Felix Francis helped his father, Dick Francis, research several novels, eventually co-authoring four, and assumed full authorship for four more novels after Dick Francis died. Front Runner uses the same character and plot formulae his father made successful: Strong male lead physically and morally brave, lonely and wistful about love; villain willing to kill; British horse racing setting; guy meets attractive lady early in the novel; extreme danger.
The author’s genius is that even though the plot is familiar, we get intrigued and have to keep reading. Francis adds enough twists and false trails that we can’t be sure we spot the villain. (In fact, I thought it was someone else.) We can admire the main character and Francis shows him with enough failings to be realistic, not a flat 2D hero type, and the villains are also well done, complete people with good points and bad.
I enjoyed Front Runner but Felix’s novels are darker, with more nuanced heroes, more moral ambiguity than his father’s were. I can’t read more than one Felix novel every year or so and don’t care to purchase any, but have his dad’s oeuvre on my shelf downstairs.
For example, Jeff Hinkley, investigator for British horse racing authorities, asks matter-of-factly why someone hadn’t gotten an abortion. Later he kills a man in self defense. His father’s heroes managed to win without killing their adversaries and every one of them had a strong sense of hope. These differences seem small but are part of an overall darker, less engaging mood and less enjoyable sense of place and character.
4 Stars
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