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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The first few Dick Francis novels, whilst very enjoyable, do follow a bit of a formula. With this one he began to branch out a little. And he does it very successfully. The lead character is a deeply troubled man and we get to know him throughout the book which is the first break from the formula.
the story takes places almost exclusively outside the British Isles which is another break from the formula and the plot unfolds at a different pace to the previous novels.
The story is almost a whodunnit but there are not quite enough clues offered for the reader to work out the identity, there are a few wrong turns though which make for an enjoyable read.
It is of it's time (late 60s) but it does hold up well. The writing put me in mind of later Ian Fleming novels and that is no bad thing.
Highly recommended. If you are a fan then you will relish this one, if you felt the first few books were rather samey pulp fiction then this is worth your time.
the story takes places almost exclusively outside the British Isles which is another break from the formula and the plot unfolds at a different pace to the previous novels.
The story is almost a whodunnit but there are not quite enough clues offered for the reader to work out the identity, there are a few wrong turns though which make for an enjoyable read.
It is of it's time (late 60s) but it does hold up well. The writing put me in mind of later Ian Fleming novels and that is no bad thing.
Highly recommended. If you are a fan then you will relish this one, if you felt the first few books were rather samey pulp fiction then this is worth your time.
I really like Dick Francis' books. This one was different in that the main character is dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts. He is on three weeks of leave but his boss is worried about him being alone and invites him to come along on a family trip to the river. He introduces Gene to a friend that needs help. Dave Teller had invested in a race horse and it disappeared during transport. It is insured but he wants Gene to help him find the horse. He also noted that 2 other valuable race horses had disappeared at different times. In some cases it appeared it might be an accident and one of the horses was later found dead. While Gene is learning about the story an incident happened and Dave Teller is stuck in the head and falls overboard. Gene immediately jumps in after the unconscious man and they are both sucked down by the current and pulled under a weir. They were able to get back to the surface and Dave was resuscitated but he has a broken thigh. Gene believes it was an attempted murder and makes sure that Dave is protected while in the hospital and then goes to look for the horse in the US.
dark
This is a powerful book.
Content Warnings
Most crime / detective novels work out pretty well for me. Unfortunately this one ended up being an exception to the rule. The background story about horse breeding had no real pull for me, and the actual detective portion was quite a bit... elementary? simplistic? Honestly it was almost agitating how the clues lead in a direct path, without any real twists or turns, to the ultimate outcome. The characters were mediocre and quite forgettable. The only redeeming point is the novel was well written from a literary context standpoint. Otherwise, i dont think its worth recommending at all.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"To give and to remove confidence were the tools of my trade and there was no union to say that I couldn't use them on Sundays."
I was surprised with how much I liked this book. Suspenseful but not overdone. Not very long either which is a huge plus.
I was surprised with how much I liked this book. Suspenseful but not overdone. Not very long either which is a huge plus.
Główny bohater jest wciągnięty w sprawę zaginionego konia. Jest proszony o to, by go odnaleźć. Na początku nie chce, ale ostatecznie się zgadza. W trakcie historii dowiadujemy się, że postanawia poszukać jeszcze dwa, które zaginęły lata temu.
Ogólnie jest to dobra historia do poczytania. Nie jest to pozycja górnych lotów, więc nie oczekiwałabym tutaj nie wiadomo czego. Sama czytałam tą książkę dość luźno. Nie znalazłam nic co bi mi się podobało, ani nic co by mi przeszkadzało. Mam co do niej neutralne uczucia.
Ogólnie jest to dobra historia do poczytania. Nie jest to pozycja górnych lotów, więc nie oczekiwałabym tutaj nie wiadomo czego. Sama czytałam tą książkę dość luźno. Nie znalazłam nic co bi mi się podobało, ani nic co by mi przeszkadzało. Mam co do niej neutralne uczucia.
Like a flash back to another age, this book is a visit to the late 1960's and classic Dick Francis. It's been more than 20 years since my last read and it's just as good today.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a damaged hero, and it's nice that Dick Francis makes his characters attractive. The plot was interesting, and I liked that the setting changed to the United States, places I've been too (not that I don't like British settings).