those people is a murderer.
The greatest pleasure of this particular Francis novel is the depth of character development. We meet the entire Pembroke family, and learn their psychological issues and desires, their needs, and their fears. Francis was always good at creating memorable characters with minimal narrative, but here he parted from his normal brevity to display the dynamics of an extended family in crisis. The suspenseful underpinnings are just gravy on a well-written story about the traumas we choose to carry, or which we unconsciously pick up.
This is a free-standing novel, as are all of Francis' novels. Enjoy.
The Pembroke family revolves around its patriarch Malcolm, whose gift for making money has earned him the "Midas" nickname. Malcolm's big personality also encompasses big appetites; the man has five ex-wives and a large complement of children. Well, he had five. One died in a car crash with one of her children, following which Malcolm embraced a new lady, Moira, over whose arrival his adult son Ian had a falling out with his father.
Estranged for three years from Malcolm, Ian is surprised to get a call from him. His wife Moira was recently murdered; police aren't entirely convinced Malcolm was not responsible, although they allow that Ian, busy at his job as an assistant trainer for a racing stable, had a solid alibi. But now Malcolm thinks someone is trying to murder him.
The family--three ex-wives and multiple children--are anxious that Malcolm is giving away his fortune; i.e., their inheritances; although all the children were given generous trust funds in the past, several are now in financial straits. Their bitter mothers are pushing the narrative that Ian will cut them all out of their inheritances, even as they appeal to him to influence Malcolm. Malcolm is stubbornly refusing to hand over more money on a matter of principle. But a second attempt on Malcolm's life, barely averted by Ian, prompts Ian to recommend evasive action until they can figure out who is behind the attacks.
The sudden intimacy of father and son hiding out enables them to reconnect as adults. Soon, Ian uses his insider family knowledge to reconnect with his many siblings. Sadly, it becomes apparent that one of those people is a murderer.
The greatest pleasure of this particular Francis novel is the depth of character development. We meet the entire Pembroke family, and learn their psychological issues and desires, their needs, and their fears. Francis was always good at creating memorable characters with minimal narrative, but here he parted from his normal brevity to display the dynamics of an extended family in crisis. The suspenseful underpinnings are just gravy on a well-written story about the traumas we choose to carry, or which we unconsciously pick up.
This is a free-standing novel, as are all of Francis' novels. Enjoy.
September 22, 2023
In Hot Money, Dick Francis introduces us to a large and varied cast of characters. I think this is the largest ensemble he had ever used to that point (1987), and this may have been a deliberate exercise on his part. With many arts, the more characters you have to paint, or draw, or write about, or choreograph for, the more difficult the work becomes. Think about writing for a symphony versus writing for a string quartet.
Our hero this time is Ian Pembroke, son of third of the five wives of Malcolm Pembroke. There were four living wives, until, just before the action in Hot Money begins, the most recent wife, Moira, was murdered. Who killed Moira? Who is trying to kill Malcolm, and why? There are four living ex-wives, two of whom are truly vicious characters. Malcolm has eight living children, and five of them are married, so there are four daughters-in-law and one son-in-law. Ian, unmarried, no children, and on reasonable terms with his mother, Joyce, hasn't spoken to his father in three years.
Then, to start the book, Malcolm calls Ian and asks him to protect Malcolm and find out who killed Moira. In order to accomplish this grim and complicated task, Ian must get to know his half-brothers and half-sister. He really needs to learn their strengths and weaknesses, and what motivates them. In particular, what could motivate one of them to murder.
There are the usual racing scenes, not only in England but in France, California and Australia. (A return to the scene of In the Frame.) Unusually, Ian acquires no love interest of his own. He's too busy saving his family from disintegration.
What one has here is a series of psychological portraits of individuals and how they react to the stresses and strains of married life. There are spouses who are supportive, spouses who are oppressive, and spouses who are downright destructive. To solve their problems, Ian has to look at them with clear-eyed vision, and then he has to remove the scales from their eyes.
Fascinating stuff.
Our hero this time is Ian Pembroke, son of third of the five wives of Malcolm Pembroke. There were four living wives, until, just before the action in Hot Money begins, the most recent wife, Moira, was murdered. Who killed Moira? Who is trying to kill Malcolm, and why? There are four living ex-wives, two of whom are truly vicious characters. Malcolm has eight living children, and five of them are married, so there are four daughters-in-law and one son-in-law. Ian, unmarried, no children, and on reasonable terms with his mother, Joyce, hasn't spoken to his father in three years.
Then, to start the book, Malcolm calls Ian and asks him to protect Malcolm and find out who killed Moira. In order to accomplish this grim and complicated task, Ian must get to know his half-brothers and half-sister. He really needs to learn their strengths and weaknesses, and what motivates them. In particular, what could motivate one of them to murder.
There are the usual racing scenes, not only in England but in France, California and Australia. (A return to the scene of In the Frame.) Unusually, Ian acquires no love interest of his own. He's too busy saving his family from disintegration.
What one has here is a series of psychological portraits of individuals and how they react to the stresses and strains of married life. There are spouses who are supportive, spouses who are oppressive, and spouses who are downright destructive. To solve their problems, Ian has to look at them with clear-eyed vision, and then he has to remove the scales from their eyes.
Fascinating stuff.
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