Help: Anybody as good as Dick Francis?
bobd...@my-deja.com
I like Dick Francis's blend of intelligent plots, witty sayings, and a
good understanding of human motivations.
I have read most of his books 2 to 3 times.
Can anybody suggest other authors who are as good as Dick Francis?
Please suggest the best book(s) by these other author(s) too.
Thank you very much in advance.
Have a happy Father's Day.
Yours faithfully.
Robert Hawke
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Raymond Jagman
books, but perhaps you can answer a question of mine. Since you gave his
books such a great review, which one should I read first?
Thanks,
Sue
<bobd...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8iefqo$hbs$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
bobd...@my-deja.com
So far, every Dick Francis book I have read has mysteries and mayham.
For understanding of human motivations, start with "Bonecrack".
For excellent plot, start with "The Edge".
Others equally worth starting with for entertainment
value: "Decider", "Driving Force", "Comeback", "Break
In", "Proof", "Whip Hand", "Reflex", "High
Stakes", "Knockdown", "Enquiry", "Forfeit", "For
Kicks", "Longshot", "Straight".
Stay away from : "Trial Run", "Second Wind", "Smoke Screen".
You are welcome.
Robert Hawke
In article <1fB25.5341$Uw3.3...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
bmbaillie
bobd...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Can anybody suggest other authors who are as good as Dick Francis?
>
> Please suggest the best book(s) by these other author(s) too.
>
There's a terrific novel by Andrew Greig called The Return of John McNab.
It's a reworking of the John Buchan novel, John McNab and deals with more
contemporary concerns. It's not a mystery, more an adventure
story/thriller, but it's got all the same ingredients that make Dick
Francis such a good read. And there's a bonus in that he writes really
well about the Scottish Highland landscapes.
Sharky
Shirley E Nienkark
you'll like...but the ones I tried had little to do with his writing style
and were mostly second rate novels about horse racing. The exception was
Mark Daniel, who's book "Unbridled" was also about racing but very good
writing. You might like him.
Shirley
In article <8iefqo$hbs$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, bobd...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Dear helpful souls:
>
> I like Dick Francis's blend of intelligent plots, witty sayings, and a
> good understanding of human motivations.
>
> I have read most of his books 2 to 3 times.
>
> Can anybody suggest other authors who are as good as Dick Francis?
>
> Please suggest the best book(s) by these other author(s) too.
>
BoxHill
>books, but perhaps you can answer a question of mine. Since you gave his
>books such a great review, which one should I read first?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Sue
My $.02: read Enquiry, Nerve, or For Kicks first.
Janet
//Dear Artemesia! Poetry's a snare:
//Bedlam has many Mansions: have a care:
//Your Muse diverts you, makes the Reader sad:
//You think your self inspir'd; He thinks you mad.
kas
across one book that has the same feel..._All Risks Mortality_ by Peter
Cunningham, and it even happens to deal with the horse world as well.
Kim
...
Colin Davies
R. D. Wingfield (Inspector Frost), Martha Grimes (an American who
writes in the classic British style, more or less), and Minette
Walters.
On Sat, 17 Jun 2000 22:18:31 +1000, Mike Burke
<miq...@dingoblue.net.au> wrote:
>On Sat, 17 Jun 2000 00:13:17 GMT, bobd...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
>>Dear helpful souls:
>>
>>I like Dick Francis's blend of intelligent plots, witty sayings, and a
>>good understanding of human motivations.
>>
>>I have read most of his books 2 to 3 times.
>>
>>Can anybody suggest other authors who are as good as Dick Francis?
>>
>>Please suggest the best book(s) by these other author(s) too.
>>
>>Thank you very much in advance.
>>
>>Have a happy Father's Day.
>>
>>Yours faithfully.
>>
>
>Welcome to RAM, Robert. I like Dick Francis too. I can't think of
>any other authors who write similar styles of stories (although I'm
>sure there must be some - others will probably suggest some), but you
>could try Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series, eg 'A is for Alibi, and
>so on. They are great.
>
>Then there are our own Katy Munger's Casey Jones books, 'Legwork',
>'Out of Time', 'Money to Burn' and her latest 'Bad to the Bone'. Katy
>rules!
>
>Try Sharyn McCrumb, too.
>
>If you like British settings, there are the many Ruth Rendell/Barbara
>Vine (same person) books - all excellent. Ditto P.D. James.
>
>They should keep you busy for a while. :-)
>
>Mike
Carl Zager
I, too, feel that anyone who enjoys the Francis approach would enjoy her
"pub" series with Richard Jury.
No, they aren't the same. But they do share an atmospheric approach. I
guess if Anglophiles need the dose of British life that Francis
supplies, Ms Grimes fills the bill. I'd start with _The Man With a Load
of Mischief_.
The difference between Grimes/Francis and Dexter/Wingfield, to me, is
the Dexter/Wingfield emphasis on police procedural, while Grimes/Francis
seem to be more focused on people and places.
I haven't, yet, decided how I feel about her other books, though. When
she digressed to _The End of the Pier_, _Hotel Paradise_, etc., I bought
and read, but longed for more Jury. Her latest, _The Train Now
Departing_, is not a Jury.
In article <9jatks8161er496jh...@4ax.com>,
--
Carl Zager
http://www.mccsc.edu/~czager
kb9...@my-deja.com
V. Davis
writes books with a nautical theme, eg. Riptide.
>
> I like Dick Francis's blend of intelligent plots, witty sayings, and a
> good understanding of human motivations.
>
> I have read most of his books 2 to 3 times.
>
> Can anybody suggest other authors who are as good as Dick Francis?
>
> Please suggest the best book(s) by these other author(s) too.
>
> Thank you very much in advance.
>
> Have a happy Father's Day.
>
> Yours faithfully.
