Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.The ''hilt'' of Francis's delightful 35th thriller refers to the jewel-encrusted, solid gold handle of the ceremonial sword of Scotland's would-be king, Bonnie Prince Charlie. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement.

During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National. as smooth, swift and lean as ever' Sunday Express 'A super chiller and killer' New York Times Book Review Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman 'Francis writing at his best' Evening Standard 'A regular winner. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror 'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph 'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care. Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. Unfortunately, the thugs who beat him up and the person behind them will make sure that Al doesn't survive their next encounter. Roughed up already, Al decides he has nothing to lose getting to the bottom of this.

Baffled and hurt, Al visits his stepfather and learns millions of pounds are missing and a valuable racehorse is under threat. They ask one question - 'where is it?' - then leave him for dead. Just after learning that his stepfather is gravely ill, artist Al Kinloch, returning to his remote home in the Scottish Highlands, is attacked by four men. A classic mystery from Dick Francis, the champion of English storytellers.

To the Hilt by Dick Francis