Bill W (USA: CA) (2010/10/20): I read many Dick Francis mysteries in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. I admired his intimate knowledge of all facets of horse racing and his able plotting. In time, I lost interest because his characters were, in the main, one-dimensional and a bit too pat. “Field of Thirteen” is a collection of Francis’ short stories, written mainly in the ‘70’s. In the short story format, one-dimensional characters are pretty much the norm, and the plot’s the thing, so I thought I’d enjoy these more. I unfortunately found most of the 13 stories to be rather routine. Having just put the book down (it was my “waiting room” read for a couple of weeks) I can only recall the plots of three or four. Francis seldom wanders far from the racecourse, and when he does (as in his story that involves the American legal system) the results are disastrous. Perhaps I just need to attend more steeplechases to get full enjoyment.
