Straight has many echoes of earlier Dick Francis novels, including the first person narrative point of view and thoroughly admirable hero-detective who is a steeplechase jockey. In addition to providing insight into the racing game (including its seamy underside), Francis continues a practice that he began many novels ago: to feature another field alongside racing, in this case gemstones; and, again, he has done his homework, displaying a remarkable degree of knowledge about the specialty. The obligatory physical testing of the hero is present, as in the past, but there is less sadistic violence in Straight than in previous books, and the novel covers a shorter time span than its immediate predecessors.

Critics for many years have commented about Francis's failure to develop substantive and distinctive female characters. Clarissa Williams is somewhat more complex than her counterparts in previous works, and although she appears in only...