Pulse

By: Felix Francis

Narrated by: Clare Corbett

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

A smartly dressed man has been found unconscious at the local racecourse and is rushed to the hospital, where he subsequently dies. But who is he? Where does he come from? He had no form of identification on him, and no one claims the body.

Doctor Chris Reynolds, a specialist who treated the deceased - and who struggles with mental health issues - is intrigued by the nameless dead man, obsessed even, and starts asking questions. However, someone doesn't want the questions answered and will go to any lengths to prevent it, including an attempted murder. But when no one will believe that someone tried to kill Chris, the doctor is left with no option but to discover who the nameless man was and why he died...preferably before following him into an early grave.

Author bio: Felix Francis, a graduate of London University, is an accomplished outdoorsman, marksman, and pilot who has assisted with the research of many of his father's novels. The coauthor and author of numerous Dick Francis novels, most recently Triple Crown, he lives in England.

©2017 Felix Francis (P)2017 Recorded Books

I was cautious of a "girl" mystery.

A little caveman of me I guess. In the end a good tale. More than once it put me to sleep, but not out of bordom, but I think contentment.

Not an escape, but a well written tale

Heroine has depression and anorexia; hard to listen to, especially the latter. My least favorite of the Felix Francis books.

Ruined by ending

Character was interesting and very different. Took a long time to tie in the usual racing element but then very good.
But the ending... There is a valid reason I suppose for the illogical actions near the end but still not satisfying and one line at the climax pretty much ruined the whole thing for me. Particularly with the additude in the prolog.

Did you ever despise a protagonist?

I've read/listened to all of the Dick Francis novels and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I must admit it's been awhile since I consumed those beautiful works of fiction. This is my 2nd Felix Francis novel and while it certainly sounds like a continuation of those wonderful marvels that his father scribed, I can't help but feel the protagonists in these seem like they are lucky to have survived at all, given how absolutely not "on guard" they were once they poked the hornet's nest. I mean, he made Sid Halley look almost inept in Refusal, and in this one, maybe its misogyny, but I couldn't help but extremely dislike the main character.

Certainly I can posit that it's my lack of understanding about mental ailments, but Chris I would have had committed until she figured herself out and I would have had her under observation 24/7 by video, geotagging, or whatever I needed to keep track of her. I would have sat her down until I saw her eat and watched her afterwards to make sure she didn't purge. Some of my strongest emotions during either listening/reading literature or watching a film are empathy, sympathy, sadness, or anger (and probably a few others). For Chris, I had little but disdain. I just couldn't find it in me to cheer for her in any way. Perhaps it was the way it was written, certainly I have seen mental illness portrayed in fiction before and cheered on the patient, reveled in their ability to fight back and beat it, or felt their pain when dealing with it. But with Chris, I just wanted her to fail, though I knew she would not.

I have a few more Felix Francis books to go, I just hope he portrays his protagonists as a tad more intelligent and less inept, or at least thoughtless about their personal security.

Great twist on traditional Dick Francis novels

Loved that the protagonist was a strong, smart woman. I've never read a Dick Francis novel before with a woman being the focus of the story. Really enjoyed the suspense, and it was a great story that was very believable. Good job Felix!

mostly good

it was very slow starting, I almost have up. it did get better and was very suspenseful 2nd half.

SIMPLY SUPERLATIVE!!

Having read every single Dick/Felix Francis book (some several times, over the years), this was for me by far the best in years. I cannot recall any previous female main characters in the series, so this beleaguered doctor was a fresh and welcome new voice. The author has clearly thoroughly researched emergency physicians' knowledge and practices, and the dilemmas faced by this protagonist's struggles with OCD/anorexia are remarkably accurate and insightful, IMO, having similar challenges myself. Her inner dialog was a welcome ingredient to a superbly woven complex tapestry. I'm continually amazed at the imaginative ways this series creates credible scenarios within the racing industry. I was also quite pleased with the end -- spinning out the aftermath satisfactorily, vs. an "and they all lived happily ever after" approach. Finally, the narration was superb and I hope to discover other interesting books read by this narrator. For lovers of this ongoing series, PULSE is very strongly recommended!

Wonderful!

Beautiful voice! Super book. I enjoyed it so much!
Thank you Felix Francis for your marvelous work!

Hugely satisfying! Best "Francis" ever!

Very good treatment of mental illness, describing what it feels like from the inside. By contrast, Dick Francis' "Blood Sport" left me rather depressed, with no resolution to Gene Hawkins' mental state (if I'm remembering correctly after 40 years). I have been a Dick Francis fan since I was a teenager in the early '70's, and I've read every single Dick and Felix Francis book. I had a little trepidation when Felix took over, and it did seem like at first the stories weren't quite as emotionally deep, however, that feeling didn't last long. Truth be told, I think Felix had been helping out the stories quite a bit toward the end of Dick's life. In any case, he's certainly got the formula down pat.
This story is a good balance of all the elements: pace, action, emotion, suspense, satisfaction, even believability. Having struggled with depression myself most of my life, I could identify with Chris Rankin, the protagonist. I would like to recommend this book to anyone who has someone struggling with mental health in their life.
I never write book or product reviews, but I felt so strongly about this book that I had to express a little of what I felt after listening to it twice in a row (it was that good).
A word about the reader (performer): Clare Corbett was excellent! Supurb accents, emotions, different voices, etc. Just an all-around good performance!

not my favorite

I have read over two dozen of dick and Felix Francis books. This one is alright. The first that has a female main character. But overall, the story was a bore.