There are always race horses and jockeys in Dick Francis novels. In Hot Money the narrator is Ian, one of Malcolm's many children. Malcolm is a very successful currency and gold trader, he is about 68 and has four ex-wives and 9 children. Someone is trying to kill Malcolm. As the story opens two unsuccessful attempts have been made on Malcolm's life. Ian temporarily moves in with his father to protect him and try to figure out who is trying to kill him. Is it one of ex-wives, one of the children, someone one else? Lots of horse races, Ian is an amateur jockey, lots of travel and in the end the reader will know who-done-it. ( )

Malcolm Pembroke had nine children with four of his five wives. His fifth wife, Moira, has just been murdered, and Malcolm seems to be the prime suspect in the eyes of the police. When someone makes an attempt on Malcolm's life, he turns to his middle son, Ian, for protection and assistance in finding Moira's murderer and his attempted murderer. Despite not having spoken to Ian in the three years since Moira came into his life, Ian is the only one of his adult children that Malcolm trusts.

This book isn't as well-paced as Francis's best work, and it wasn't a page-turner like most of Francis's novels have been for me. However, I very much enjoyed the relationship between Ian and Malcolm. Ian's amateur jockey status added a new twist to this story, and Malcolm's initiation into the world of horse racing and the joy it brought him was infectious. ( )

Wealthy gold investor Malcom Pembroke has had five wives (including one dead and one recently murdered). He has seven live children (about half with spouses and children of their own). He also has a son who is institutionalized for brain damage. This son was the sole survivor of an automobile accident that killed his mother and brother.

Now someone is trying to kill Malcom.

Recently, he has been spending millions of pounds on frivolous pursuits while his offspring are all scrambling for money.

Could it be that someone in the family wants to inherit Malcom’s money before he spends it all? Would a family member be willing to kill him?

Malcom settles on his estranged son Ian, an amateur race jockey, to help him solve the puzzle and keep him alive.

The horses are almost a secondary story in this novel. The complicated family relationships are what make this story shine – and moves it into the pole position as one of my favorite Dick Francis reads. ( )

[Hot Money], [[Dick Francis]]

Hot Money is one of my favourite Francis books. A VERY wealthy man, Malcolm Pembroke has an uncanny ability to make money buying gold and stocks and knowing just when to sell. He is spending his money and six of his seven children are very upset as they see it as ‘their’ money. He is supporting charities, establishing scholarships, buying horses.

His fifth ex- wife was recently murdered and except for his strong alibi the police would have arrested him. Now someone, he suspects one of his ex-wives or children, has made two attempts on his life (so far.) He has turned to his son, Ian, for protection and a solution.

Dick Francis writes a study of people. In this case it is of a family fighting over the size of a future inheritance. They don’t see the millions their father earned as his to do with what he wishes, it is their future and he should leave it alone. Although he set up each of them with trust funds they want more, now and later. A situation that occurs everyday over hundreds of pounds to millions.

Ian, who believes it is his father’s money to enjoy, studies each of his half-brothers and sisters to determine if they are making the attempts on Malcolm’s life. What he learns is an interesting study in family dynamics. It also leads him to the murderer, but how to prove it?

By the end Ian causes some upheaval in the family and definitely some rethinking of personal desires. For himself he decides to move from amateur to professional steeplechase jockey for the remaining 4/5 years of his career and then look to training. He has also faced up to why he has remained single, he didn’t want to follow his father’s example. Certainly the unveiling of the murderer makes a major impact on the family. At the end the rebuilding of Malcolm’s home which had been twice bombed, is seen as a sign of rebuilding the family.

Reviewed March 10, 2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( )

millionaire threatened by family