Books like Driving force by Dick Francis
In this gripping mystery, a former steeplechase jockey has traded the track for the road, running a bustling business that transports horses in large motor horseboxes. His quiet life is shattered when one of his drivers brings a hitchhiker to the depot, only for the man to reveal a body wrapped in cloth. With the corpse found on his doorstep, the protagonist must navigate a web of clandestine racing bets, roadside secrets, and the twisted motives of those who would do anything to protect the truth.
As the investigation unfolds, the novel explores the underbelly of horse racing in England, the perilous craft of hitchhiking, and the fine line between past glory and present danger. Francis blends suspense and authentic details of the equine world into a taut narrative that keeps readers guessing until the final page.
First publish date: 1992
Genre: Mystery & Detective/Private Investigator
Authors: Dick Francis
★
★
★
★
★
4.5 (2 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Driving force by Dick Francis are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Driving force (28 similar books)
Lord Peter Wimsey is drawn into the mysteries of a disinterred corpse, uncovering a century‑old crime that reverberates through a quiet East Anglian village.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
![The Complete Sherlock Holmes [1/2] (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Hound of the Baskervilles / Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / Study in Scarlet / Sign of Four) by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/8355309-M.jpg "The Complete Sherlock Holmes [1/2] (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Hound of the Baskervilles / Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / Study in Scarlet / Sign of Four) by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover")
An anthology of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated detective adventures featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, from the first novel "Study in Scarlet" to the iconic final showdown in "The Final Problem," presented in a single volume of books and short stories.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Jockey Kelly Hughes is accused of throwing a race after being forced off a favorite; he sets out to uncover the truth behind the sabotage that resulted in his suspension.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Dick Francis’ detective tale follows a self‑imposed outcast who must hone his skills to protect his family.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a violent assault and abduction turn the stewardship of his father’s stables over to Neil Griffon, the newly‑cycled owner must face a ruthless crime czar demanding an Archangel horse in time for the Derby.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A wealthy horse‐racing magnate, Malcolm Pembroke, faces a mysterious threat from within his own family after a string of odd deaths. A detective unravels clues amid racing rivals, high stakes and family drama.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Agent Gene Hawkins is hired to locate millionaire Dave Teller's missing stallion, but the dangerous hunt spirals into a murder investigation.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Dick Francis returns with Dead Heat, a suspenseful mystery set against the backdrop of Britain’s Two Thousand Guineas Stakes.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Jockey Phillip Nore investigates the murder of a famed racetrack photographer, uncovering betrayal, blackmail and bribery, only to find his own life at stake.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Sid Halley, a former champion jockey now freelance investigator, discovers a concealed crime committed by a close friend he has long admired. When the trial is set, Halley is called as a witness, thrusting him into a tense, investigative ordeal.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Sid Halley, an injured jockey turned private investigator, tackles a scheme to bankrupt Seabury racecourse in order to sell the property to developers.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
![Short Stories (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories]) by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/9246437-M.jpg "Short Stories (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories]) by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover")
A curated selection of twelve classic Sherlock Holmes short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring iconic cases such as "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "Silver Blaze" that showcase Holmes’s deductive brilliance.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Former jockey Jonah Dereham takes on a steeplechase in a high‑stakes auction for an American patron, only to find the ride and his life threatened by men who want the horse.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Ned Talbot, a seasoned bookmaker at Royal Ascot, is stunned when a stranger claims to be his father and is then stabbed. He must uncover the mystery before the fatal stakes of horse racing and family secrets catch up with him.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Henry Grey takes his first cargo across the Channel for Yardman Transport, only to discover a sinister smuggling ring of fraud, espionage and murder lurking behind the racehorses and broodmares he thought he was moving.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Forfeit follows racing correspondent Brett Checkov as he tips a non‑starter, while private investigator James Tyrone faces a deadly plot that threatens his wife and the racing world.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Tony Beach, a wine merchant in England, must unravel a murderous plot that begins with counterfeit wine and ends with a society party massacre.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a man unexpectedly inherits his brother's life, he must master the gem trade and uncover who wants him dead, all set against a backdrop of suspenseful intrigue.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Architect Lee Morris inherits a stake in a horse‑track and finds himself drawn into a family feud and a murderous plot.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Physics graduate Jonathan Derry discovers a seemingly innocent music tape that actually contains a computer‑generated horse betting system, propelling him into a lethal high‑stakes game of gambling where success could mean wealth or death.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A former defense lawyer turns to the world of horse racing after his client’s light sentence, only to find a brutal murder linking steeplechasers. In a mix of courtroom intrigue and track tension, he must uncover the truth before it ends his life.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In the high‑stakes world of horse racing, Andrew Douglas is a kidnapping operator whose business turns perilous when a top jockey, a child and a senior steward vanish. From Italy to England and Washington, D.C., he must protect his own name and others from looming danger.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Kit Fielding, a celebrated horse‑racing hero, must safeguard his twin sister’s marriage from scandal, only to find himself entangled in a deadly feud with a ruthless robber baron and a household adversary.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After jockey Martin Stukely dies at Cheltenham, his friend Gerard Logan, a celebrated glass‑blower, becomes embroiled in a dangerous hunt for a stolen videotape that threatens both his craft and his life.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Champion jockey Kit Fielding battles a ruthless businessman threatening his family and horse business, confronting violent attacks and betrayal in a pulse‑pounding race‑centered mystery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
London‑based British First Secretary Peter Darwin returns to his Gloucestershire roots and finds himself entangled in a series of racehorse deaths and a homicide that forces him to confront secrets from his past.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A suspenseful Dick Francis thriller set in the world of horse racing, where a jockey’s life is threatened by a plot of attempted murder tied to high‑stakes betting.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Rough Justice by Dick FrancisSucker Punch by Dick Francis
_Bloodsport by Dick Francis
Playing Dead by Harriet Ruth Harris
Death in the Stable by Alexandra Strychacz
Horse Music by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!