BLOOD SPORT
by Dick Francis
Mr. Francis specializes in horseflesh/suspense; here he moves closer to the mode in espionage novels, horses and all. Her Hawkins is in the Le Carre vein—a desperately tired, lonely agent nearing middle age. His boss insists on a holiday and the only kind Hawkins will take is the busman's variety. He goes looking for three stolen stud horses and the search takes him over the horse-breeding U.S. with up-dated rustling scenes that have all the old movie western appeal and the same sure-fire shoot-it-out in the canyon passages plus a saddle soap dollop of proper romance. Galloping entertainment.