Looking for Dick Francis books in order? It helps to know that Francis brought real racing experience to his fiction long before he became a bestselling crime novelist. A former champion steeplechase jockey, he wrote with the kind of authority that makes the racing world feel lived-in instead of borrowed.
That background gives his mysteries a strong sense of place, but the books aren’t only for racing fans. They’re fast, grounded, and easy to get into, with protagonists who often carry old injuries, career setbacks, or personal history that adds weight to the suspense.
Jump to:
- Dick Francis Standalone Books
- Dick Francis Books in Order by Series
- Dick Francis Non-Fiction Books
- Dick Francis Short Fiction
- Dick Francis Books by Felix Francis
- Who is Dick Francis?
Dick Francis Standalone Books
Most Dick Francis novels stand on their own, so this is the easiest place to begin. You can pick up almost any title here without needing background from earlier books.
That said, publication order is still the most useful way to move through them if you plan to read widely. It lets you see how Francis’s style developed over time before you move on to the smaller recurring-character runs.
- Dead Cert (1962)
- Nerve (1964)
- For Kicks (1965)
- Flying Finish (1966)
- Blood Sport (1967)
- Forfeit (1968)
- Enquiry (1969)
- Rat Race (1970)
- Bonecrack (1971)
- Smokescreen (1972)
- Slay Ride (1973)
- Knockdown (1974)
- High Stakes (1975)
- In the Frame (1976)
- Risk (1977)
- Trial Run (1978)
- Reflex (1980)
- Twice Shy (1981)
- Banker (1982)
- The Danger (1983)
- Proof (1984)
- Hot Money (1987)
- The Edge (1988)
- Straight (1989)
- Longshot (1990)
- Comeback (1991)
- Driving Force (1992)
- Decider (1993)
- Wild Horses (1994)
- To the Hilt (1996)
- 10 lb. Penalty (1997)
- Second Wind (1999)
- Shattered (2000)
- Dead Heat (2007) (With Felix Francis)
- Silks (2008) (With Felix Francis)
- Even Money (2009) (With Felix Francis)
- Crossfire (2010) (With Felix Francis)
- Gamble by Felix Francis (2011)
Dick Francis Books in Order by Series
Sid Halley Books
Sid Halley is the best-known recurring character in Dick Francis’s fiction. A former steeplechase jockey who lost a hand in a racing accident, Halley reinvents himself as a private investigator, and Felix Francis later continued the series.
- Odds Against (1965)
- Whip Hand (1979)
- Come to Grief (1995)
- Under Orders (2006)
- Refusal by Felix Francis (2013)
- Hands Down by Felix Francis (2022)
- Dark Horse by Felix Francis (2025)
- The Chase by Felix Francis (2026)
Kit Fielding Books
Kit Fielding appears in a short two-book run. He’s a championship steeplechase jockey whose investigations pull him into family conflict in the first novel and a string of suspicious racehorse deaths in the second.
Jefferson Hinkley Books
These three novels were written by Felix Francis and follow undercover investigator Jeff Hinkley. Working for the British Horseracing Authority, Hinkley is drawn into cases involving suspicious trainers, doping scandals, and corruption around the sport.
- Damage (2014)
- Front Runner (2015)
- Triple Crown (2016)
Dick Francis Non-Fiction Books
Dick Francis also published three non-fiction books under his name. The Sport of Queens came first after his riding career, while the later books include an edited racing collection and a biography of Lester Piggott. All three are out of print, though used copies may still be available.
- The Sport of Queens: The Autobiography of Dick Francis (1957) (Out of Print)
- The Racing Man’s Bedside Book (1969) (Edited with John Welcome) (Out of Print)
- A Jockey’s Life: The Biography of Lester Piggott (1986) (Out of Print)
Dick Francis Short Fiction
Short Story Collection
Dick Francis published one short story collection, offering the same racing-world suspense in a shorter format.
- Field of Thirteen (1998)
Anthologies
Dick Francis’s work also appears in two anthologies. These books are out of print, but second-hand copies may still be available.
- Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense (1981) (Includes work by Dick Francis) (Out of Print)
- 1st Culprit (1992) (Includes work by Dick Francis) (Out of Print)
Dick Francis Books by Felix Francis
In addition to the books already listed above, Felix Francis has written several more Dick Francis-branded continuations. The titles below are the remaining books not already covered in the standalone or series sections.
- Bloodline (2012)
- Pulse (2017)
- Crisis (2018)
- Guilty Not Guilty (2019)
- Iced (2021)
- No Reserve (2023)
- Syndicate (2024)
Who is Dick Francis?
Dick Francis was a British steeplechase jockey who later became one of the best-known crime writers in horse-racing fiction. He was champion jockey in the 1953-54 season, rode for the Queen Mother, and drew heavily on that experience when writing his novels.
That racing background gave Francis’s books a level of authenticity that set them apart. Most of his fiction consists of standalones rather than a single long-running detective series, though his wife Mary Francis played an important role in the research and development of the books, and later titles were written with help from his son Felix Francis. His work has sold tens of millions of copies and has been translated into dozens of languages.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.