Richard Stanley Francis was a British crime writer, and former steeplechase jockey, whose novels centre on horse racing in England. Dick Francis left school at 15 without any qualifications, intending to become a jockey; by the time he was 18, in 1938, he also was training horses. Francis became a highly successful jockey, reaching celebrity status in the world of British National Hunt racing. During the Second World War, Francis volunteered, hoping to join the cavalry. Banker is Dick Francis’ 22nd crime novel in a total of 42. This book, written in 1982, features English investment banker Tim Ekaterin as the amateur detective. An investment banker arranges the purchase of a champion racehorse and gets caught up in murder. Tim Ekaterin raised millions of dollars to finance the purchase of Sandcastle, a champion racer. The risks are high, but so is the potential profit for the bank his great-grandfather founded. His own career is on the line, too. So when the foals are born with inexplicable birth defects, Tim begins to investigate, handling the case like a pro. He begins to suspect that someone is out to sabotage the stud farm where Sandcastle is being kept. But who and why? Investigating further, Ekaterin learns that the business of investment banking is nothing compared to the cutthroat world of horseracing - a world where violence and murder only raise the stakes… You can listen online to free English audiobook “Banker” by Dick Francis on our website.
