Smokescreen

by Dick Francis

Book Overview

Edward Lincoln is a worldwide celebrity who plays detectives on the big screen. But when his godmother asks him to investigate her racehorses in South Africa, he's out of his depth. Soon enough, he's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449221113
• ISBN13: 9780449221112
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: Fawcett Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A fascinating look at horse races and gold mines in South Africa

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.

Another one...

Another one of Dick Francis' fine stories. I've always enjoyed his novels, and this is another one of his finest. I had lost (lent) my original, so it was time to replace it. The protagonist struggles but gets there in the end. If you've never read any of his novels, you should start immediately! There are a few "Britishisms" that American readers might find a little strange (but interesting). Enjoy...

Among the Best of Dick Francis

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.

a GREAT read!

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!

5 Stars worth of Dick Francis' Plot Twists!

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.