Flying Finish (Francis Thriller)

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Like many of Britain's noble families, Henry's has fallen on hard times financially. The massive family home is ancient and falling into disrepair. His parents and elder sisters expect Henry to do the right thing and marry some wealthy heiress who will bail out the family, but Henry wants no part of it and constantly avoids the young women that his mother keeps throwing at him. According to a columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Francis "writes believable fairy tales for adults—ones in which the actors are better than we are but are believable enough to make us wonder if indeed we could not one day manage to emulate them." [28] Writing routine [ edit ] His first novel, Dead Cert, was adapted as a film under the same title in 1974. Directed by Tony Richardson, it starred Scott Antony, Judi Dench and Michael Williams. [35] It was adapted again as Favorit (a Soviet made-for-television movie) in 1976. [36] In 1983, the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in England "stood at the brink of extinction," according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. News reporter Don Clippinger wrote,

a b c d "Obituary: Mary Francis". The Times. 6 October 2000 . Retrieved 18 October 2009. [ dead link] But more than that, Francis's heroes are rational human beings. The choices made are rational choices directed by a firm objective philosophy that belies all of Francis's novels. The dialogue is clear and touched with humor no matter the intensity of evil that the hero faces. The hero's thoughts reveal a vulnerability that is touching, while his actions are always based on doing the right thing to achieve justice. Or, as independently wealthy Tor Kelsey says in The Edge, explaining why he works for a minuscule salary: "I work... because I like it, I'm not all that bad at what I do, really, and it's useful, and I'm not terribly good at twiddling my thumbs." [29] Collaboration [ edit ] Neil Griffon, formerly antique dealer, then business consultant, acting as temporary trainer whilst his father is hospitalised I liked the way Henry matures and learns to open himself up to others; by the end he is a changed man. The plot is overly complicated and almost doesn't work, but the final chapters were so believably terrifying that I found my heart pounding right up to the Flying Finish.Mott, Sue (20 November 2004). "It was terrible to be told that the Queen Mother wanted me to retire". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 September 2012. Francis combines his passions for horses and flying in this book (he was a flyer in World War II).Grey manages to fly and land a DC 4,with which he is not familiar.Scarcely believable,but makes for good entertainment. Blind Chance" (first appeared as "Twenty-one Good Men and True" in Verdict of Thirteen: A Detection Club Anthology, 1979)

And when Grey discovers that both his predecessors also went missing in curious circumstances, he begins to doubt the wisdom of his career change. There are several series woven into the fabric of Francis's work: notably the Sid Halley and Kit Fielding series. Henry Grey is an earl's son,but he doesn't want a title.He'd rather take a dirty and dangerous job as a groom,transporting horses by air,much to the chagrin of his family. Philip, Robert (5 April 2002). "Grand National: Devon Loch's place in history". The Telegraph . Retrieved 18 October 2009. Royal Society of Literature All Fellows". Royal Society of Literature. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010 . Retrieved 8 August 2010.In January, he sits down to write, staring down the barrel of a deadline. "My publisher comes over in mid-May to collect the manuscript," he says, "and it's got to be done." He shuns the lecture circuit. He'd prefer to let his novels and his sales volume speak for themselves... And though he doesn't love the act of writing [and] could easily retire, he finds himself planning his new book as each summer ends. Henry also has a secret. Every Sunday he disappears and no one knows where he goes or what he does.