Forfeit by Dick Francis
"Forfeit" by Dick Francis is a novel that delves into the world of horse racing and gambling, presenting a gripping narrative that emphasizes character development and moral dilemmas. The plot centers on James Tyrone, a former jockey turned journalist, who navigates the treacherous landscape of race-fixing orchestrated by a nefarious gambling kingpin. This villain manipulates the betting system, ensuring that certain horses do not win to maximize his profits, all while enlisting the help of bribed journalists and coercive tactics against industry insiders.
Tyrone’s personal life adds depth to the story; he is devoted to his wife Elizabeth, who is severely disabled due to polio, while struggling with his own needs and desires, including an affair with an attractive biracial woman named Gail. The narrative explores themes of integrity, loyalty, and the fight against corruption, with Tyrone ultimately seeking to expose the crime ring while grappling with his own moral challenges.
"Forfeit" was recognized with the Edgar Allan Poe Award, marking a significant moment in Francis's career as it brought greater attention to his work in America. The novel is noted for its mature approach to storytelling, combining personal sacrifice with a quest for justice, setting a precedent for Francis's subsequent literary endeavors in the mystery and racing genres.
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Forfeit by Dick Francis
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1968
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Forfeit, published six years after Dead Cert, represents a leap forward in Francis’s craft, with more emphasis on characterization and less on action for action’s sake. Largely because of its greater realism and stronger characterization, Forfeit won the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award, bringing his work to the attention of a wider American audience.
The plot is based on the system of wagering in England before the introduction of pari-mutuels. Bookies would set the odds on each horse based on the number of bets they were taking in. If a horse were scratched before the race, the bets would be forfeited to the bookie, hence the title.
In Forfeit, a gambler who owns a string of betting parlors exploits this archaic system by making sure that heavy favorites fail to appear or at least fail to win. This unknown kingpin enhances his profits by bribing turf journalists to praise certain horses so enthusiastically that bettors heavily back them, only to later forfeit their wagers. Through bribery or intimidation of jockeys, trainers, and owners, the gambling czar makes sure that certain horses do not win.
Hero James Tyrone, a former jockey who is now a journalist, like Francis himself, becomes suspicious when an alcoholic colleague warns him against selling his integrity as a writer and dies shortly thereafter under mysterious circumstances.
Tyrone’s wife Elizabeth is incapacitated by polio and can only breathe by means of a mechanical respirator. As a result of her fraility, she cannot have normal marital relations. Tyrone remains devoted to her in spite of this deprivation and the demands that her condition impose. Since he cannot afford full-time care, he must act as her nurse and write his column at the same time.
His sexual impulses involve him with an attractive biracial woman, Gail, but he feels guilty about his infidelity. This triangle gives Forfeit a more mature, more dramatic impact than Francis’s previous books.
The villain and his crew of thugs try all their tactics on Tyrone, but as a typical Francis hero, this courageous, idealistic jockey turned reporter refuses to quit. Eventually he gives up his illicit liaison, exposes the race-fixing racket in print, and wins against the sadistic mastermind.
In Forfeit, Francis perfected the kind of plot line he was to follow with variations in later novels. An honest man connected in some way with the world of horse racing turns amateur detective in order to expose an unknown mastermind who is spreading corruption. The detective-hero is motivated by the desire to see good triumph over evil, not by financial gain.
Bibliography
Davis, J. Madison. Dick Francis. Boston: Twayne, 1989.
Forbes, Steve. “Saddling up Another Equine Mystery.” Forbes 156, no. 11 (November 6, 1995): 24.
Fuller, Bryony. Dick Francis: Steeplechase Jockey. London: Joseph, 1994.
Guttman, Robert J. “Dick Francis.” Europe 361 (November, 1996): 18-21.
Honan, Corinna. “Dick’s Greatest Whodunit.” Daily Mail, September 1, 2007, p. 1.
Lord, Graham. Dick Francis: A Racing Life. London: Little Brown, 1999.
Reed, J. D. Review of Come to Grief, by Dick Francis. People Weekly 44, no. 18 (October 30, 1995): 34.
“Who Done It?” People Weekly 52 (November 22, 1999): 202.