Biography: Felix Francis studied Physics and Electronics at London University and then spent seventeen years teaching Advanced-Level Physics. Hands Down is pure storytelling, wonderfully written, which had me hooked from the opening pages, it is a read which you need to know what is going to happen next and in which direction is the author going to take. I have no intention in spending anymore time in writing a review for a book I won’t be continuing- just wasn’t for me.

I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader. He soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of the integrity of British horse racing, and then danger comes closer to home than ever.

I was at a bit of a loss, after a long walk to check out the sights, went to the lounge room which had a bookcase and looked for something to read.

I’m afraid those old shoes were pretty hard to fill, thus my disappointment about the slightly rehashed crime that begs for Sid’s attention and makes him a target of those he tries to thwart. I have read every one of his novels including those written jointly and all of the novels written by Felix. His wife and daughter have left for the Netherlands to see her parents leaving him free to dig to the bottom of this mystery. His marriage, on the other hand (pun intended), isn't working quite so well; in fact, his wife Marina has taken their nine-year-old daughter, Saskia, with her to stay with her elderly parents - in part because her father is dying and in part because she needs to get away for a while. As it turns out, he should have been more fired up; the next day, the guy's stable and a few horses go up in flames - and then, not long after he meets with Sid to explain what's going on, the man himself is found hanged.Ever since the death of his father, Felix's attempts to follow in his footsteps have been, in my opinion, uneven.

As a side plot, there is some discussion about Sid's transplanted left hand and his feelings about it, as well as some marital tension regarding that hand. His wife Marina has decided she needs some time out of their marriage to think about the future and Sid is devastated. Sid Halley is asked by an former jockey/now trainer to help him stop a fraud perpetrated by jockeys' agents.I understand I can change my preference through my account settings or unsubscribe directly from any marketing communications at any time. I've not read another novel, where the intrepid investigator has had a hand transplant so I'll note I learned a few things about that along the path to a solution to what happened to Sid's friend Gary. Suffice it to say the story held me captive for a few good hours - well written with plenty of action. However, the very next morning, Gary’s stable yard is torched, horses killed, and Gary has disappeared.