WAIL! I LOVED him!!!

"Francis, who wrote more than 40 best-selling novels* during his career, was also champion jockey in the 1950s and the Queen Mother's jockey. ...

Former jockey John Francome said: "He was a lovely person who always had a sparkle in his eye and he had a wicked sense of humour. ...

*They were all written in the first person and were meticulously researched and written in longhand."
BBC

The only books of his I don't have are his first and last. I didn't buy the first one because it was listed as being about a jockey by some other name. NOW the reports say it was an autobiography; the other must have been some kind of inside joke.

Man, I'll miss him. I took SO much from his characters as a very good way of being...

Thank you for sharing your recollections so clearly with us. I am not acquainted with his work, but I AM able to appreciate and trust in your enthusiasm, considering your standpoint of reference. Thanks again.

Jackie, I just spotted your post - I hadn't heard. I've read Dick Francis for decades, and have always felt that he was a friend. When you say, "I took SO much from his characters as a very good way of being... " I presume you mean his protagonists, 'cause his bad guys are really evil!

I recommend Dick Francis to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, and wonderful writing. "...meticulously researched..." is no understatement. I, too, will miss him.

I presume you mean his protagonists Oh, yes. Self-effacing and diffident yet tough as nails; tougher, in some cases. But more, they recognized that they dare not count on the world being fair to them, and that while there are good people there are also always going to be ones who use and abuse other people.
I always felt that a great deal of incidents he saw or was part of in real life; for ex. that some trainers will always blame the jockey if the horse loses--never mind that the trainer may have sent it unready.