Hands Down

To those of who grew up on Dick Francis books, his passing in 2010 at the age of 89 felt like losing an old friend. He wrote his first racing-themed crime novel, Dead Cert, the year I was born, 1962, and reliably churned out almost one per year-42 in total-until he passed away. Most arrived just in time for Christmas each year. If anyone was concerned that his son Felix would not be up to the task of taking over the family franchise, they needn't have worried. This year, Francis...