Felix Francis

Felix Francis (born 1953) is a British crime writer. He is Dick Francis’ younger son.

Felix Francis
Born	1953 (age 70–71)
Education	University of London
Occupation(s)	crime writer, physics teacher
Known for	writing with his father
Notable work	Gamble
Parents	Dick Francis (father) Mary Margaret Francis (mother)

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, before quitting to look after his father's affairs. He lives in Oxfordshire. 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.

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. 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 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. Silks (2008) was the second novel in this father-and-son collaboration, and Even Money (2009) was the third. 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.

Critical response

Kirkus said Gamble was "fully worthy of the family name", familiar to Dick Francis fans, but well-handled. 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".

Novels

Title	Year	ISBN of first edition	Narrator/Main character	Notes
Gamble	2011	ISBN 978-1-4104-3870-6	Nicholas "Foxy" Foxton, financial adviser
Bloodline	2012	ISBN 978-1-4104-5223-8	Mark Shillington, racing commentator
Refusal	2013	ISBN 978-0-3991-6081-3	Sid Halley, former private investigator
Damage	2014	ISBN 978-0-3991-6822-2	Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator
Front Runner	2015	ISBN 978-1-4059-1522-9	Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator
Triple Crown	2016	ISBN 978-0-3995-7470-2	Jeff Hinkley, BHA investigator
Pulse	2017	ISBN 978-0-3995-7474-0	Chris Rankin, Doctor	Dr Rankin is the first female protagonist/narrator in any of the books
Crisis	2018	ISBN 978-0-5255-3676-5	Harrison Foster, Crisis Manager
Guilty Not Guilty	2019	ISBN 978-0-5255-3679-6	Bill Russel, racing steward
Iced	2021	ISBN 978-1-471-19661-4	Miles Pussett, former steeplechase jockey, now tobogganist
Hands Down	2022	ISBN 978-1-471-19666-9	Sid Halley, former private investigator