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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This one was a darker plot than a lot of Dick Francis's novels. It holds up very well for a book written in 1967. You could see it happening in today's world, with less smoking and better technology. This time, our everyman hero is Gene Hawkins, a "civil servant" with a very particular set of skills. He is very good at his job, but struggles with depression. To save him from himself, his boss dangles an irresistible case in front of him - three missing stud stallions have vanished without a trace over the past few years. Could they be related? And can they be found? Well, yes, friends, or we wouldn't have a mystery to solve.
Francis gives a pretty honest perspective of Gene's dark thoughts and how he grapples with life and what to do with the one he has. The supporting characters are well-developed, too. Especially Walt, the insurance investigator who joins Gene on his quest to solve the case and recover the funds to his company. This one takes us from England to all across America, and finally back home again. One of my favorites, and we didn't even really go racing. 4 stars.
Francis gives a pretty honest perspective of Gene's dark thoughts and how he grapples with life and what to do with the one he has. The supporting characters are well-developed, too. Especially Walt, the insurance investigator who joins Gene on his quest to solve the case and recover the funds to his company. This one takes us from England to all across America, and finally back home again. One of my favorites, and we didn't even really go racing. 4 stars.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
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.
Since this book was originally published in 1967, in many ways it seemed like a step back to a simpler time for me. A time with simple technologies, no sex, no cussing, and very mild violence. The story centers around the search for 3 missing breeding stallions, and it was made interesting even for someone who knows very little about the world of horse racing and breeding. Gene is also a rather unconventional leading man — mysterious (you never quite find out what it is he actually does for work), severely depressed (over a woman?), and often suicidal. In many ways this book is as much about him and his emotional roller coaster as it is about the search for the horses. It sucked me in, and I was glad to go along for the ride.
Also, for some reason I kept picturing Gene as Daniel Craig. I don’t know if it was the British accent of the narrator or the fact that the first time you meet Gene he’s pulling a gun out from under his pillow, which is a very Bond thing to do.
Also, for some reason I kept picturing Gene as Daniel Craig. I don’t know if it was the British accent of the narrator or the fact that the first time you meet Gene he’s pulling a gun out from under his pillow, which is a very Bond thing to do.