| Felix Francis | |
| Occupation: | crime writer, physics teacher |
| Known For: | writing with his father |
| Notable Works: | Gamble |
| Education: | University of London |
| Father: | Dick Francis |
| Mother: | Mary Margaret Francis |
Felix Francis (born 1953) is a British crime writer. He is Dick Francis’ younger son.[1]
Felix studied physics and electronics at London University, and then started a 17-year career teaching Advanced Level physics at three schools, the last seven as head of the science department at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire,[2] before quitting to look after his father's affairs.[3] He lives in Oxfordshire.[4] From 1993 to 2005, he was a director and deputy chairman of World Challenge Expeditions Ltd. Felix is also a former governor of Winchester House Prep School, and is a governor of Malvern College.[5]
Dick's wife, Mary Francis, assisted with both the research and the writing of many of Dick's novels until her death in 2000. Felix assisted with this, and after Mary died Felix took over her work.[6] Felix and his father often worked together on plot and character details at Dick’s home in the Cayman Islands. This partnership allowed Dick to draw upon Felix’s knowledge and experience as a physics teacher in Twice Shy[6] and his past as an international marksman in Shattered (2000) and Under Orders (2006).
With the publication of Dead Heat in 2007, Felix took on a more significant role in writing, and was credited as co-author.[6] Silks (2008) was the second novel in this father-and-son collaboration, and Even Money (2009) was the third.[7] Crossfire (2010) was the novel Dick and Felix were working on when Dick died in February 2010.
Felix's first novel written without his father was Gamble, published in September 2011, beginning the "Dick Francis novel" franchise.[6]
Kirkus said Gamble was "fully worthy of the family name", familiar to Dick Francis fans, but well-handled.[8] Eurocrime gave a mixed review to Gamble, commenting on Felix's lack of direct experience of horseracing, criticizing "a curious flatness" in its narration, but calling it "a nicely layered, slightly complex thriller".[9]
| Title | Year | ISBN of first edition | Narrator/Main character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamble | 2011 | Nicholas "Foxy" Foxton, financial adviser | ||
| Bloodline | 2012 | Mark Shillington, racing commentator | ||
| Refusal | 2013 | Sid Halley, former private investigator | ||
| Damage | 2014 | Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator | ||
| Front Runner | 2015 | Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator | ||
| Triple Crown | 2016 | Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator | ||
| Pulse | 2017 | Chris Rankin, Doctor | Dr Rankin is the first female protagonist/narrator in any of the books | |
| Crisis | 2018 | Harrison Foster, Crisis Manager | ||
| Guilty Not Guilty | 2019 | Bill Russel, racing steward | ||
| Iced | 2021 | Miles Pussett, former steeplechase jockey, now tobogganist | ||
| Hands Down | 2022 | Sid Halley, former private investigator | ||