Status
Available
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Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Thirty-four-year-old Derek Franklin, recovering from a race injury, is thrown into familial chaos when his older brother Greville dies from a bizarre, seemingly random accident. With little more to go on than his brother's expensive toys and a few vague diary entries, Derek becomes more and more convinced that his very straight brother was brought down by some crooked men.
User reviews
LibraryThing member stephanie_M
Another jockey. A dead brother. A broken ankle. Precious stones. Semiprecious as well. Missing diamonds. Repeated attacks. A great plot twist. A Stellar ending.
LibraryThing member Jean_Sexton
I always enjoy the stand-alone mysteries of Dick Francis. They always have a tie to the world of horse racing, the hero is a decent person, and the author plays fair with the reader. Straight was no exception.
In this novel, the jockey is unexpectedly tossed into the deep end of the pool of the
If you enjoy mysteries, this should be on your list to read if you haven't already.
In this novel, the jockey is unexpectedly tossed into the deep end of the pool of the
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world of gemology when his brother dies unexpectedly. There are so many questions to be answered: did the brother really buy diamonds (not something he usually bought), is there something going on with the race horse the brother owned, is there something going on related to his brother's job as a magistrate, and just who is making the hero's life so difficult? The author plays absolutely fair in solving all of those questions. This quotation sums up the book nicely: "I inherited my brother’s life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother’s life, and it nearly killed me."If you enjoy mysteries, this should be on your list to read if you haven't already.
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LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
As Derek Franklin, an injured steeplechase jockey, nears the end of his career, he is thrust into trouble and mayhem by the accidental death of his older brother, Greville. "I inherited my brother's desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress," Derek says. "I inherited
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my brother's life, and it nearly killed me." With danger besetting him from unknown directions, Derek's only hope of survival is to identify the enemy. But Greville, whose life had as many facets as the gemstones he imported, had left behind more philosophizing than useful clues. "The bad scorn the good," Greville wrote, "and the crooked despise the straight." Derek Franklin must call on all his stamina and endurance to make the final, straight run in his brother's life - without losing his own... Show Less
LibraryThing member monado
In Straight, the hero's much older brother dies unexpectedly, leaving everything to the younger brother and making him the executor of the will. The younger, a steeplechase jockey, suddenly finds himself with a gemstone wholesale business, a mistress, a mystery, and assorted enemies. The young man
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tries to keep the business going as he learns it, to foil the enemies, to keep his cool with the mistress, and to find the missing diamonds. Show Less
LibraryThing member tripleblessings
Jockey Derek Franklin suddenly inherits his brother's business as a dealer in semi-precious stones, and discovers dangerous secrets. Fascinating background, strong emotional impact, likeable hero. One of my favourites.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
This one is diamonds - I like it. I like both Derek and Grenville - neat how we find out about him without ever really meeting him. It's also interesting how the attacks come from different enemies with different motivations - Derek keeps trying to make sense of them as one thing and it ain't. No
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father thing - well, sort of between Derek and Grenville, almost a generation between them - and Derek doesn't end up with the girl (extraordinary for a Francis!). Not one of my favorites, but I like it. Show Less
LibraryThing member LA12Hernandez
I love Gem stones and was impressed with myself on how much I knew about them. Once again a book that draws you in and lets you live there for a while.
LibraryThing member auntieknickers
Jockey Derek Franklin inherits a business when his elder brother dies in a suspicious accident. Then he discovers missing jewels, a lover he didn't know his brother had, and many other things. Fascinating look into the world of gemstone dealers combined with Francis's usual excellent plotting.
LibraryThing member golfjr
One of the best Francis books
LibraryThing member AmberMcWilliams
As thoroughly readable as Francis always is. You get sucked into the story and devour it in a sitting if thrillers are your thing - as they are mine. This one deals in death, despair and diamonds, and is a cracking read.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
Champion steeplechase jockey Derek Franklin is nursing a broken ankle caused by a fall and an encounter with a horse's hoof when he receives a call that his much older brother Greville was in hospital after some scaffolding fell on him in Ipswich.
Derek and Greville had reconnected only a few years
Greville was a gem merchant with his own firm. Derek has inherited it and all of his other property including his two race horses. When he learns that his brother had purchased a number of diamonds for a famed jeweler, all of the employees at the firm are surprised. The firm didn't deal in diamonds. Worse yet, the diamonds are missing and the loan payment for them is coming due.
