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Hands Down
- Dick Francis Novels, Book 11
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
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Hands Down
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Summary
Sid Halley, a private investigator, has a new left hand, having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal. After receiving death threats, an ex-jockey trainer friend calls Sid to ask for his help, but Sid has his own problems to deal with, like recovering from surgery and saving his crumbling marriage.
When his friend’s stable yard is torched, horses killed and the friend is found dead, Sid can only blame himself for not helping sooner. The police think it’s suicide, but Sid is not convinced after his friend’s terrified phone calls. Heavy with a guilty heart, Sid starts to investigate and soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of the integrity of British horse racing.
Can Sid figure out what happened to his friend, or will he be the next one that the killer targets?
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What listeners say about Hands Down
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert C. Prior
- 02-04-24
Great narration with good plot
After a couple of books that did not live up to high expectations this was very good and I really enjoyed.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patriciajackson
- 02-11-22
Loved it
Another enjoyable story and well read by Martin Jarvis
Look forward to the next one
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-08-24
Terrible narration.
Not the best from Dicks son, but an OK follow up of Sid. But Martin Jarvis is dreadful. I stopped listening twice and only persevered because I like Sid Halley stories. But it was tortulous going as a listen. Terrible narration. Jarvis is a dreadful replacement for the utterly brilliant Tony Britton. His volume control is lamentable, tailing off sentences to a whisper, then shouting. Spoiled the book for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane Austin
- 12-05-23
Good story well told.
I enjoyed the story with its twist and turns and especially how Sid coped with the transplant hand. Martin
Read it well too.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Beth Noray
- 13-08-24
It’s not Dick Francis
Not a bad story but it’s just not Dick, not as tense & exciting, hero not as likeable. I still have to stay up to find out what happens when I listen to a true Dick Francis, not so with Felix.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 23-01-24
Not a vintage Francis novel
I have been a fan of Dick Francis novels for longer than I want to remember and thought Felix Francis has developed a number of good novels to the series. However, whilst the storyline in parts is very strong this is due to the amount of detail and how it appertains to the plot at a particular moment in time. Unfortunately I found the description to be plodding and has the suspense of sitting in a comfy armchair with slippers on. There is all the description of how Sid's right arm or plastic prosthesis is replaced with a transplant at the beginning, with all the relevant detail and his feelings and his wife's feelings on the matter but I just felt what has this to do with the genre Francis is writing about? It might make a character more human but I found parts irritating. I enjoyed Sid Halley's previous outings but just couldn't read this with the same anticipation.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sally-Anne Caunter
- 28-12-22
Typical Francis book
Full of twists and turns, set in the background racing. Great to listen to. Up to the usual Francis standard.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- M C French
- 21-02-23
Good story, miscast poor performance
Although Felix Francis isn’t his father his books are
generally a “good read” and those set in the racing world have a colourful sense of place. Racing, and it’s world is popular and plays an important place in current times and is fertile territory for good stories. However Martin Jarvis, a good actor for his time, is sadly badly miscast, making them feel horribly old fashioned and leaden. Perhaps he is used again and again out of a sense of loyalty and being the nearest person to Tony Britten there is, (even he would not be right today)but he doesn’t bring any life, vibrancy or truth to the characters. I feel like I’ve been yanked back to the 50s or 60s. I know it’s important to satisfy long time Francis followers but if this continues there is little
chance of gathering any new readers / listeners. Be brave. Cast a younger actor!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- N. Dyne
- 25-10-22
standard Francis but Jarvis is TOO smooth
Felix has written better but it is classic formula Francis. I usually love Martin Jarvis as a narrator (esp Just William) but he's too middle class comfortable and smooth. the personal relationship voice he uses is almost unlistenable. Sid Halley is rendered a partner of no standing. we would all leave the pathetic lovelorn puppy.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Emma
- 13-06-24
Sid is 49 not 82!
Martin Jarvis is 82 - he’s reading a character approaching 50. He sounds too old, and his delivery doesn’t match the character of Sid. It’s a shame as a younger and less-RP voice would give this story more of an edge.
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