Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good investment for mystery & suspense fans!, February 14, 2002
Dick Francis is a formulaic writer, which is to say that one has a pretty good idea of the shape of the novel before one even cracks open the cover. While this would be a death knell for longevity for many, it hasn't been for Francis. This arises from the fact that his characters are so memorable and the milieu in which he casts his tales so rich and well defined that we totally forget that some of the plot mechanisms feel familiar. Banker is a tale of a young British investment banker involved in a syndicate financing the stud career of a well know champion race horse. After the deal is sealed there arises a problem--it appears the horse is genetically defective. Our Banker suspects this is not entirely a natural phenomenon and starts investigating. As always with Francis, this leads to intrigue, violence and murder. Francis' ability to skillfully enter into a wide array of worlds in his novels is another strength--the world of investment banking is brought into sharp focus in a way that makes it interesting--not terminally boring, as one would imagine. Banker is one of Francis' very best works--the characters are vivid and compelling, the mystery here is more refined than usual, the suspense builds very nicely. If you haven't yet tried Francis, this would be a great book to start with. It will set you on the path to a lot of great reading!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "drug of choice" for Dick Francis fans!, December 13, 1998
By A Customer
"Banker" is a wonderfully ingenious mixture of horse-breeding, investment banking, and gene-altering drugs. The thoroughness of Francis' research into his storyline left me breathless. A definite "must-have" for his fans! One can almost feel the grief for the hapless victims, and the villian (as true to Francis form) comes straight out of nowhere to shock and surprise the reader. Malicious greed is the motive behind the villian's actions; the reader is motivated to keep reading!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Master of the Plot, October 13, 2000
By A Customer
"Banker" was the first book I read by Dick Francis. I knew he had legions of fans, and after reading "Banker" I understand why. He seamlessly weaves the diverse worlds of investment banking, horse breeding, and holistic horse practitioners to paint a realistic, believable and compelling story. Dick infuses this with minute details that make each of these worlds and characters come alive. His skill as a mystery writer comes through in the story's perfect pace. Dick is patient in developing the plot, which covers a few years, and each episode is carefully calculated to build a tightly-knit, exciting conclusion. None of the episodes seem unnatural. His deliberate speed in developing the story does not make for portions of slow reading at all. Rather, the opposite happens, and the book is hard to put down. The characters convincingly grow and develop along the way; even the minor ones are not hollow or contrived. His plotting and character development, as showcased here, occur at such a sophisticated level that any Francis imitators have a tough road ahead of them. Shame on the publisher for allowing egregious typographical errors such as "burt" instead of "but," "of of" instead of "of," "what so" instead of "what's so, " or "males" instead of "mares". Dick's work deserved better.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
