About Shouting The Odds
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1995:
When twenty-three-year-old Andy Cooper returns home from Wembley with his dad, he
discovers that his mum has died suddenly. In the aftermath, grief gives way to blame and
Andy becomes the target.
As his dad retreats into drink and their home life deteriorates, Andy is left isolated and
searching for a way forward.
A chance encounter in his local betting shop offers an unexpected opportunity – one that
draws him into the world of horse racing and the risks that come with it. But as the stakes rise, so do the consequences.
Set against the backdrop of 1990s Nottingham, Shouting The Odds is a story of grief, family
conflict and the choices we make when trying to escape our pasts. Because some risks cost more than money.
PRAISE FOR SHOUTING THE ODDS:
‘Andy’s story is funny, moving and full of colourful characters. Shouting The Odds is a fantastic read.’
Stan Hey, screenwriter (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Spender among others) and author of One Arm And Four Legs: A Journey into Racehorse Ownership.
‘I was looking forward to reading Shouting The Odds. I wasn’t disappointed. The world of the betting shop is clearly one that Franklin knows inside out, something that is all too rare when betting is normally tackled in fiction. With so many cliffhangers, it would make for a great TV series.’
Sam Hardy, Racing Post
‘Andy’s story is well told and utterly credible right through to its surprise ending. Throughout, Andy’s heart is never anywhere hidden – it is as though the last thing he does on dressing each day is to pin it to his sleeve, raw and open to the world – and this is what makes Shouting The Odds such a memorable story.’
Joe McNally, Author of the current Eddie Malloy series
‘Shouting The Odds is a great read. Racing fiction tends to be straight out of the Dick Francis school. This isn’t. It’s different and refreshingly so.’
Dave Ord, The Sporting Life
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Author Bio:
Jon Franklin was born in London, in 1963 and Shouting The Odds, published in July, 2021, is his debut novel. His inspiration for writing it comes from over thirty years' experience of the betting and racing industry, ten years as an employee of William Hill, followed by twenty-two years as a professional racecourse photographer. Shouting The Odds received glowing reviews in the Racing Post and the Sporting Life and Franklin was also the subject of a two part interview by Simon Nott as part of the Star Sports #BettingPeople series which can be seen on You Tube. The stand-alone sequel to Shouting The Odds, Manvers Road Star, was published in March, 2025.
Jon began working for William Hill in 1987. It was his first experience of the racing and betting world, a world that has fascinated him ever since.During the years that followed, he worked at several betting shops in the West London area. Other than racing and betting, Jon's other passion in life was photography and following a re-think about his future, he successfully applied for a place on the degree course at Nottingham Trent University in 1994, where he supported himself financially by continuing to work at William Hill part time.
During his penultimate year, The Independent on Saturday Magazine published a portfolio of his photographs that documented racecourse life in Britain. Jon graduated in 1997 and his first break as a racecourse photographer came via The Goodwood Estate. Thus began a twenty-year career as photographer of the 'Glorious Goodwood' meeting on Goodwood Estate's behalf.
After relocating to Sweden in 2000, Jon's association with Goodwood led to work from many other of the UK and Ireland's leading racecourses such as Aintree, Ascot, Cheltenham, Epsom, Haydock Park, Sandown Park and Punchestown among others, before acquiring new clients in Scandinavia.
Jon has written about his experiences as a racecourse photographer in The British Journal Of Photography Magazine and Gallop International Magazine, for whom he has also translated articles about racing from Swedish into English.
Jon's favourite authors are Ian McEwan and Zadie Smith. He lives in Malmö, Sweden with his wife Annika.