Thanks to Compulsive Readers Book Tours and the publisher for my gifted copy of the book to write my honest review for the book tour.
Chester Newton is a successful racehorse syndicate organiser and his company, Victrix Racing, is having its best year yet. When his prized horse, Potassium, wins the world-famous Epsom Derby, Chester is set to become the next big thing in British horse racing.
But one phone call changes everything.
Someone hiding behind a voice scrambler and an untraceable phone is demanding he fixes a race – and they’re willing to go after Chester’s family if he fails to comply.
Chester’s business is the only thing in his life that isn’t falling apart. With his marriage on the rocks and his children growing increasingly distant, he is not willing to let someone destroy the success he’s spent his life building.
Then his daughter is kidnapped and, very suddenly, it’s not just his livelihood that’s on the line. Now Chester must discover just how far he will go to protect his family …
My Review
It’s so long ago since I read any of Dick Francis’s books that when I saw this book by Felix Francis, I knew I wanted to read it. The cover is as great as any of his fathers, and the blurb just hooked me straight away.
Set in the racing world, we are introduced to Chester Newton. He is a horse racing syndicate owner whose company owns 40 horses. His syndicate is a way for people to jointly own the race horses, and they pay plenty for the privilege. This also gives them the opportunity to be a part of the age-old horse racing world.
Chester’s horse wins the Epsom Derby, and he is back in the forefront of things within the racing world. Along with being back in the spotlight, his daughter goes missing, and he finds himself up to his neck in situations that have the possibility of wrecking everything he has worked for.
Wow! Fast-paced and such a thrilling read! The author even makes sure he makes everything clear throughout. I wasn’t confused about horse racing terms at all. It made this an immersive novel. The tension is so taut that I was actually worrying about Chester and his family for real. The suspense is ramped up to a level that I was trying to guess who was behind the kidnapping and everything Chester was experiencing.
I loved the short chapters. I always love them. They give me that ‘one more chapter’ feel when its a crime thriller. I never want to put the book down until I have got to the end.
Syndicate definitely hit the spot! The pages flew by so fast. I will certainly read more of Felix Francis’s thrillers after this excellent read.author
Author Bio
Felix Francis is the bestselling author of the Dick Francis novels.
The younger of the two sons of Dick and Mary Francis, after 17 years as a teacher, Felix took on the role of managing his father’s affairs in the 1990s. His importance to the franchise grew from that day, culminating in the pair co-writing Under Orders, the first book Dick wrote after a five-year hiatus. At his father’s insistence, Felix was credited as a full co-author on Dead Heat and the subsequent three books. The last book the pair worked together on was Crossfire, published in 2010, the year of Dick’s death.
Since his father’s death, Felix has taken over the literary reigns from his father and Dick’s legacy will live on through the Dick Francis novels. He has delivered a string of thrillers, acclaimed by fans and press alike.
Felix is a passionate cricketer and a regional chairman for the Lord’s Taverners, a qualified pilot, and enjoys playing golf badly and scuba diving rather better. He shuttled back and forth to the Caribbean regularly while his father was alive, but now divides his time between Oxfordshire and Devon.
Twitter: @felix__francis
Facebook: @felixfranciswriter
Website: felixfrancis.com
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