Customer Reviews
Disappointing--and illuminating - By: Sophie Masson, 03 Nov 2008 
Like many other reviewers here, I've read all of Dick Francis' earlier thrillers--many of them more than once, they're that good--and have always enjoyed the deft writing, crisp pace, vivid sense of the racing world, interesting characters, intricate plots, & sophisticated atmosphere. I was so looking forward to this one. Alas! this book was like a pale shadow of former glories. Gone is the deftness, vividness, sophistication, interest & intricacy. The writing's plodding, not to say dull. Poor old Sid Halley--who's popped upin 3 other books--is like a lumpen version of his former self, the plot goes all over the place, & the pace simply isn't there. It got so boring I simply gave up, & I've never done that with a Dick Francis.
But it also illuminated something for me. I remember reading a few years ago that there was a rumour Dick Francis' wife Mary had ghostwritten his books-using his research & rich knowledge of the racing world. It was a genuine collaboration. What's more, when she died, he said he wouldn't write any more. I wasn't sure whether to believe the story or not--Then 6 years later, along comes this one--and now I'm absolutely sure Mary Francis was the writing hand, that it's her deftness, crispness, etc--a certain lightness of touch--that wasin those books, based on her husband's knowledge & understanding of racing. Apparently Dick Francis actually wanted his wife credited on the books but it was she who didn't want it, saying people wanted a Dick Francis, not a Dick & Mary Francis.
I belive Felix, Dick Francis' son, is now helping him--and he's credited on the most recent books--so hopefully things might get better--if he's got his mother's talent. But I don't know if I dare find out!Oh well, back to the old favourites!
Not so much a fast gallop as a sedate walk. - By: Sunnie Gill, 29 Apr 2008 
Dick Francis has been a hugely successful author over a period of thirty years & has a devoted following. It has been many years since I read any of his novels which I used to enjoy. However, I found myself struggling with UNDER ORDERS. I'm not sure if my tastes have changed or if Mr Francis is not at the top of his gamein this novel. There seemed to be a great deal of over-explaining which slowed the pace down. There was a lot of detail about the racing industry & online betting; more than I felt I needed to know. Nor was it really necessary to know the detailed back-story of nearly every major character who appearedin the book.. There was also much made of the fact that Sid has an artificial arm. We were told the history of how he lost his arm & his battle to come to terms with it. As this is the fourthin the Sid Halley series, I'm sure regular readers knew all this before & for a first time reader, it wasn't all necessary. I had fond memories of earlier Dick Francis novels but sadly, UNDER ORDERS didn't live up to those memories.
Francis has gone off the boil - By: Ms. Sv Lewis-morgan, 25 Feb 2008 For many years I looked forward eagerly to the year's Dick Francis book. They were always good, stirring stuff. So I was keen to read his latest offering - but I wish I hadn't bothered. There was obviously a good plotin there somewhere, but the writing was laboured & poorly edited. I was hugely disappointed that one of my favourite authors should churn out something so poor.
A Hearty Welcome Back to the Author - By: J. Chippindale, 16 Dec 2007 
When Dick Francis stopped writing for personal reasons, which need not be mentioned here. It left a huge void, that was never really filled, although there are many authors with a horse racing background, writing books today. Most of them are very good, but none of them have the magic touch of Dick Francis. This is Dick Francis's first novel for six years. Before that he had writtenin excess of 35 novels. Many short stories, his autobiography & the biography of arguably the greatest jockey that ever lived, Lester Piggott.
Under Orders is a classic Dick Francis Thriller, with all of the elements that only he seems able to supply. It is the day of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, former champion jockey, turned sleuth knows the perils of racing only too well, butin his day, jockeys didn't usually reach the finishing line with three pistol roundsin the chest. But this is exactly how he finds Huw Walker, who only a couple of races earlier has won the coveted Triumph Hurdle.
Shortly before the horrific discovery, Halley had been called by lord Enstone to make enquiries into why his horses, however favoured or fit they happened to be were on a permanent losing streak. Is there a dangerous game being played by trainers & jockeys? Are they fixing races? Is doping involved? All of these things are a possibility & it's up to Halley to come up with the answer as he is drawn ever deeper into the darker side of the racing world . . .
Welcome back, Dick - By: Rivercassini, 27 Oct 2007 
I enjoyed this latest outing from a thriller writer who has become somewhat of an institutionin the crime genre. Its six years since Francis' last book, & about forty years since his first, & certainly his style & approach have changed. There is more politics & more social commentaryin this book than I rememberin any of this others and, as some other reviewers have mentioned, it does feel at times a little ham-fisted & simplistic. But it is also minimal & easily disregarded. What Under Orders does havein its favour is all the classic elements of a great Francis thriller. Fast paced (once you get past the first 50 pages or so), well-plotted, convincing & credible, Under Orders may not be Francis' best, but it is still very good.
Sid Halley - the crippled ex-jockey hero of three previous novels - is quickly embroiledin a tale of race fixing, jealously, adulterous affairs & double murder. Characterisation has never been Francis' strong point, but who cares. Sid is vulnerable & invincible, & surely this is just what is neededin a private detective from the Francis' stable.
Under Orders isn't profound, it isn't life-changing, it isn't polemic & it isn't edifying. But it doesn't pretend to be either. It is a rare bookin that it does exactly what it says on the tin - pure entertainment. And it does that very, very well.
