Well... this was a book of two halves and with an ending that, oof, I am still recovering from and still don't quite know how I feel about...
But I get ahead of myself! We start with young Irish jump jockey Imogen Duffy who is just starting to make a name for herself. Sadly it's not all rosy in her garden as she has a troublesome ex-boyfriend, Liam, who just won't let her go after they parted company. And that's an understatement. Especially when it is his father that she rides for, well... rode for as he is disgusted by the way she treated his son so sacks her. Luckily, she gets the chance to ride for someone quite prestigious, even better that it is across the water in England. Sadly, Liam follows her and starts to make even more trouble for her...
And then he is found dead... after she is heard threatening him, her prints on the knife that killed him...
Fast forward a few months and Imogen's father goes to the only man he thinks can help her... yup... Sid Halley, who originally refuses but it'd be a short second half if he didn't change his mind... And thus begins Sid trying to unravel what really happened... But he is not without his own enemies...
I love these books. Whether they contain Sid or not, although having Sid is a bonus, I love the setting - the horse racing - which is always explained for the layman if there is anything key to the plot. Which is good for me being as all I know about it is basic riding skills (and I mean basic) and placing a bet on the National! And the mysteries are always well plotted and ably executed by a cracking cast of interesting and intriguing characters.
I said before that I am not sure how I feel about the ending. I can't go into detail apart from to emphasise that this is in no way any fault of the author apart from writing the book. You'll know when you get there... Suffice to say that, apart from that, I did leave the book wholly satisfied. Yes that does make sense, satisfied and in a slight quandary are not mutually exclusive!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive series. I'm off to try get hold of the audiobook to let (hopefully) Martin Jarvis read it to me. And yes, I read the whole book in his voice!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The 7th book featuring retired jockey Sid Halley, and the 4th by Felix Francis. Imogen Duffy is a 22 year old Irish jockey, at the start of her professional career who gets a massive win at Cheltenham Festival. There is quite a bit about the background to horse racing which, as a non horse racing fan, I found really interesting and it can certainly be as dangerous as the case Sid is having to dealing with!

Briefly, Imogen has a domineering and abusive boyfriend Liam Carson, also a jockey, who is jealous of her success so to escape him she moves to a stables in Lambourn, England. Liam follows her and sets out to destroy her career. But when Imogen is arrested for murder, her father calls in Sid to use his investigative prowess to help prove her innocent. But can he and is she?

Really well written I found this a compelling and exciting read, with themes of coercion, stalking, domestic abuse and mental health, all of which are handled sensitively. A fast moving story, just as fast as the horses galloping around the racecourse, this kept me on the edge of my seat. A very good thriller.

I read all the Dick Francis novels many years ago- they were hard to put down and very gripping! This book, written by his son, is just as compelling and again, I couldn’t put it down! I read it in just 24 hours!
Imogen Duffy is an Irish jockey who is being terrorised and stalked by her ex, another jockey, Liam Carson.
As she tries to get away from him and moves to England, Liam follows her and continues his threatening behaviour!
What happens next makes for a real page turner, with the added bonus of one of Dick Francis’s old detectives making a comeback. Retired jockey, Sid Halley appears in part two of the book and he is just the same as I remember!
Not only is this a great thriller but it contains lots of interesting information about the history of horse racing and all the rules and regulations of the sport which was such fun to read about.
I loved the character of Imogen who narrates the first part of the book in the first person and it was also great to have
Sid’s first person narrative in part 2 and catch up with his present day life.
I definitely recommend this as an exciting thriller and the ending…….. it was completely unexpected!
“Dark Horse” is a five star read and I will certainly keep my eyes peeled for any Felix Francis books in the future. This book was an excellent page turner and I enjoyed once again being immersed in the world of horse racing! Dick Francis thrillers are still compelling reads!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Imogen Duffy is an up-and-coming Irish jump jockey making her mark in steeplechase racing when she discovers she’s being stalked. Convinced the stalker is her estranged ex-boyfriend, she goes to the police, but Liam vehemently denies the accusations–until he’s found dead, stabbed with a knife bearing Imogen’s fingerprints. Imogen’s father, convinced of her innocence, seeks out Sid Halley to ask for his help uncovering the truth. Sid tries to refuse, but when he discovers that the man was one of the doctors who saved his wife’s life when she was shot years prior, Sid agrees to see what he can do for Imogen.
Sid Halley is back! Always the highlight of my reading calendar is the annual release of a new Felix Francis novel & this one is another very well written page turner. I loved Imogen who is an up & coming jockey then her world is turned upside down, enter Sid. There’s intrigue, mystery & suspense as well as twists & turns. I was drawn in from the start & read well into the night to finish it. I’d highly recommend it
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

🐎Spoiler Free Review 🐎

Thanks to @netgalley the author & @bonnierbooks_uk for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. It's been a while since I read any #felixfrancis books so this made a nice change.
It was an enjoyable thriller full of mystery and suspense. It was well-paced and the characters were great. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a thriller that's a bit different from your usual psychological thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.
It is always a pleasure, no a treat, to read something from the Francis stable of horse racing novels but this is by far the best thoroughbred to emerge from Felix Francis for many years. Brilliant, I loved it from beginning to end. More please !

