Title: Decider
Author: Dick Francis
Reviewer: Navin Sigamany

Dick Francis is in his element as he weaves plot and characterization together to produce a fine tapestry of thrill, suspense and high human drama in this 1993 novel.

Lee Morris is an architect with six sons and an almost dead relationship with his wife. The Stratton family, torn by internal squabbles, inherits a race course. Lee Morris is drawn, at first reluctantly, into the Stratton family wars, as he tries to make sense of the happenings on and around the race course. His life and that of his sons are in jeopardy as he turns up clue after clue that lead ultimately to the culprit.

In the midst of all this drama, Dick Francis creates the space to develop each character and subtle personal relationships in his own inimitable style. Lee's relationship with his wife and sons, Marjorie Binsham, the Stratton matriarch and her relationship with her family - these are just a few things that Francis skilfully develops in the course of the novel. As with all his books, this one too is woven around the world of racing, and like a good race, the book picks up in pace as the pages turn, building up to a thundering finish.

All in all, a good read. If you are a Dick Francis fan, this book is as good as it gets. If you haven't tried him yet, this is a good one to start with.