By Kim J. Harmon

Dick Francis won more than 350 races in his jockey career, becoming a champion in 1953-54 and being retained as the jockey to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, from 1953 through 1957.

Francis rode eight times in the world famous Grand National Steeplechase, and nearly won in 1956 when his horse, the Queen Mother’s Devon Loch, a few strides away from victory with a clear field, suddenly collapsed.

That fall – coupled with another serious fall the following year – spurred Francis to retire from racing and take up another career.

Writing.

And for more than 40 years, mystery lovers around the world have enjoyed the fruits of his labors – 38 novels from Dead Cert in 1962 to Shattered in 2000. His books have been bestsellers in a number of countries and have been translated into more than 30 languages – including all European languages, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Bantu, and several dialects of Chinese.

Now the Penguin Group is re-issuing his mysteries, on the order of about one a month.

In January it was Break In (first published in England in 1985 and in America in 1986), featuring detective Kit Fielding, a former steeplechase jockey who gets in the middle of a blood feud between his family and his sister’s in-laws. It seems that Fielding’s twin sister Holly, and her husband Bobby Allardeck, are about to see their horse training business go bankrupt when a scandal sheet prints lies about them. Fielding delves into the problem, finding romance and danger all the while uncovering a conspiracy.

In February it was Odds Against (first published in England in 1965 and in America in 1966) and features Sid Halley, another former steeplechase jockey. Out of the racing business, Halley becomes a detective – only to find himself being shot by a small-time hoodlum. When he seeks to find out why he was targeted, he uncovers a criminal plot.

This month, the selection is Shattered (first published in 2000), featuring famed glassblower Gerard Logan being pursued by unknown assailants shortly after his friend Martin Stukley, a jockey, is killed in a horse-racing accident. The pursuers think Logan has something they want, but he doesn’t and must find out what it is these people want before he ends up dead.

Next month, the selection will be Forfeit (first published in 1968), featuring racing reporter James Tyrone, who investigates the death of a colleague with clues in suspicious columns touting some can’t-lose horses … who mysteriously failed to show up on race day.

Coming later this year will be Bolt (May), Whip Hand (June), Proof (July), The Edge (August), Flying Finish (September) and Reflex (October).