DickFrancisBooks.com

The Dick Francis Reading Group Established 27 January 1997


The books

Enquiry

Harper, 1969

Characters

Kelly Hughes
30, jockey
Dexter Cranfield
trainer
Lord Gowery
Disciplinary Steward over the Hughes & Cranfield Enquiry
Monty Midgely
supposed to be the disciplinary steward, but got jaundice
Andrew Tring
Steward, ex-amateur jockey
Lord Plimborne
Steward
Wykeham Ferth
Steward, second Baron
Jim Enders
jockey who had his license suspended some years back
Tony
trainer, Kelly's cousin
Rosalind
Kelly's wife, died with her parents in a car accident
Charlie West
jockey who was a witness at the Enquiry
George Newtonnards
bookmaker, witness at the Enquiry
Tommy Timpson
jockey for Cranfield
Chris Smith
jockey for Cranfield
David Oakley
"enquiry agent"
Mr Jessel
owner of Squelch
Roberta Cranfield
19, Cranfield's oldest daughter
Archie
Cranfield's head lad
Mrs. Cranfield
Mrs. West
Charlie's wife
Pelican Jobber
bookmaker with a grudge against Kelly
Didi
David Oakley's secretary
Teddy Dewar
landlord of the Great Stag Hotel
Poppy
Tony's wife
Carol
secretary at Can't Lie, Ltd. (small company that makes films of races)
Bobbie
Lord Iceland's son, Roberta's date at the dance
Edwin Byler
Trevor Norse
trainer
Daddy Leeman
works for the Daily Witness
Jack Roxford
trainer for Edwin Byler's horses
Grace Roxford
Jack's wife
Derek
Kelly's mechanic
Honourable Peter Foxcroft
brother of Lord Middleburg, placed bets for Cranfield
B.R.S. Timieson
friend of Teddy Dewar, does research for Kelly
Old Strepson
owner of Breadwinner
Al Roach
jockey

Favorite passages

One of my favorite quotes from Enquiry, when Kelly is going into the Cranfield house to stop the crazy Grace Roxford and is searching for them throughout the rooms:

The library was uninhabited. A large clock on the mantel ticked loudly. Out of time with my heart.

Chosen by members of the reading group in the late 1990s. From Enquiry by Dick Francis.

The group read it

We discussed Enquiry on May 19, 1997.

This page was first written for the reading group's original site in the late 1990s and was lost when AOL Hometown closed. It has been recovered from the Internet Archive.

← Forfeit Rat Race →