caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
The mixture as before, very well done. I dislike his obligatory scenes of torture, but following the hero as he escapes is nailbitingly suspenseful. I could also wish that the bullies - in this case, the hero's mother and stepfather - did not so quickly reveal themselves to be whimpering cowards, but that's Francis for you. A good read nevertheless.
kpkelsey's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
saz_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
alisa4books's review against another edition
Sigh. The last in the Dick Francis collection. Certainly one of the best! What a joy to read one more gem. I will miss him greatly!
katejones's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, despite the slightly boring tax/bank plot (bankstuff in general bores me).
Did think it was a different style from the DF solo books - more swearing, more modern technology.
Did think it was a different style from the DF solo books - more swearing, more modern technology.
teach's review against another edition
2.0
A pretty valiant effort on the part of Francis fils, though the book goes astray. Where Dick Francis writes clear, concise prose, this books misses the mark in that area. The plot holds together fairly well, though. The clunkiest part is the constant use of "screamed" " almost screamed" and "shouted" to describe EVERYONE'S speech. I think the younger Francis, given time to develop his own voice, could write some very enjoyable mysteries..
suzanneloving's review against another edition
3.0
The action scenes were good but the character development was uneven and repetitive.
rhthomps's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. Listened to this one on audio; at times I was yelling at the CD. Phrases and obvious facts were repeated several times throughout the narrative, as if we would have forgotten from the previous chapter or paragraph. Information that the reader should have had access to in first-person is withheld without benefit. Irrelevant details are transparent in their attempt to distract.