Field of Thirteen

Written by Dick Francis

Narrated by Tony Britton

A superbly crafted collection of thirteen tightly plotted tales that treats readers to murder, mystery, and mayhem in the world of horseracing.

With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis proves that he
is as much a master of the short story as he is of the novel in this thrilling collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705071434

Reviews for Field of Thirteen

[hhornblower_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I tend to avoid short story collections (can't really say why, just biased towards novels I guess) and I hadn't realized this was a such a book. Well, I'm going to have to adjust my attitude. Granted, I am a fan of Mr. Francis, but found these stories completely enjoyable and occasionally heart-wrenching.

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most of Dick Francis' mysteries set in or around the sport of horseracing were full-length novels, but he did occasionally write short stories for publication in various magazines. This is a collection of 13 of those, written at various times and for various publications. Francis added short header notes to each story giving a little of the background or inspiration, or indicating when something had been updated. Generally speaking, they range from okay to good, but I still prefer his longer works.My brief notes on each:Raid at Kingdom Hill — A seemingly straightforward tale of villainy through a bomb threat at a racecourse turns twisty as all sorts of people look to cash in.Dead on Red — A professional assassin goes to the races.Song for Mona — The meek may not inherit the earth, but sometimes they get their revenge.Bright White Star — A trainer, a tramp, and a tale of "what goes 'round, comes round'.Collision Course — Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel.Nightmare — Crime pays just fine most of the time, but once in a while the good guys win one.Carrot for a Chestnut — A chain of conspiracy is only as strong as its weakest link.The Gift — An alcoholic sportswriter gets the tip of a lifetime at the Kentucky Derby — if only he can stay sober enough to write it.Spring Fever — An older woman's crush on her young jockey is paid back with treachery.Blind Chance — Sometimes you don't have to watch the ponies run to know who wins.Corkscrew — Drawing straight with crooked lines is sometimes the only way for justice to be served.The Day of the Losers — Racing is full of winners and losers, and they aren't always who they seem to be.Haig's Death — The butterfly effect plays out at the racecourse.

[ajlewis2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I abandoned the book half-way through, because unfortunately I really don't like short stories very much. The 7 that I read were good as short stories go. I read Dick Francis novels many years ago and enjoyed them, so I decided to give these stories a try. This book deserves an explanation of why someone would drop it, so there you have it. Good writing and stories, but just too short for me. I should have known better.

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read all of Dick Francis so I know I've read this before but it was a good book to listen to on audio as it is short stories. And I'd forgotten them all so the repeat was no problem. Very enjoyable.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Collection of short stories chiefly with racing backgrounds as usual with Francis. Some have the rather tiresome "short story" twist endings which I dislike.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these stories. With moods from O'Henry to Du Maurier, they were each of them absorbing, well told and most had a good twist to them. I have read a few mysteries by Dick Francis, so I knew he wrote good novels. It's nice to know that his short stories are top notch as well.

[wdwilson3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read many Dick Francis mysteries in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. I admired his intimate knowledge of all facets of horse racing and his able plotting. In time, I lost interest because his characters were, in the main, one-dimensional and a bit too pat. “Field of Thirteen” is a collection of Francis’ short stories, written mainly in the ‘70’s. In the short story format, one-dimensional characters are pretty much the norm, and the plot’s the thing, so I thought I’d enjoy these more. I unfortunately found most of the 13 stories to be rather routine. Having just put the book down (it was my “waiting room” read for a couple of weeks) I can only recall the plots of three or four. Francis seldom wanders far from the racecourse, and when he does (as in his story that involves the American legal system) the results are disastrous. Perhaps I just need to attend more steeplechases to get full enjoyment.

[monado_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These are nicely written stories by Dick Francis. They show his interest in how people think and feel, what makes them "tick." He recalls magazines asking him to write a story; and when he asked what it should be about, they'd say, "About 3 000 words" or "About 5 000 words." The stories are- "Raid at Kingdom Hill"- "Dead on Red"- "Song for Mona"- "Bright White Star"- "Collision Course"- "Nightmare"- "Carrot for a Chestnut"- "The Gift" (published as "The Day of Wine and Roses"}- "Spring Fever"- "Blind Chance"- "Corkscrew"- "The Day of the Losers"- "Haig's Death"

[tripleblessings_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thirteen short stories set in the world of horse racing. Some are mysteries, some are suspense, or have a twist ending. Good light reading.