>
BoxHill
>I, too, feel that anyone who enjoys the Francis approach would enjoy her
>"pub" series with Richard Jury.
Not necessarily. I very much enjoy Dick Francis, but I loathe Martha Grimes.
She is just too twee.
I'd tend to recommend Reginald Hill, although he is usually somewhat more
complex. Or, IIRC, is it Cynthia Harrod-Eagles who writes the Inspector Bill
Slider series?
It's hard to think of anyone who is really similar to Francis. It would help to
know what about him the reader enjoys.
Mystmoush
Grimes. Well, the early Jury books anyway. (Tried to read the stand alones
and gave up on each.) THE ANODYNE NECKLACE is my favorite. The latter ones
with Jury playing The Dating Game with all The Women Who Want Him got tiresome
(got to be like Stone Barrington minus the blow jobs.) I've heard that there
is a certain amount of resentment towards her, as a Yank, writing 'British'
mysteries.
Don't think there's any similarity to Francis, though.
Eileeeeeen from OH
M.E.Tonkin
Mystmoush wrote:
>
> I know it goes against what a lot of people on the ng feel, but I LIKE Martha
> Grimes. Well, the early Jury books anyway. (Tried to read the stand alones
> and gave up on each.) THE ANODYNE NECKLACE is my favorite. The latter ones
> with Jury playing The Dating Game with all The Women Who Want Him got tiresome
> (got to be like Stone Barrington minus the blow jobs.) I've heard that there
> is a certain amount of resentment towards her, as a Yank, writing 'British'
> mysteries.
>
I liked the early Grimes novels as well, but when I got to _The Case Is
Altered_,
I just couldn't get interested, though I struggled through about 100 pages. It
was as if it were written by an author bored to death with her characters. I
have _The Stargazey_ but it's been sitting on my TBR pile for months, and I
haven't
bothered to buy the latest until I see if Stargazey is also poor quality. (And
I agree about the stand alones, didn't care for the one I tried to read).
MET
bmbaillie
Mystmoush wrote:
> I know it goes against what a lot of people on the ng feel, but I LIKE Martha
> Grimes. Well, the early Jury books anyway. (Tried to read the stand alones
> and gave up on each.) THE ANODYNE NECKLACE is my favorite. The latter ones
> with Jury playing The Dating Game with all The Women Who Want Him got tiresome
> (got to be like Stone Barrington minus the blow jobs.) I've heard that there
> is a certain amount of resentment towards her, as a Yank, writing 'British'
> mysteries.
>
> Don't think there's any similarity to Francis, though.
>
> Eileeeeeen from OH
>
I wouldn't characterise our UK reaction to Grimes as resentment. We sort of regard
her as a science fiction writer. She's created a parallel universe that bears a
few superficial resemblances to Britain, but so many of the details are different,
we don't feel that she's writing about us at all. So, no need for resentment. We
just wish that booksellers would cotton on and start filing her on the sf shelves
instead of crime...
Sharky
J.M. Aldrich
since "Anodyne Necklace".
I would recommend anything by Robert Barnard.
jma
David Matthews
"J.M. Aldrich" <jmac...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:8j87g...@enews3.newsguy.com...
Agreed about Robert Barnard. I don't think I've seen his name before
on this NG. As well as being smart mysteries his books are often very
funny.
Dave
Eveleen McAuley
David Matthews wrote
> "J.M. Aldrich" <jmac...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:8j87g...@enews3.newsguy.com...
> > Sorry, but Grimes is all formula ... I haven't liked anything she wrote
> > since "Anodyne Necklace".
> >
> > I would recommend anything by Robert Barnard.
>
> on this NG. As well as being smart mysteries his books are often very
> funny.
I agree about Barnard too, but I wouldn't consider him very much like Dick
Francis. His books are far more puzzles and less suspense/thriller than
Francis' style. I think Barnard has improved over the years - his latest
books are particularly clever.
Eveleen McAuley
GPSvo
> on this NG. As well as being smart mysteries his books are often very
> funny.
I join you as a RB fan. And a George Higgins fan. And a Martin Cruz Smith
fan. And I know probably a bunch of you also like these writers.
But it's a funny thing. For all the high regard they are held in, as an
internet book dealer I can't ever seem to get a bid on any of their books.
Everybody loves 'em, nobody seems to bid on their books (in this case eBay and
ABE, the latter which is, of course, not an auction setup).
Just an observation during a quick browsing session. Regards -- Gary
Mark Alan Miller
problem is that his books are so short. Of course, he writes about two a
year, so I guess that makes up for it, but I often wish he'd try his had at
something longer. I can't think of anyone in particular that reminds me
much of Dick Francis. Wish I could, though. R.D. Wingfield is another
solid suggestion, with solid plotting and a twisted sense of humor.
Mark Alan Miller
"J.M. Aldrich" <jmac...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:8j87g...@enews3.newsguy.com...
> Sorry, but Grimes is all formula ... I haven't liked anything she wrote
> since "Anodyne Necklace".
>
> I would recommend anything by Robert Barnard.
>
> jma
>
>
>
>
>
JLS411
In article <20000623155959...@ng-fz1.aol.com>, myst...@aol.com
(Mystmoush) wrote:
<< I know it goes against what a lot of people on the ng feel, but I LIKE
Martha
Grimes. Well, the early Jury books anyway. (Tried to read the stand alones
and gave up on each.) THE ANODYNE NECKLACE is my favorite. The latter ones
with Jury playing The Dating Game with all The Women Who Want Him got tiresome
(got to be like Stone Barrington minus the blow jobs.) >>
I like the earlier Grimes books too, eileeeen, and tend to avoid the later ones
just for this reason.
Jenni :-)
"If I could remember everything at once, I'd be dangerous."
--Carly, "General Hospital"