The racehorses are also a problem. They are kept with noted trainer Nicholas Loder. But Derek as a jockey can't own racehorses. Derek gets bad vibes from Loder when he phones him to discuss the horses. Loder is angry and also frightened.
This gives Derek two different mysteries to solve and someone doesn't want him to solve either of them. Besides an attack when he is leaving the hospital after his brother's death, he also has to deal with break-ins at the business and at Greville's home. Then there is the car accident when the man chauffeuring Derek and a couple of horse owners from a race. The driver is killed and it as a near thing for Derek who is trapped in the car.
The story was fast-paced and entertaining. Derek was a wonderful character who is bright and observant and out of his depth trying to run his brother's business. Like many of Dick Francis's characters, he is an honorable and bright man dropped into a difficult situation.
Derek and Greville had reconnected only a few years
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earlier. The nineteen year age gap was difficult for them to overcome until Derek became an adult himself. Recently, though, they had been meeting for occasional dinners and exchanging occasional phone calls. Derek rushes to Ipswich to be present when Greville passes away. Then he has to try to settle the affairs of a man who was known for keeping secrets.Greville was a gem merchant with his own firm. Derek has inherited it and all of his other property including his two race horses. When he learns that his brother had purchased a number of diamonds for a famed jeweler, all of the employees at the firm are surprised. The firm didn't deal in diamonds. Worse yet, the diamonds are missing and the loan payment for them is coming due.
The racehorses are also a problem. They are kept with noted trainer Nicholas Loder. But Derek as a jockey can't own racehorses. Derek gets bad vibes from Loder when he phones him to discuss the horses. Loder is angry and also frightened.
This gives Derek two different mysteries to solve and someone doesn't want him to solve either of them. Besides an attack when he is leaving the hospital after his brother's death, he also has to deal with break-ins at the business and at Greville's home. Then there is the car accident when the man chauffeuring Derek and a couple of horse owners from a race. The driver is killed and it as a near thing for Derek who is trapped in the car.
The story was fast-paced and entertaining. Derek was a wonderful character who is bright and observant and out of his depth trying to run his brother's business. Like many of Dick Francis's characters, he is an honorable and bright man dropped into a difficult situation.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Steeplechase jockey Derek Franklin is newly recovering from a broken ankle as a result of a fall and being stepped on by a horse when he receives a call that his much older brother Greville has suffered an accident and isn't expected to live. He rushes to his brother's side and is there when he
He finds his brother's gem business and struggles to make sense of it. It is especially hard when he learns that his brother has secretly bought diamonds for one of his major clients. Greville's staff insists that they don't deal in diamonds and the bank is looking for its repayment of the loan. Derek needs to get into the twisty mind of his brother who loved puzzles and misdirection in order to find the diamonds.
He also learns that his brother was a magistrate in the process of a hearing to confirm or deny a person a license to race. One of his fellow magistrates insists that Greville had testimony essential to the hearing which he asks Derek to find.
Derek faces all sorts of attacks from a mugging when he leaves the hospital after Greville's death to a couple of burglaries to a shooting on the road that kills the car's driver and causes a massive pile-up.
Through it all, Derek is learning more about the brother that he barely knew and more about the people he dealt with. I really enjoyed this story about a man out of his depth but not in a situation beyond his abilities.
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passes away. He reflects that he doesn't know much about his brother's life and doesn't know who to contact.He finds his brother's gem business and struggles to make sense of it. It is especially hard when he learns that his brother has secretly bought diamonds for one of his major clients. Greville's staff insists that they don't deal in diamonds and the bank is looking for its repayment of the loan. Derek needs to get into the twisty mind of his brother who loved puzzles and misdirection in order to find the diamonds.
He also learns that his brother was a magistrate in the process of a hearing to confirm or deny a person a license to race. One of his fellow magistrates insists that Greville had testimony essential to the hearing which he asks Derek to find.
Derek faces all sorts of attacks from a mugging when he leaves the hospital after Greville's death to a couple of burglaries to a shooting on the road that kills the car's driver and causes a massive pile-up.
Through it all, Derek is learning more about the brother that he barely knew and more about the people he dealt with. I really enjoyed this story about a man out of his depth but not in a situation beyond his abilities.
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Original publication date
1989
Other editions
Straight by Dick Francis (Paperback)
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