Under Orders 英文原版

　　From Publishers Weekly
　　Beloved series character Sid Halley, a champion jockey, makes a
welcome return in the latest fast-paced crime novel from bestseller
Francis (Come to Grief). When a crippling injury forces Halley into
retirement, he begins a second career as a PI. Thanks to his
doggedness and integrity, he attracts many clients, including a
mysterious government figure who asks him to assess the unintended
consequences of Britain’s legalization of Internet gambling, and
others who wish him to unravel the nest of puzzles surrounding the
murder of a jockey, Huw Walker, suspected of throwing races. This
time, the sinister forces arrayed against him have an unexpected
weapon—threats of violence against Halley’s new significant other.
The writing and action are as crisp as ever, though longtime
Francis fans may find the plot a little familiar. BOMC and Mystery
Guild main selection.(Sept.)
　　From Booklist
　　After an absence of six years, Dick Francis comes thundering up
the track with a thriller that resoundingly demonstrates that the
acclaimed author, if anything, may have gained a few steps. Francis
re-summons his most popular protagonist, Sid Halley, a champion
jockey turned sleuth, whose racing career was shattered when a
horse fell on him and then an adversary mangled his left hand. Last
seen in Come To Grief (1995), Halley, who brings racing knowledge,
spirit, and resilience to whatever case he tackles, remains one of
the most exquisitely developed characters in crime fiction. This
adventure starts with Cheltenham Gold Cup day, during which one
racegoer drops dead, a horse collapses after a stirring win, and
the victorious jockey is discovered shot to death in the parking
lot. Juggling several sleuthing assignments, Halley finds himself
working not only for the father of the slain jockey but also for a
Lord who wants to know if the races his horses run in are being
fixed. The plot keeps delivering shocks as Halley’s investigation
is derailed by threats and violence against his new love. And
Francis once again proves himself a master of detail, seamlessly
incorporating fascinating facts about DNA technology, myoelectric
hands, Internet gambling, and even stitches. Wow.
　　Connie Fletcher
　　From AudioFile
　　Dick Francis reacquaints listeners with
champion-jockey-turned-sleuth Sid Halley, featured in earlier
mysteries of the British racing circuit. The Cheltenham Gold Cup
Race has more excitement than usual when a jockey is murdered. As
Sid begins his sleuthing, one notices a change in tempo from the
usual style of this author. Much of the change is due to the
bravura reading of Martin Jarvis, who carves out the characters and
gives each of them a special voice and an expansively operatic mood
to surround the moment. His performance and timing are specifically
aimed at the listener’s entertainment as he reads the words of an
older, gentler Dick Francis, whose Sid Halley is still just 38.
J.P.

　　Book De*ion
　　”Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a
single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than one
eyebrow.”
　　It’s the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really
troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. Last seen in 1995’s Come to
Grief, former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all
too well-but in his day, jockeys didn’t usually reach the finishing
line with three .38 rounds in the chest. But this is precisely how
he finds jockey Huw Walker-who, only a few hours earlier, had won
the coveted Triumph Hurdle.
　　Just moments before the gruesome discovery, Halley had been
called upon by Lord Enstone to make discreet inquiries into why his
horses appeared to be on a permanent losing streak. Are races being
fixed? Are bookies taking a cut? And if so, are trainers and
jockeys playing a dangerous game with stakes far higher than they
are realistic?
　　Halley’s quest for answers draws him even deeper into the darker
side of the race game, in a life-or-death power play that will push
him to his very limits-both professionally and personally.
　　Book Dimension :
　　length: (cm)17.2 　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　 width:(cm)10.5

　　Dick Francis is the author of more than forty books, including
the volume of short stories Field of 13, most recently, the New
York Times bestseller Shattered, and his autobiography, The Sport
of Queens. A three-time Edgar Award winner, he has also received
the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association’s Cartier Diamond Dagger
for his outstanding contribution to the genre. He was named Grand
Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1996, and was awarded
the CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2000. He divides
his time between England and an island in the Caribbean.