Richard Stanley Francis was a British crime writer, and former steeplechase jockey, whose novels centre on horse racing in England. His mysteries always revolve around some aspect of horse racing, and in Driving Force, he focuses on the horse transport business. The hero of the novel is Freddie Croft, a former steeplechase jockey and now the owner of a successful fleet of horse vans. It has been Croft’s rule that his drivers should never pick up a hitchhiker when they are escorting valuable horses to their destination, but on one particular occasion, a hitchhiker is given a ride and the events that follow put Croft’s life in danger. The hitchhiker dies while riding in one of Croft’s vans. An investigation into the mysterious death leads to the discovery of containers under a number of his vans. Croft suspects that some sort of smuggling has been taking place under his nose. The mechanic who discovered the containers turns up dead, and Croft realizes that what is happening is larger than anything that he can handle alone. Nina, an investigator from Jockey Club Security, is given the assignment of working undercover within Croft’s transport business. The more Croft becomes involved in looking into who or what is behind the suspicious events, the more he and his business are at risk. A computer virus destroys the firm’s records, and Croft is almost killed by drowning... Enjoy free online English audiobook “Driving Force”, a breathtaking novel by Dick Francis.
