Silks, by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

 Geoffrey Mason is a young London lawyer and he has been a widower for seven years.  In his spare time he is an amateur jockey with his own horse and he likes to compete in steeplechase races.  Mason has recently defended Julian Trent in a case of attempted murder.  Trent was found guilty—and Mason, having seen Trent’s violent side during the trial--is relieved that he will be behind bars for at least eight years.  Unfortunately, Trent’s conviction is overturned and he is cut loose—to Mason’s consternation.  About the same time, Steven Mitchell, a jockey friend of Mason’s, is arrested for the murder of a fellow jockey.  Mason agrees to take Mitchell’s case because he thinks he is innocent but he is soon warned by Julian Trent to make sure Mitchell is found guilty—or people close to Mason will suffer greatly.  Now, why does Trent—with no apparent connection to horse racing--want Mitchell to be found guilty?  And, will the answer point to the true murderer?  With their first father and son collaboration, Dead Heat, I thought the novel read just like a traditional Dick Francis.  This latest seems to be more Felix and maybe not quite as good but still an enjoyable, interesting read.

Night of Thunder, by Stephen Hunter

 Nikki Swagger, the twentysomething daughter of Bob Lee Swagger, is working as a reporter for a newspaper in Bristol, Tennessee and she is pursuing a story about the local drug trade.  Several days before the large NASCAR race that is held in Bristol, she is on her way home when she is forced off the road by another car after a harrowing chase down a mountain.  The crash has left her in a coma.  Bob Lee, a former Marine now living out West, travels to Bristol and--in his quiet way—takes charge.  First up, Bob Lee determines that Nikki’s crash was no accident—someone wanted to kill her and make it look like an accident.  But, why?  Does it have something to do with the big race coming up?  Retracing her steps on the day of the crash, Bob Lee soon attracts attention and is marked to be killed.  Now, you’ll recall that Bob Lee narrowly avoided death by samurai sword on a sojourn to Japan in his previous outing, The 47^th Samurai.  His encounter with the sword has left him with a limp and he has gone prematurely gray—which makes him look old and harmless.  And, luckily, makes the bad guys underestimate him.  You don’t ever want to underestimate Bob Lee Swagger.  The 47^th Samurai was the most entertaining thriller I’ve read in recent memory.  Night of Thunder is not quite as good—but only because it was shorter and done way, way too soon.  Terrific as always from Mr. Hunter. 

The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday, by Alexander McCall Smith

 For readers unfamiliar with this series, it revolves around the main character of Isabel Dalhousie, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Isabel is in her early forties, rich, divorced, and the owner/editor of The Review of Applied Ethics.  She has a lover, Jamie, a musician who is about twelve years younger than her, and together they have an infant child, Charlie.  Rounding out her circle is Grace, her housekeeper, and Cat, her niece, who owns a delicatessen.  Isabel leads a happy, content life for the most part—if she could only relax and let herself enjoy it and not worry so much about her relationships with those close to her.  Perhaps in part because of the journal she publishes—and her curious nature--Isabel has found herself investigating several mysteries and crimes in the past.  In this latest in the series, Isabel is approached by the wife of a doctor, who has been accused of causing the death of a patient supposedly due to his negligence.  The doctor has gone into a deep depression and his wife believes he is innocent—and wants Isabel to look into the case.  Isabel is reluctant to get involved—but is unable to turn down someone in desperate need of help.  And, it’s an intriguing case that has her curious as to what really happened. Isabel is an interesting, complex, intelligent, wonderful character and it’s always a pleasure to spend time in her world.

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

 Mickey Haller, an LA attorney introduced in a previous novel called The Lincoln Lawyer, has been inactive for about a year while dealing with a prescription drug dependency.  Now off the drugs and ready to resume his career, he learns that a fellow attorney, Jerry Vincent, has been murdered—and Mickey has inherited his current cases.  The biggest and most lucrative case is the upcoming murder trial of Hollywood mogul Walter Elliot, accused of killing his wife and her lover.  Walter professes his innocence but Mickey has his doubts—and the evidence strongly points to his guilt.  Meanwhile, police detective Harry Bosch is investigating Vincent’s murder—and he thinks it might be related to Elliot’s case.  Vincent apparently believed he had a ‘magic bullet’ that would result in an acquittal for Elliot—but Mickey hasn’t been able to find out what it is.  Bosch convinces Mickey that he could be next in line to be murdered—and together they form an uneasy alliance to try to solve Vincent’s murder—while Elliot’s trial progresses.  Connelly is an excellent writer and bringing together two of his interesting characters from earlier novels made for a very entertaining mystery thriller.

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