Francis, Dick: Reflex

REFLEX was written by Dick Francis in 1980. Mike Allport illustrated the book. Dick Francis (1920 - ), once Champion Jockey himself, is famous for his many bestselling thrillers set in the world of horse-racing. His novel REFLEX won the Edgar Allen Poe Mystery Prize for 1981.

The book tells the mystery about the photographer George Millace who died in a car crash. When Philip Nore begins to learn about George Millace`s secrets, he realizes that his own life is in danger.

PHILIP NORE is the main character in this book and he tells his story in the first person. He has been riding horses for many years and he always wants to win. But sometimes he is told to lose, he doesn`t like this and he never takes money for losing. He has reached a turning point in his life. He knows that he can`t ride horses for ever, but what shall he do afterwards? He doesn`t even know if horses are his passion, however, he tells himself he loves them. His great passion is photography by which he gets to know George Millace`s mystery. Solving this mystery makes him stronger and older. He gets ready to change his life.

Photographs help you to remember things that happened in the past. That`s nice, sometimes. But there are some things that people don`t want to remember, some things that they want to keep secret. And if someone has photographs of other people`s secrets, what does he do with them? Secrets can be bought and sold - especially in the world of horse-racing, where large amounts of money change hands frequently and quickly.

George Millace is a photographer. He is good at taking photographs of other people`s secrets and he has a clever way of hiding his photographs. He dies suddenly in a car accident. Philijp Nore accidentally finds his "box of photographic rubbish". Steve Millace says that his father wanted to remember his worst mistakes. Philip keeps the box.

Worst mistakes? Philip develops one negative and he understands why George has kept the negatives. The photo shows two men who said that they had never met each other. One of the men, Elgin Yaxley, owned five expensive horses which were shot dead. He received a lot of money. Philip also understands why burglars broke into George`s house and why George`s house has been set on fire. Someone wants to destroy the negatives which he has found in the rubbish box.

He develops another negative, which shows a man and a girl kissing. A man and a girl who pretend to be father and daughter. Uncovering the mystery Philip learns that he is the only person who doesn`t want to destroy the photographs. He realizes that his own life is in danger. When they find out that he has got the photographs they will try to kill him, but he has another plan.

I like this book very much. When you read it, you have to concentrate, because many questions are left open. You are curious what the answer, the solution will be. You think, now you will know it all, but you have to read the book till the end if you want to know everything. It`s exciting and I like this kind of book.

The speed, the excitement and the danger of the world of horse-races come out in the way the story is told and written. You gain an insight into a jockey`s life and that there`s a lot of money at stake. It is not only a book for persons who love horses, but for anyone who wants to have an exciting and thrilling hour.

(614 Wörter)