Customer Reviews

Smoke Screen

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is vintage Francis,a fine example of why Dick Francis' books are so very good. The hero is not a jockey, but an actor. As usual, Francis avoids stereotypes and gives his protagonist some complexity, best shown here in a poignant depiction of family life. Like all Francis protagonists, he's observant, wily, tough, determined, and a guy capable of thinking "outside the box." Technology and politics are dated, of course, but the plot can still hold me gripped from cover to cover, each time I reread it.

There are a handful or so of Francis books that are not set in England. Of those, SMOKESCREEN (set in South Africa) and BLOOD SPORT (in the US) rank among my favorites.

The torture section of this book is absolutely harrowing. You will never forget it.

This is one of Francis' best books - be prepared to stay up all night! I am a huge Francis fan and have read all of his books, and this definately qualifies among the top three. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

Smokescreen is one of those Dick Francis mysteries that take the reader to a country other than England. In this case, two countries, Spain and South Africa, are the sites of the action. The protagonist, Edward Lincoln, is an actor, in his thirties, and when the story opens, he's starring in a movie being made in Spain: Man in a Car. Talk about foreshadowing. But like most of Francis' heroes, "Linc" has lots of experience with horses. As a young man, he worked in a stable; in his early movie career he was a stuntman, specializing in horses.

Given his early experience, it is only natural that a good friend should ask Linc to go to South Africa and find out why her stable of horses is doing so badly in their races after promising beginnings. His friend, it turns out, is dying. The horses are to go to her nephew in her will. And she doesn't want to leave him the horses if they aren't any good.

Shortly after his arrival in Johannesburg, Linc is nearly injured in an accident. If it weren't for the fact that a female TV reporter was seriously injured, he could believe that the publicist for the movie distributor had staged it. The next accident proves that there's no joking around.

Francis' prose is always clean and direct. His characters are straight forward and believable. In the abridged edition, however, much is lost of the nuances of story that are always so enjoyable. If you like Francis, read or listen to the full version. It will be worth the extra time.

Francis offers his usual fare: The same protagonist with a new name; a plot of investigation, discovery, physical pain and mental exercises; a supporting cast of believable characters who act in supportable, self-interested, and logical ways. All of which is not to say anything bad; i love to read Francis, and do so when looking for a vicarious thrill and a light read. The protagonist in this one is Edward "Link" Lincoln, an action picture actor ~ the sort who might star in movies made of Francis' books ~ who goes to South Africa for a little off-set investigation. At least, he thinks that's why he's gone there; he's actually gone to be killed. In a post-Apartheid world the picture of South Africa is rather sweet; i would guess Francis had some coöperation from the government in return for his portrayal of the country.

This is one of my favorite all time Dick Francis novels. Link is a character you'll love and you'll loves to plot twists as fiction can become reality.

Francis, in the Introduction to this book, tells the reader that he had recently been to South Africa when the idea to write this book came to him. Furthermore, once he decided his main character was going to be a celebrity - an actor - he decided to gain background by visiting the British film studios at Pinewood to see how movies are made. Apparently his wife used to work behind the scenes in the movie business, so they have a number of friends who are actors, giving him a good, solid understanding of the acting business.

All this preparation and knowledge paid off in a particularly solid book, where you really feel like you are there while reading the story. Edward Lincoln is a well-known actor who has just finished filming a movie called "Man in a Car" (or something similar) where the basic story is that he has been handcuffed in a car and left to die. After this particularly draining experience, he is looking forward to some time with his family, but when his godmother, Nerissa, calls he immediately goes to see her. Startled by her appearance - she had always been very robust - he discovers she is very ill with lymphoma and is probably not going to last very much longer. She asks him to go to South Africa and look into her horses there as they have been performing badly in the races; she wants to leave them to her nephew, but she doesn't want him to end up with duds. Link is happy to comply.

However, once he arrives in South Africa, the attempts on his life almost immediately begin and he is soon drawn into a desperate struggle to both understand the problem with Nerissa's horses, and to protect himself from harm.

Beautifully detailed descriptions of the African vistas visited by Link bring us into the book fully - Francis seems to be particularly good at this sort of thing. I have definitely enjoyed reading books by this author and I believe I'll look into getting a few more.

Francis has been one of the most consistent fiction writers of his generation and will be sorely missed. This one takes the reader away from Britain and to South Africa. I learned a lot about dying from heat and thirst and Francis' descriptions made me sweat. There were enough twists to keep the plot enthralling and the Krueger Park sequence was outstanding. Tho' not a true racing fan, the info on horses and jockeys is always enlightening. Much enjoyed.

Ron Lealos

Author of Don't Mean Nuthin'

This is one of my favorite Dick Francis novels. The characters are superb, the plotting as clever as it gets, the climax nightmarish, the retribution delicious.

I don't normally warm to novels about actors, but Edward Lincoln (Link to friends) is a thoroughly likeable guy. He has nothing in common with the superheroes he portrays in film after film. He's not a crack shot, can't fly an airplane or dismantle bombs and doesn't speak Russian. He's happiest at home with the family between films.

Link's father worked in a stable, and Link would have liked to be a jockey, but he grew too tall too quickly as a lad. Anyway, he knows horses. An old family friend who doesn't have long to live asks Link to fly to South Africa and find out why her nine racehorses never win a race anymore. She's convinced that Link is as ingenious as the larger-than-life characters he plays.

Just to be kind, Link makes the trip. As it turns out, he needs to be both lucky and clever to stay alive.

This is not a political novel, despite the South Africa location. It should be read purely for the adventure.

Dick Francis is a master story teller. Every book I have ever read of his, almost all of them, is entertaining, well written and completely enjoyable. This one certainly falls in that category. Never start one of his books unless you have time because you will not be able to put it down. What a splendid writer.

I collect Dick Francis novels. He gave me company when I remodeled the kitchen and had no TV.