Imogen Duffy is an up and coming Irish Jockey, winning a prestigious race at The Cheltenham Festival. Things are looking good in her professional life but her personal life takes a turn for the worse. Her controlling and manipulative ex-boyfriend Liam Carson is jealous of her success, he won’t take no for an answer and after a violent attack, threatens to kill her.
Desperate to escape him, she flees to England and a job in Lambourn and safety. Her wins increase but Liam follows her and the torment begins again, threatening to leave her life in tatters.
Imogen’s father seeks the help of Sid Halley and he reluctantly agrees to investigate, but when Sid himself receives threats, he finds he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

This was fabulous, I read it in a day, practically in one sitting except for work getting in the way - how rude!
I didn’t read the synopsis before starting so it was a pleasant surprise to find Sid Halley in the pages, he is a great character and stalwart of Francis’ books and it was fun to see where he had got to in his life. It’s a fast paced and thrilling read, domestic violence and coercive control were big themes explored in this book and some may find this difficult reading. I thought it was handled well.
The tension mounts as you read, galloping to a fantastic conclusion.

Another winner from the Francis stable!

Having read all of Dick Francis's books year ago I love that Felix has carried on his style. Great to have Sid back, I had a smile on my face when his name popped up.
Loved the ending, superbly written, completely engrossing. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

I really enjoyed this book. I read a lot of Dick Francis books back in the day and this is the first Felix Francis I have tried, I'm glad I did!
I liked the way it was written, the racing details were interesting and didn't take over too much of the story. I liked the characters especially when SId Halley was introduced and the book turned into more of a thriller. I would definitely read more from this author and I will revisit some of my old Dick Francis books too I think!

This is a brilliant read from the author, set around the horse racing industry in Ireland and Berkshire. Filled with well researched information regarding jockeys, racing and equine facts, it's definitely a must read for fans. I loved the characterisation, as well as all the factual insight to jockey's and horses. The suspense just kept on building right to the twist at the end. It was good to have Sid Halley back investigating too! A powerful novel about controlling relationships and the effect on the victim. Well done Felix Francis for this character driven story, it's an easy 5* from me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Intriguing and engrossing thriller with plenty of surprises.The characters were interesting and believable as was the story.

A really enjoyable read. It is a good job today is a Bank Holiday as I was able to finish the book over the weekend. Sid Halley is a character that I have been reading about for many years and I still enjoy reading about him. I liked the way that the book was split in to two parts with a different character narrating.

It was a terrific read, and a whip smart narrative that holds you from page to page! The characters were great, the story itself was very enjoyable and suspenseful, the setting was fantastic!

You won’t forget this book in a hurry this is a class above your usual psychological thriller! I was so transfixed to the story. It was so good I read it within a few hours! The ending had me gasping in awe!

I’d highly recommend everyone to add this book to your reading list, you won’t be disappointed! A truly gripping psychological thriller!

Dark Horse is the annual horse racing novel from the stable of a Felix Francis and as you expect it is a well paced and page turning novel that races along at a good gallop until a final twist turns everything on its head.

I enjoyed the book, albeit I did work out the ending, however it was good to see Sid Halley return and hopefully he will reappear in future novels despite his retirement.

Enjoyable.

I declare 'Dark Horse' the winner of The Best Book I Have Read This Year stakes! This is the best 'Dick Francis' thriller of the twenty-first century and the best book Felix Francis has ever written.
If some recent 'Dick Francis' thrillers have been rather short on equine content, this one is absolutely overflowing with fast-paced action on the race course, and in the training stables, and is enriched by countless fascinating facts thrown in the mix about the history of various race courses and previous champion jockeys, all from the mind of an author who has lived his entire family life amongst the award-winning equine community.
The plot centres on a young female jockey, Imogen, who is under threat from an ex-partner, a fellow jockey. It is full of suspense and intrigue and clever twists and turns and what a thrill it is to meet Sid Hailey again - my all-time favourite character from all the 'Dick Francis' novels (and I have read every single one of them) - plus! A fabulous twist in the tale denouement: who would ask for more in a book?!