Book Beginning & Friday 56: Dick Francis's Gamble by Felix Francis

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I just found out that there was a new book by Dick Francis (written by his son Felix Francis) -- Dick Francis's Gamble. I was always excited to see a new book by Francis and enjoyed his earlier collaborations with his son. I will be excited to see how Felix does when he is writing alone.

Here is the product description:

Felix Francis continues his father's New York Times- bestselling legacy with another edge-of-your-seat read that's classic Francis.
Nicholas "Foxy" Foxton, a former jockey who suffered a career- ending injury, is out for a day at the Grand National races when his friend and coworker Herb Kovak is murdered, execution style, right in front of him-and 60,000 other potential witnesses. Foxton and Kovak were both independent financial advisers at Lyall & Black, a firm specializing in extreme-risk investments.
As he struggles to come to terms with Kovak's seemingly inexplicable death, Foxton begins to question everything, from how well he knew his friend to how much he understands about his employer. Was Kovak's murder a case of mistaken identity...or something more sinister?

Beginning:

I was standing right next to Herb Kovacs when he was murdered. Executed would have been a better word. Shot three times from close range, twice in the heart and once in the face, he was almost certainly dead before he hit the ground, and definitely before the gunman had turned away and disappeared into the Grand National race-day crowd.

Friday 56:

Nothing could be done now anyway, the markets in London were also long closed for the day.

No one can say that a Francis book begins slowly. We are immediately dropped into the action with this story and are filled with questions. Who shot him? Why?