Novels

Field of Thirteen
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Date of Publication: 1998 (PB)

Publisher: Fawcett Crest

Foreign Titles:

Setting:

Synopsis:
With his remarkable blend of unrelenting suspense, finely tuned narrative, and lean, stylish prose, Dick Francis's thrillers have led readers to the winner's circle year after year. From his very first novel, Dead Cert, to his most recent, 10 lb. Penalty, the three-time Edgar Award winner has treated his fans to a world of equine thrills and human frailty in a string of bestsellers of unparalleled excellence. But with Field of Thirteen, Dick Francis takes on his biggest challenge yet.

In this superbly crafted collection of short stories--many of them new and never before published--the settings range from a spring race meeting at Cheltenham, where a middle-aged owner falls hopelessly in love with her jockey, to a running of the Grand National interrupted by a bomb scare, to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, where demon drink and wilting willpower take their toll. Dick Francis's fans have a wonderful treat in store—thirteen tightly-knotted plots to marvel at, thirteen sets of classic Francis characters to admire, and thirteen stings of the tail to gasp over.

Field of Thirteen proves Dick Francis is as much the master of the short story as he is of the novel.

Stories:
Raid at Kingdom Hill, 1975.
Dead on Red, 1998.
Song for Mona, 1998.

A selfish, social-climbing daughter tries to keep the identity of her lower-class Welsh groom mother a secret.

Bright White Star, 1979.
Collison Course, 1998.
Nightmare, 1974. (Ellery Queen, June, 1975.)
Carrot for a Chestnut, 1970. (Sports Illustrated, January 5, 1970; reprinted in Ellery Queen, February, 1973.)
The Gift, 1973. (Winter's Crimes 5, 1973.)
Spring Fever, 1980.

A jockey and a trainer conspire to cheat a besotted owner out of 12,000£.

Blind Chance, 1979.
Corkscrew, 1998.
The Day of the Losers, 1977. (Horse and Hound, February, 1977; reprinted in Ellery Queen, September 9, 1981.)
Haig's Death, 1998.

Main Characters:

Professions:
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Comes after: 10lb. Penalty

Villain and Motives: Spoilers! Click here to reveal the villain!

Quotes:

Quiz:
highlight the area beneath the question to discover the answer

1. .

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Related Links:
Putnam's Field of 13
Ed's Review

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