September Book Club: Whip Hand

For September, we’ll be reading Dick Francis’ classic, Whip Hand, which was published in 1979 (and won the Best Novel Edgar in 1980).  It’s a follow up to his first Sid Halley book, Odds Against (1965).  Sid is a steeplechase jockey (like Francis was himself) who has lost his hand and can no longer race.  In Whip Hand Sid now has a prosthetic. Francis’ blend of suspense, a character that readers can pull for, and the details of the racing world really cannot be beat.  To me he remains one of the greatest of all suspense writers. read more