View source for Pulse by Felix Francis

{{infobox1
|title=Pulse
|author=Felix Francis
|reviewer=Peter Magee
|genre=Crime
|summary=A fast-moving thriller that will keep you gripped to the end.  Highly recommnded.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=448
|publisher=Simon and Schuster
|date=September 2017
|isbn=978-1471155512
|cover=147115551X
|aznuk=147115551X
|aznus=147115551X
}}

The man who was found unconscious in the Gents at Cheltenham Racecourse was smartly dressed, but completely lacked any identification.  He was rushed to hospital and Dr Chris Rankin, a specialist in emergency medicine, tried to save him, but the man died.  Where had he come from and why had no one claimed the body?  Whilst the police were investigating the man's death the doctor's competency was called into question.  Chris Rankin had been hiding anxiety and panic attacks from her colleagues, and now could no longer work.  She wasn't going to give up though - she was intrigued by the nameless man and suspicious of the behaviour of high-profile jockeys at recent race meetings and began an investigation of her own into the identity of the dead man.

The book lays bare Dr Rankin's personal anxieties and her struggles to come to terms with her mental illness. The  situation is exacerbated by the desire by her husband and colleagues to cut short her investigations so that she can concentrate on her own well being.  I was taken by Chris Rankin's determination to get to the truth: she makes an excellent heroine and Felix Francis is to be commended for the empathetic way in which he explores the struggles of someone suffering from depression and - in the case of Chris Rankin - anorexia.  I know that it's a fashionable subject at the moment, but Francis handles it well and lifts it above cliche.

Of course, anyone reading Felix Francis will expect the horse racing element and they won't be disappointed with this book.  At the heart of the story is race fixing and Francis delivers a very believable but unique element which to my knowledge has not been explored before, but which is compelling and believable.  I've read widely on the subject and for many years have had a love of the sport but I was surprised and intrigued by what happened.  Chris Rankin was an inspired choice of protagonist and whilst I was initially disappointed that we were not going to meet Jeff Hinkley, I soon forgot my reservations.

If you're looking for a good , absorbing read then you could do a lot worse, whether or not you're a fan of horseracing.  If I had to quibble about anything it would be that I felt the book was ''slightly'' too long, but it really was only a minor point.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you do want to read more about Jeff Hinkley then we can recommend either [[Front Runner by Felix Francis|Front Runner]] or [[Triple Crown by Felix Francis|Triple Crown]] - both are excellent reads.

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