This exhaustive reference work examines the complete fictional works of Dick Francis, a former steeplechase jockey to Queen Elizabeth and accomplished British novelist. As of 2006, Francis has written one volume of collected short stories and 38 novels, most of which contain one or more elements related to British horse racing. Organized alphabetically, the book lists and discusses both the major and peripheral characters in Francis' novels and short stories, along with the horses, plots, locations, and themes central to each work. In one appendix, the author provides a "Private Handicap" for Francis' work, or his own personal estimation of each novel's literary merit.