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A review by lasairfiona
Break in by Dick Francis
4.0
This is one of Dick Francis' best. Kit Fielding is a great character, a steeplechase jockey (where the horses jump rather than run on a flat course) who has a strong will and a touch of telepathy. The plot has something new and interesting on every page, from a romance to falls to near murder experiences to a long run blood feud (most certainly not in that order).
This being popcorn, you shouldn't expect a Great Work of Fiction. However, it is a great read. Easy on the eyes (the edition I have has nice spacing which makes the reading go faster) and mostly easy on the brain. Francis does have a slight problem with keeping some of his characters in character, but he does it to move the plot along rather than showing what I think the character would have done. Also, the bad guys are bad but the good guys aren't always good (but you always like them). Francis also uses the technique of having the main character find a big piece of the puzzle but the only telling you the character's reaction rather than exactly what they found. Of course the information is revealed later, when it is more dramatic, but that can get a bit irritating.
There are a lot of plot points that are touched on so it feels as if the main character is well rounded even though everything is touched on lightly (making it a easy, quick read and therefore popcorn). But I always enjoy Francis' writing and I intend to read more of his stuff. Francis' books may all be popcorn and always involve horse racing, but the stories are all different and enjoyable.
This being popcorn, you shouldn't expect a Great Work of Fiction. However, it is a great read. Easy on the eyes (the edition I have has nice spacing which makes the reading go faster) and mostly easy on the brain. Francis does have a slight problem with keeping some of his characters in character, but he does it to move the plot along rather than showing what I think the character would have done. Also, the bad guys are bad but the good guys aren't always good (but you always like them). Francis also uses the technique of having the main character find a big piece of the puzzle but the only telling you the character's reaction rather than exactly what they found. Of course the information is revealed later, when it is more dramatic, but that can get a bit irritating.
There are a lot of plot points that are touched on so it feels as if the main character is well rounded even though everything is touched on lightly (making it a easy, quick read and therefore popcorn). But I always enjoy Francis' writing and I intend to read more of his stuff. Francis' books may all be popcorn and always involve horse racing, but the stories are all different and enjoyable.