Guilty Not Guilty

The other day I was idly looking through our blogs to remind myself of some of the books we’ve reviewed in the year or so since our book group started. And I noticed that one crime writer we’ve never mentioned is Dick Francis.

For 25 years or more I read all his books. They are mostly set in the world of horse racing, which was a whole new world to me and I found them really interesting (gripping even!) and very enjoyable. They were well written with great plots, good heroes, lots of twists and turns and a wonderful atmosphere.

In Dick Francis’s final years he wrote four books with his younger son, Felix, who since his father’s death in 2010, writes books in his own name but which are published with the subtitle: A Dick Francis Novel.

Like father, like son?
I read a few of Felix Francis’s first solo-books, but felt they lacked something. Not just an intimate knowledge of the racing world (the lack of which showed in the writing) but also some of the previous style and flair.

Recently our book group got hold of the latest Felix Francis book: Guilty Not Guilty. I thought I’d give it a try and found myself pleasantly surprised! It was actually really quite good.

The plot
The main character is Bill Russell. A volunteer horse racing steward in his free time, and an insurance actuary in his professional life. One day, at the Warwick races, he has to confront his worst nightmare, when he’s informed of the violent murder of his much-loved wife. But worse is to come. He’s taken in by the police for questioning in connection with her murder.

Hounded mercilessly by the media he’s ‘tried and found guilty’ by the press in a matter of hours, despite the lack of facts or evidence. Bill’s life begins to unravel completely as he loses his job and is in danger of losing his home too. Even his best friends, and some of his family, turn against him, believing him guilty despite there being no evidence.

As Bill sets out to clear his name, he discovers that proving one’s innocence isn’t easy. After some casting about he manages at last to find CCTV evidence that gives him a rock-solid alibi and proves he was elsewhere at the time of the murder. Obviously, the police should have found this but they’d only been interested in finding evidence against Bill, not in looking for other suspects.

The downside of finding the evidence that clears him puts Bill squarely in the sights of the real killer who, until then, had thought he’d got away with the murder scot-free. In the ensuing struggle, and with no help whatsoever from the police, Bill nearly loses his life.

So is it good?
As I said earlier, I actually liked this book. It’s pretty well written and the plot moves along nicely. And about halfway through it suddenly takes an unexpected turn and becomes a courtroom drama, which I liked.

I also liked the hapless and deeply traumatised Bill, and his QC brother who believes in his innocence and stands by him. The police are well described, as they often are in fiction, as being only intent on finding evidence against Bill and not bothering to look for other suspects until he himself finds his alibi.

As in so many books, the press is described as utterly vile and unscrupulous. Some of the other characters, in particular the perpetrator, were rather clichéd.

But all in all, not a bad book. And all the better for having virtually no horse racing connection, for which Felix Francis (in my opinion!) has no flair. I give it 3.5 Stars.

Review by: Freyja