(1262) Under Orders by Dick Francis

This is an excellent crime novel set in the racing world. Every Francis book I have read turned out to be gem.

The theme that struck me was the father and son angst between Lord Enstone and Peter. I was living on the periphery of something like that in Silver City about 18 years ago.

That year, I had an autistic high-functioning student. His parents were highly paid lawyers. The child's elder brother was like Peter, a much tormented young man. He was in pre-university then. I had little contact with this brother except when he came to pick my student up. Living in a friendly neighbourhood, my student struck up friendship with my neighbours' children.

My neighbour, a very perceptive and lonely woman, told me that alcohol was a problem in that household. When dad had a glass too many, poor elder son suffered emotionally from father's outbursts. However, my student was much loved and spoiled by his father. The mother was sensible and logical, she could neither influence her husband nor help the elder son.

Thank goodness the wealth in this family saved the elder son. He flew to UK to continue his tertiary studies. Should he graduate, then he had the choice of not returning to his hometown. He could craft his own niche instead of fighting an influential and rich father as Peter in the story did.