Dick Francis's Refusal

Last seen in Under Orders (2006), Sid Halley—ex-jockey, ex-PI—is forced back into sleuthing to protect himself, his family and friends, and, ultimately, the British racing world from the deadly machinations of a bookmaker thug ring. Ulster murderer Billy McCusker is rigging races, using barn burning, blackmail, incrimination, extortion, and murder to force jockeys to ride to his dictates. But McCusker hits an obstacle when he tries to control Sid by terrorizing his family. Halley uses his prosthetic left hand, his stouthearted Welsh wits, and his friendships to protect and prevail. The promise of a hand transplant (to replace the one Halley lost in a riding accident) inspires guilty hope for rain, which increases the risk of fatal motorcycle accidents and a possible donor. Does Halley succeed? Does it ever rain in springtime in southern England?