First time reading Felix Francis, but have always enjoyed Dick Francis. This didn't disappoint. Great characters, story/plot, and pacing. Will definitely be reading more from Felix Francis. #Syndicate #NetGalley

A fun thriller in the classic Francis style…

I’ve long liked Dick Francis’ books, which always had some sort of tie-in to horses and horse racing. And that made for good, usually somewhat thriller-ish, mysteries. But I liked his books even more for their amazingly detailed backgrounds in a variety of businesses – and most of the time he had a different setting for each book. My mind simply boggles at the amount of research that takes. Sometimes the business was simply racing itself, but more often it was in some other area that was closely aligned to racing, such as transporting the horses to their races, or making the art glass sculptures used for race trophies, or providing the wine and spirits for racing parties. And while reading Francis’ books, I’ve painlessly learned about a lot of different industries, which was just plain fun, and has also helped me in more than one game of Trivial Pursuit!

Syndicate is written by Dick’s son, Felix Francis, and not by Dick himself, who passed away a while back. But it has the same approach: it’s a thriller set in in the high-stakes world of the syndication of horses for racing and eventually, hopefully, if the horse races well, also for stud. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what that means going in – Felix explains it all without being boring in the least! And as usual with a Francis book, either father or son, I enjoyed the story, but enjoyed the background setting even more.

Sadly, though, I did have one issue with Syndicate, which was that I found the protagonist, Chester Newton, to be rather unlikeable. (To be fair, he did get less annoying toward the end of the book.) I understand that in theory, main characters shouldn’t necessarily have to be likeable to still have a good book. But when I’m reading genre fiction, it’s usually for relaxation and enjoyment, and I DO want the protagonist to be someone I can empathize with. So Newton’s personality was an ongoing niggle. That was enough for me to take away a star, dropping Syndicate from five stars to four. But since I don’t give five stars easily anyway, four stars means Syndicate is still definitely worth reading. And finally, my thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and to Net Galley for the advance review copy.

Chester Newton has built his fortune organizing racehorse syndicates, where top horses are co-owned and managed by several parties. These joint enterprises are high risk and high reward. The stakes only get higher as the syndicates grow larger, and every race means the possibility of complete failure–or ecstatic success. After an anxious morning waiting for the results of the Epsom Derby, the premier flat race in the UK, Chester has an afternoon of explosive triumph–and an evening of total terror. Someone tries to take over one of his syndicates by force and by threats of serious harm to him and his family.
Another well written page turner which flowed when & I was thoroughly enjoying when my enjoyment was spoiled in the second half. I also didn’t warm to Chester but I was glad when he finally got a backbone. Whilst an enjoyable story it wasn’t my favourite
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I've long been a fan of the author and before that his late father, Dick Francis - and even after all those years, for whatever reason, I took a special shine to this book. I even stayed up late one night just because I was at the 90% mark on my e-reader and didn't want to wait till morning to finish it.

My attraction wasn't just the story, although it's a good one; the owner/manager of a racehorse syndicate receives threats to his daughter's life (with actions to back them up) if he doesn't "fix" specific races in which his horses are entered. That part alone captured and held my attention from beginning to end; but sprinkled liberally in the mix were fascinating details about the racing industry, and syndicates in particular (most of which I was clueless about until now).

As a prominent and trusted member of the UK racing community, Chester Newton's reputation is at stake when he finds himself in a most unwelcome situation. After his grown daughter Amanda goes missing - and later turns up drugged but otherwise unharmed - he starts getting calls from an unknown caller that he must follow the caller's instructions or else the next abduction won't end as well. Meantime, his syndicate is doing exceptionally well thanks to a horse named Potassium, who unexpectedly wins the prestigious Epson Downs Derby - just the financial and public relations shot in the arm the syndicate needs to bounce back from its current stagnation. Getting caught fixing a race - or even thinking about it - would bring an end to an illustrious career and life as Chester knows it.

But what to do about it is another matter altogether; he certainly doesn't want to put his daughter's life in danger - nor that of his wife of 25 years, even though they've grown apart over the last several of them, nor Amanda's brother, who comes across as a sort of ne'er-do-well college student with no real purpose in his life.

With Amanda's return, Chester learns the local police have little interest in the case (after all, she wasn't really harmed - just drugged - and she claims to have no recollection of what happened to her anyway). So if he's to learn the identity of the threatening caller and bring him (or her) to justice, he's pretty much on his own. But how to do that without compromising his own values and bringing the professional life he loves to a quick end?

The details, of course, I cannot provide; for that, you'll have to read it for yourself (and obviously, I urge you to do just that). I will, however, happily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of another of this author's wonderful books. And oh yes, ready for the next one when you are!!

I admit to being a fan of these racing novels which I've been reading since forever. Felix Francis has done a commendable job of picking up his father's mantle- this is as exciting, in its way, as the earlier books. I always learn something about the business of horses and in this case it's how horses are syndicated, Chester might be a loathsome man (or at least a not very nice one) but he's a vivid character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good fast read.

I usually love a good racing book and have generally enjoyed the Dick Francis / Felix Francis series. This one started off good; however, I did not like the last half of the book. The infidelity element of the book towards the end was not for me and Chester was not a likeable protagonist. The writing style is great though and it reads quickly.

