About the Author
Dick Francis was born in Wales in 1920. Because his father was a jockey and a stable manager, Francis grew up around horses, and after a stint as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II, he became a steeplechase jockey himself, turning professional in 1948. Francis noted in his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, that he would probably be remembered as the man who didn t win the National, the prestigious English steeplechase race; while riding for the Queen Mother in the 1956 National, his horse, in the lead and expected to win, faltered just yards from the finish line. Of course, Francis made that prediction before he began writing bestselling thrillers. When he retired from racing in 1957, Francis went to work as a racing correspondent for the Sunday Express, a London paper. In the early sixties, he decided to combine his love of mysteries with his knowledge of the racing world, and published Dead Cert in 1962. Every year since then, on average, Francis has produced another best-selling thriller. Set mostly in the racing world, his other mysteries include Forfeit, Blood Sport, Slay-ride, Odds Against, Flying Finish, Smoke Screen, High Stakes, and Long Shot. Francis s For Kicks received the Silver Dagger award from Britain s Crime Writers Association and the Gold Dagger for Whip Hand; he also received the Diamond Dagger award in 1990. He has been honored by the Mystery Writers of America, as well, receiving Edgar awards for Come to Grief and Forfeit, and, in 1996, the designation Grand Master. Francis lives in the British West Indies; however, he and his wife travel extensively to attend races, to research his books, and to visit their sons in England.
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