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Title: Proof by Dick Francis, Charles Dance ISBN: 0-88646-133-2 Publisher: DH Audio Pub. Date: 01 June, 1985 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (10 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Murder at the Bars...and Tracks....
Comment: One of the all time best books I have ever read. Dick Francis is a master writer. Formerly a jockey for the Queen Mother, he has a unique view into the horse racing world of England. His research is flawless and I never fail to learn something from reading any of his books. Proof was one of his best and I highly recommend it.
Bootlegged whiskey and murder lead the hero into the not so nice side of crime in England.
Rating: 4
Summary: Dick Francis with a twist (pun intended)
Comment: This book is a typical Francis hard-to-put-down, fast-reading thriller with one exception. Francis does his usual thorough job of investigating Clancy-style, but this time goes easy on the horses and heavy on the liquor industry. As usual, one is swept away by the story and is delighted to learn what Francis has uncovered in his research.
Rating: 5
Summary: One of Francis' best books
Comment: Dick Francis reminds me of a master craftsman of say fine furniture. His quality and style are such that, though all his pieces are different, they nevertheless bear the mark of his unique style and craftsmanship. Once in a while you'll come across a piece that's so unique that at first you're not absolutely sure it's one of his but a very short inspection convinces you that, yes, as odd as this piece may be, it's his.
That's a long way of alluding to the fact that Francis' books tend to be highly formulaic. For the most part you know what you are getting before you even open the cover. The formula consists of a highly independent, iconoclastic, extremely self-reliant protagonist who, for reasons he doesn't fathom, has become the center of a storm that, before everything has played out, will involve him in intrigue, murder and at least one act of horrific violence aimed at him personally. There will be some sort of at least marginal if not central theme of horse racing and a specific theme to the book-precious gems, photography or, in the case of Proof, the wine business.
Proof is a bit of a departure form the formula. The horrific violence is right up front in the form of a ghastly automobile accident. Tony Beach, the protagonist of this accident is present to experience it though he emerges unscathed. The accident does, however, bring him into contact with a private investigator. Their shared experience leads them to get ot know one another and the investigator, realizing Tony has some skills he needs, drags him into one of his cases. Thus Tony is an involved party to, but not the focus of the intrigue of this novel.
Moreover, Tony is not your typical Francis protagonist. Recently widowed, Tony is trying to modulate grief within the context of his own insecurities of not having lived up to the rough outdoorsman-horse fancier image of his very renowned father.
The end result is a Francis novel minus the usual comfort level of the formula. While it can be a risk for an author to diverge from his comfort zone, Francis handles it here with aplomb. Francis is one of the greatest thriller novelists ever. The result is one of his best novels ever. That's not a bad combination!
This is a great read both for the Francis fan as well as the casual suspense-thriller reader.
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Title: Whip Hand by Dick Francis ISBN: 0515125040 Publisher: Jove Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Risk by Dick Francis ISBN: 044922239X Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Break in by Dick Francis ISBN: 0515131008 Publisher: Jove Books Pub. Date: 03 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Forfeit by Dick Francis ISBN: 0515124451 Publisher: Jove Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Straight by Dick Francis ISBN: 0515134651 Publisher: Jove Books Pub. Date: 28 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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