I still like these racing books as a whole, this one was just not one of my favourites.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

The master of suspense and intrigue returns with another installment in the Dick Francis series. Chester Newton has amassed his wealth by orchestrating racehorse syndicates, where elite horses are co-owned and managed by multiple stakeholders. These ventures are fraught with high stakes and higher rewards—and for Chester, it's almost always been the latter. As the syndicates expand, so do the risks, with every race carrying the potential for either total defeat or exhilarating victory. After a nerve-wracking morning awaiting the outcome of the Epsom Derby, the UK's premier flat race, Chester experiences an afternoon of explosive triumph followed by an evening of sheer terror. Someone attempts a hostile takeover of one of his syndicates, using threats of violence against him and his family. For the first time, Chester faces a challenge where it's not just a race or fortune on the line—it's his life and the safety of his loved ones. This heart-pounding journey into the shadowy and perilous world of British racehorse syndicates will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

Felix Francis’s knowledge of horses and racing is the highlight of this standalone mystery. Red herrings and racing knowledge were cleverly entwined to hide the motivation and identity of the squeaky-voiced villain. I liked learning about various types of syndicate business models, regulations on and types of betting, and the Royal Ascot dress code. The lack of likable female characters was a drawback for me, and I miss the integrity of Dick Francis’s heroes, but the pacing was tight and the mystery satisfying.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

A huge 5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoy these horse racing thrillers and this one didn’t disappoint. It was tense and exciting and I read late into the night as I couldn’t put it down. guess who read it in one sitting lol. Seriously I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I have nothing negative to say it was a great piece of writing.

I ama fan of these series of books, both by Felix Francis and by Dick Francis. Rightly, Felix Francis has taken the series and made it his own in several ways, somewhat less formulaic. But these changes don't always work for me, as someone who really enjoys the tentpoles of the originals. So when a main character is less admirable than usual, I don't enjoy. it as well. In this latest, the main character has several unappealing traints: he is less ethical than we usually see in a Francis hero. In particular, his relationship with his wife was something i viewed as his flaws more than hers. This is me, not every reader.; likely others embrace the changes.

SYNDICATE - Oops, I though this book was written by his father, of whom I've read many of his books found in decades of Readers Digest hardbacks. Chester Newton was difficult to like because of his actions but otherwise the story is interesting with good characters. I will have to read more of the stories by Felix to see if he's as good as his dad Dick Frances. There are similarities in writing style but DF held my attention throughout his stories. Source: Netgalley. 4*

Fans of Michael Connolly will enjoy Syndicate. This was a gripping, action pack thriller that kept me turning pages until the very last page.

As with other books in this beloved series, this novel illuminates some particular thing related with horse racing; here we learn about a mechanism of shared ownership. Chester Newton oversees syndicates, in which horses are jointly owned by groups of owners who share in the expenses and winnings associated with racing. There’s plenty of interesting detail here about how this all works: the perks of ownership, the responsibilities of the trainers, recruitment of new syndicate members, etc. As a longtime fan of the series dating back to the books by Dick Francis, I expected to learn something new while reading a procedural-ish novel in which an amateur investigator solves some crime the authorities either can’t or won’t. When Chester Newton’s daughter suddenly goes missing from a big family bash, the police don’t take her disappearance seriously, and as time goes on, they find even less reason to investigate. This is where I expected Chester to hop to it and start sleuthing on his own, especially when threatening messages start appearing. Instead, he tells us how scared/worried he is but then goes about his business at the stables and at the races, describing the proceedings in great detail but not really trying to figure out what happened. The suspense and sense of fear are well developed and expertly handled. Unfortunately, the investigation is nonexistent. We hear a ton of detail about races, far too much whiny commentary about the state of Chester's marriage/his wife’s hormones, a breathless accounting of extramarital temptations, etc., but no attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery. The fun of these books has always been following an investigation while incidentally learning some new stuff about horse racing. In this one, we get so much detail about horse racing that it borders on boring, but the only investigation to speak of occurs all on one evening—and entirely out of the reader’s sight. About 90% of the way through the book, Chester devotes maybe half a page to mentioning that he checked around to follow up on an idea (no mention of what idea) and finally succeeded after a bunch of tries. He mentions a conversation with an attorney friend (no mention of what was said). The next thing we know, the suspects are rounded up for Chester's sudden revelation of the results of this off-the-page sleuthing and legal consultation. Chester devotes far more of the narrative to an inventory of every drop of wine he consumes than to any steps he takes to solve the mystery. It’s a missed opportunity for this beloved series, because the solution is both clever and appropriate. Show your work, Chester—that’s why we’re all here. I hope for a return to form in the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital advance review copy.

Chester Newton is the organizer of several syndicates for racehorses. He finds the horses, finds the members to invest money, finds the trainers and the races, and then reaps the benefits. He's very successful, makes a lot of money and is very busy. He goes to the races almost every day and has to schmooze with the syndicate members and the trainers, and keeps looking for new investors. So on the day that Potassium, the syndicate's biggest prospect to win the Epsom Cup, his wife is also organizing a huge 25 anniversary party and birthday parties for their two children. What a lot of pressure! Potassium wins the race, but he can't stay and celebrate, has to rush home to help his wife with the huge party. Everything is going well, until his 19 year old daughter disappears. She turns up six hours later in a town 6 miles away, with no idea of how she got there and with drugs in his system. Now Chester is getting threats on his phone to stop certain horses from winning, or she'll disappear again. Chester tries hard to comply, but feels so guilty and afraid he's going to lose his reputation and his livelihood. Finally he refuses, but when the horse loses anyway, he feels relieved.

I was annoyed with Chester for being such a wimp, just folding over and doing what he's told by the police, his wife and his kids. Everyone had him running to comply with their wishes. When he finally took the time to think about what was going on, he suspects who the threatener is, and makes plans to reveal all.

I enjoyed that last half of this book more than the first. Also, there was way too much description of race courses and betting but I'm glad Chester got his backbone back.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this thriller.