Dead Reckoning [Paperback]

Sam Llewellyn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Charlie Agutter is the popular designer of revolutionary ocean-going yachts. But when his brother is killed sailing one of his gleaming boats, everyone suspects the design is at fault - but Charlie knows better and sniffs sabotage. With so much money hanging on the forthcoming Captain's Cup race, it looks like someone has it in for Charlie. He must act fast to win back his good name and livelihood - not to mention the race

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Charlie Agutter, designer of sailing yachts in England, starts losing customers when an apparent defect in a rudder he invented causes two deaths. His reputation suffers, not to mention his chances in the upcoming Captain's Cup. When the same "defect" turns up during a subsequent sailing trial, Agutter uncovers sabotage. Full of sailing jargon and seaside life, this unexciting work might appeal to like-minded readers, but the sticky prose, murky images, and dull characters will deter most. From the author of Hell Bay . REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sam Llewellyn worked as an editor and fine art dealer until he decided that life was too short. Since then, his novels, published in twelve languages, have earned him a reputation as one of the world's master storytellers and writers of maritime thrillers. Many of his books are founded in personal experience. While researching them he has (amongst other things) chased pirates in the South China Sea, raced big-money multi-hulls in France, and run away from cocaine dealers in Spain.

As well as writing novels, Llewellyn has published half a dozen children's books, and works as a journalist for British and American newspapers and magazines such as the London Times and Daily Telegraph. He is a keen gardener, with added interests in ornithology and history and has also sailed yachts - several of which he built himself - all over the world. He now lives with his wife, award-winning children's writer and novelist Karen Wallace, and their two sons in a medieval house in the Welsh border country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: House of Stratus (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755100026
• ISBN-13: 978-0755100026
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Dick Francis for sailors, April 3, 2006

By 

Bookworm (Carmel, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Reckoning (Paperback)

Sam Llewellyn's adult books are similar to Dick Francis' horse racing books with sailing as the setting. If you know a little about sailing and enjoy this type of fiction, you will enjoy these books. They are not as "fast" a read as Francis, but enjoyable.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for anyone!, December 6, 2000

By 

"coolsuperman" (stafford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Reckoning (Hardcover)

One dead and one paralyzed from a faulty steering system on their boat. The inventor is accused of causing the death of one and paralyzing another. The inventor of the fatal steering system tries to clear his name by declaring someone sabotaged the boat. But in the process of proving the act of malicious damage, he is brutally attacked by somebody. At the same time, while he is trying to clear his name he is trying to win the Captain's Cup trials boat race. This mystery novel is filled with double crossings. Dead Reckoning by Sam Llewellyn is a great mystery book for anyone to read. I think that the tittle contributed to the fact why I choose to read this book. For some odd reason I only paid attention to the title instead of reading what it was about. The title made me think about a mystery that would be interesting to read and packed with action. I would not change the title, since the title was what I thought is good. The book was interesting and had some action with its moments of slowness. At first, the author grabbed my interest and kept through the whole book so I could find out what happened. The book started out with action to pull someone who does not read books that often. What happened to the main character is what I think would happen to someone in real life. If somebody were to be blamed for something they did not do, the person's friends and even family would hate them. I think the author could have been trying to say people believe the first rumor they hear, without finding out the true facts about the situation. Out of all of the characters in Dead Reckoning, I would rather not be the main character, Charlie Agutter. Because he owned a business and had some friends but lost everything because he was thought to be the fault of the boating accident. I would not like the fact that if someone were to blame me for someone else's doings, I would lose everything that I have worked for. This work from Sam Llewellyn reminds me of real life. If someone wants to win a race and sees that someone invented something they do not have, they would sabotage the invention so they could win the race. One suggestion to the author of this work would be to not go into all of the details, since if someone were to write into something to deep, it makes the novel less readable. If the author of Dead Reckoning would have shortened the book and not go into so much detail, the book would have been more readable. But the book is still good. Overall, I think this book is a good book with its ups and downs. I think this book could have been better if the author had not gone into so much detail describing what was going on, which for someone, like me, who does not read many books would be boring. But the author saved his novel by making me want to find out the ending of the Dead Reckoning. This book even refers to the life of humans and how they act when they what to win. Even though the book has its moments of slowness, if is a very good book for someone that likes mystery books to read. I found that it kept making me, a person that falls into the non-reader category read so I could figure out the ending.