A quirky mix of Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar, Agatha Christie and hardboiled detective fiction, The Edge is one of Francis' most unusual novels, and is a memorable read.
It is clear to the regular reader of Dick Francis novels that there is no such thing as a typical Dick Francis, and that there is far more variety in his thirty-nine novels than might appear at first sight. True, horse racing is usually involved in some more or less peripheral fashion, but the sport covers such a wide area that it might as well be said that they all involve crime.
Certainly The Edge is anything but what might be thought to be a typical Francis novel; the hero is reminiscent of Josephine Tey’s Brat Farrar, but unlike Brat, knows what his antecedents are. Like Brat, however, he was orphaned young, and upon reaching a certain age, decided to work his passage; Travellers tales were pretty boring, I thought. It was always better to live it. ‘I mostly worked with horses,’ I said politely. ‘Australia, South America, United States, anywhere. Racehorses, polo ponies, a good deal in rodeos. Once in a circus.’
If the hero is out of Brat Farrar, the setting was already foreshadowed by Francis’ novel of the previous year, Hot Money. With its jet-setting diversion, it set the scene for a train ride across Canada and would update Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
But if Francis drew inspiration for character and hero from English classics, as would befit a Trans-Atlantic adventure the narrative style is pure hardboiled.
Tor(quil) Kelsey is an eminently forgettable young man who before going to work for the Head of Security of the Jockey Club travelled the world. That seven-year absence and lack of distinction are his two main assets in catching the criminals who habitually haunt the fringes of race tracks.
One of the worst of that fraternity is Julius Apollo Filmer, a Manxman who has come seemingly from nowhere to become the Jockey Club’s bête-noire.
When word comes that Filmer has bought a half-share in one of eleven horses being transported on a luxury train from Toronto to Vancouver on a journey that encompasses three different prestige race meetings, Tor is dispatched on an undercover operation to finally catch Filmer in the act.
To make matters even more complicated, a troupe of actors is staging a Murder Mystery adventure on the journey that will involve actors, real staff and even passengers. Only Tor and his adversary know that amongst the fake murderers, lurks a real one.
The Edge is one of Francis’ most unusual and entertaining novels, and is a marvellously memorable read.
